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Hearing To Be Last On County Budget

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 20, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Tuesday will be the last chance for Pasco County residents to offer input on the county's budget for the 2008-09 fiscal year.

The budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1, will be up for discussion at a public hearing set for 6:30 p.m. at the West Pasco Government Center in New Port Richey. The hearing will be the second on the proposed budget.

The previous hearing, held Sept. 8 in Dade City, took about 15 minutes and drew comments from one person.
David Aragon of Wesley Chapel asked commissioners to approve a lower tax rate to relieve his financial strain. Aragon owns three houses in the county, property records show.

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.

Mike Nurrenbrock, the county's director of management and budget, said earlier this month his staff likely will make last-minute adjustments to the budget. He couldn't be reached Friday to discuss what those might include.

This budget year has been quieter than the last, which included sometimes heated discussions with Sheriff Bob White over proposed cuts to his funding.

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

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