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Hillsborough Land Preservation Program's Fate Up To Voters

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

TAMPA - The crowded Nov. 4 ballot will include a measure that has more to do with fish and wildlife than Democrats and Republicans.

Hillsborough County commissioners voted Wednesday to ask residents to renew the county's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Preservation Program. The program, which has preserved 46,000 acres since it was passed by referendum in 1990, is scheduled to end in 2011.

The ballot language hasn't been determined, but will ask voters to continue paying a property tax assessment so the county can buy more land for preservation.

The measure would allow the county to borrow up to $200 million through a bond issue. The program is funded through a maximum property tax assessment of 25 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value. That would equate to $50 annually for a home with an assessed value of $200,000 after any exemptions.

A recent poll commissioned by the preservation program's general committee showed 49 percent of respondents would vote to renew the program, even though 67 percent had never heard of it. When the program's goals and past acquisitions were explained, the approval rate rose to 68 percent.

Commissioner Brian Blair said he had not heard the poll results until Wednesday's commission meeting and he had reservations about putting the measure before voters when less than a majority of the poll participants approved.

"The last thing we want this thing to do is fail," Blair said.

But Commissioner Jim Norman said the land-preservation program has strong public support and the poll results didn't concern him.

"Just the experience of being out amongst this community, I don't see a problem," Norman said. "This is not a new tax."

The Trust for Public Land, a conservation group, is helping with the campaign to renew the program. Will Abberger, a director with the group, said it has helped run 400 successful land-buying referendums across the United States, 18 of them in Florida.

"What we see in this poll is if a well-funded, well-organized campaign can be mounted to inform voters ... we believe the measure would have a good chance of winning in November 2008," Abberger said.

The ELAPP committee will meet June 3 with the county attorney's office to draft ballot language. The commission has until Aug. 6 to approve the language but is expected to act much earlier, said Pete Fowler, a division director for the county Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com.

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