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Small Crowd Attends 1st Budget Hearing

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

DADE CITY - A sparse crowd turned out Monday evening for county commissioners' first public hearing to discuss their proposed budget for the 2009 fiscal year.

About two dozen people sat scattered among the benches in the historical Pasco County Courthouse when county commission chairman Ted Schrader called the hearing to order at 6:30 p.m. It lasted 15 minutes.

Sheriff Bob White and several of his uniformed staff filled one bench, a visible reminder of last year's acrimonious hearing when White objected to commissioners' demands that he cut his budget.

A single person rose to address commissioners. David Aragon of Wesley Chapel asked commissioners to approve a lower tax rate to relieve his financial strain.

"I'm grateful for the reduction in the millage rate," Aragon said. "But it's not enough."

Property records show Aragon owns three houses in central Pasco. He told commissioners the taxes were putting a strain on him.

"Back in the glory days, money wasn't an issue," Aragon said.

The county's overall tax rate for 2009 - 6.3531 mills per $1,000 taxable value - is unchanged from this year.

Because property values have fallen across the county, the same tax rate has produced a $980 million budget - 18 percent lower than last year's, which was $1.2 billion.

The county's staff will make last-minute adjustments to the budget between now and the final public hearing Sept. 23 in New Port Richey.

The new county budget takes effect Oct. 1.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.

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