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Same tax cut, different math

NEW PORT RICHEY - The plan was to cut the property tax rate if voters approve the Penny for Pasco, a one-cent sales tax increase.

After some wrangling over the words, county officials might have found a way.

The County Commission will review a proposal Tuesday that would place a 0.5-mill property tax rate cut on the school district's shoulders. But the county then would reimburse the school district for half of the lost tax dollars, or roughly $3.4-million from this year's tax base.

A mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable property.

The proposal works around the main objection commissioners raised Oct. 7.

Under the original plan, the county and school district would each cut a fourth of a mill from their property tax rates if voters approved Penny for Pasco. The school district had no problem with the idea, but commissioners balked at freezing their tax rate for the next decade, the life of the proposed sales tax increase.

County Commissioner Ann Hildebrand said Friday she was "cautiously optimistic" the new proposal could provide a tax rate cut without tying future commissioners' hands.

"This makes it a very sellable project here," Hildebrand said. "I think that gives accountability and tells the voters, "Hey, there's a rollback here.' "

The proposed sales tax increase goes to voters March 9. If approved, it would raise about $31-million a year, with the county and the school district each getting 45 percent. The cities would split the rest.

Commissioners on Tuesday will consider the proposed ballot language, which describes the property tax cut tradeoff. The idea also would need the School Board's blessing.

The latest proposal actually came from the school district, said Ray Gadd, the district's point man on Penny for Pasco. It was the brainchild of Bob Dorn, who oversees the high schools.

"Mr. Dorn said, "Why doesn't the county reimburse us?' " Gadd told the Pasco Times on Friday. "I said, "Bob, what a brilliant idea.' "

Commissioner Peter Altman said the proposed ballot language is a departure from what commissioners discussed two weeks ago. At that time, Altman and Commissioner Steve Simon opposed any promise of a property tax guarantee in the ballot language.

"It is certainly inconsistent with where the County Commission left off last Tuesday (Oct. 7), and I think due to the Sunshine Law, it's difficult for me to understand the change in direction," Altman said.

But he said if commissioners fine-tune the language and everyone else supports it, he will join along for the good of the tax initiative, which would help build schools, improve roads, pay for land conservation and other projects.

"Having been critical of some of the partisan posturing on this issue, I certainly intend to be part of the majority so that we do not have any divisions that would damage the chance this would get passed," Altman said.

- Bridget Hall Grumet can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or toll-free at 1-800-333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is bhall@sptimes.com

The County Commission will meet at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Historic Courthouse in Dade City.