How is your Penny being invested in Pinellas County?

The Penny is being invested in accordance with public input received ahead of the 2017 referendum. An estimated $2 billion in total revenue will be invested in countywide priorities and county/city capital projects. Read below for more details.

$2 billion total projected revenue 2020-2030

11.3% Countywide Investments – projects agreed on through a 2017 interlocal agreement to fund jail and court facilities as well as economic development capital projects and affordable housing. Projected revenue: $225 million

Jail & Court Facilities: 3% (approx. $60 million)
Economic Development Capital Projects & Housing Infrastructure: 8.3% (approx. $165 million)
- 4.15% land for affordable housing
- 4.15% economic development infrastructure (employment sites program)

88.7% County/City Capital Projects: projected revenue split between Pinellas County and Municipalities based on population for capital projects - e.g. roads, stormwater upgrades, public safety equipment, parks and community centers. Projected revenue: $1.8 billion (net revenue after countywide investments).

County: 51.8% (approx. $915 million)
Municipalities: 48.2% (approx. $853 million)

How priorities were determined

Spending priorities for the renewed Penny are based on broad public input prior to the 2017 referendum, including our annual Citizen Values Survey, partner feedback, countywide public meetings, and more than 1,500 responses from citizens who participated in our Penny for Pinellas Priorities Survey, as well as guidance from our Strategic Plan.

The Board of County Commissioners approved a range of project priorities prior to the referendum ranked according to public support and identified community needs. View the Penny Renewal Project Priorities adopted during a public meeting in May 2017 or learn more here. On Nov. 7, 2017, voters chose to renew the Penny for Pinellas with nearly 83 percent support countywide. Learn more about the referendum results.

Penny Facts:

Funds only long-term capital infrastructure projects that support our local community
Shared between the County and 24 cities
Not a new tax; the Penny has been in effect since 1990
Only applies to the first $5,000 of a single purchase
All Penny funds are collected in Pinellas and stay in Pinellas

How will the Penny be invested?

The renewed Penny will continue to support long-term capital projects in critical areas:

Penny Accomplishments Map

Take a tour of Penny projects in Pinellas County and our 24 cities with our interactive map:

Projects without property taxes:

The Penny makes it possible to do more capital projects without relying on property taxes. The Penny generates the equivalent of 2.4 mills of property taxes ($314 on the average single-family home with a taxable value of $131,000). Without the Penny, the County and cities would rely more heavily on other funding sources such as property taxes to fund these projects or many would have to be delayed or not completed. Learn more on our information page.

Penny for Pinellas videos