| |
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Penny For Pinellas History
- In 1987, the population
of Pinellas County had swelled to more than
800,000 residents. Pinellas County’s population
density was already the highest in the state.
People spent hours driving to and from work,
creeping along congested highways. Summer
squalls brought unavoidable flooding in
streets, yards and homes. County parks were
so crowded that outdoor enthusiasts waited
months to enjoy a covered pavilion or picnic
shelter.
- Pinellas County was becoming
strangled by its own development.
- In 1985, the state of Florida
passed the Local Government Planning and
Land Development Regulation Act (Growth
Management Act).The act mandated that all
Florida counties and cities develop long-term
plans for dealing with land use issues and
with the infrastructure improvements necessary
to achieve a community’s desired quality
of life.
- In Pinellas County, local
officials created the county’s own comprehensive
plan in 1989 after considerable community
involvement, which identified the projects
needed to bring county infrastructure up
to the standards established in the plan.
- At that time, all capital
improvement funds were generated by property
taxes, so any big increase in capital improvement
spending to implement the county comprehensive
plan would mean a resulting increase in
property taxes.
What
The Penny Did For You (1990-2000)
The Penny for Pinellas was
considered as an alternative to raising property
taxes--a 1% local option government sales
tax that would be earmarked for capital improvement
projects dealing with roads, flood control,
park improvements, preservation of endangered
lands and public safety. The Penny for Pinellas
was passed by voters countywide in 1989.
- It was used only for capital
improvement projects (CIP)
- It was a 1% addition to
the state’s 6% sales tax paid by residents
and visitors alike (approximately 35% of
total Penny funds were paid for by tourists
and part-time residents).
- It was collected on only
the first $5,000 of any purchase
- Necessities such as groceries
and medications were not taxed.
- The first $80 million of
original and current Penny funds were earmarked
for criminal courts and jail facilities
($225 million will be earmarked from the Penny renewal). Other
revenues are divided equally between the
county and its municipalities, with allocations
to the municipalities based on population.
- While CIP projects are
not funded solely with Penny money, it is
estimated that approximately 75% of all
CIP funding came from the Penny.
- Having the Penny avoided
about 2 mill increase in the countywide
millage levy.
- The original Penny For
Pinellas (1990 – 2000) collected nearly
$828 million and paid for these projects:
On
March 25, 1997, Pinellas County citizens voted
to extend the Penny (2000 – 2010), passing
it with 65% of the vote and collecting an
estimated $1.36 billion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|