County officials had hundreds of comment cards ready to hand out Monday night at their first community meeting on a proposal to double the county's gas tax. But they needed only a few.
That's because turnout for the 6:30 meeting at Countryside High School was so small.
This was the meeting at which residents of upper Pinellas County were supposed to tell county officials what they thought of the gas tax proposal. But fully half of the 60 or so in attendance were elected officials or local government employees who came to observe the public reaction. Of those residents who did show up, only 10 or so spoke, all opposed to a gas tax hike.
What message might county officials get from the turnout Monday?
Well, they might assume that most people in North Pinellas are okay with an increase in the local gas tax from 6 cents per gallon to 12 cents in order to raise money for road projects.
Does any of this sound familiar?
Last year Pinellas County held advertised community meetings on a proposed extension of the main runway at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport. Few people showed up to object to the idea. The County Commission went ahead and approved the runway extension. Now hundreds of people, roused by a proposed rezoning of land near the airport, are loudly voicing their opposition to the runway extension.
Many of those airport opponents have accused the county of trying to slip the runway extension past the public. At Monday's gas tax meeting, a speaker was applauded after she accused the county and the media of inadequately promoting the meeting - this despite stories and public service announcements in this newspaper and on local television news channels as well as advertising on the county's Web site.
The gas tax issue has the potential to affect far more people than the airport does - everyone in the county who owns a vehicle - and the meeting was adequately advertised, yet it didn't draw people out of their homes to express their opinions (it was even scheduled early enough to avoid conflicting with Monday Night Football).
Traffic congestion is routinely listed as the No. 1 problem in Pinellas County by survey respondents, yet few seemed interested in one of the county's proposed solutions to the problem Monday night.
Those who oppose paying a higher gas tax to fund road improvements need to communicate their feelings to the county now, well before the County Commission takes formal action.
Those who support an increased gas tax as an equitable way to fund road improvements also need to turn out and make sure officials know where they stand.
The county already has advertised - and this newspaper already has printed several times - the dates and places for the two remaining community meetings on the gas tax proposal. But for those who missed them, here they are again:
Oct. 2, 6:30 p.m. at Largo High School, 410 Missouri Ave., Largo.
Oct. 9, 6:30 p.m., at Boca Ciega High School, 924 58th St. S, St. Petersburg.
