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A penny wish list
The county and municipalities have plenty of projects to fund if voters approve a penny sales tax extension.
By ANNE LINDBERG
Published August 2, 2006
What would you do with a few extra million? Pinellas cities pondered exactly that as they dreamed up projects that could be funded by a 10-year extension of the Penny for Pinellas sales tax. Voters countywide will decide in March whether to extend the tax, which expires in 2009. The 1-cent-on-the-dollar sales tax generates more than $150-million a year that is distributed to municipalities throughout the county. The wish lists of south Pinellas cities were dotted with items ranging from new police and fire stations to bridges and a waterfront park. Pinellas County Administrator Steve Spratt had asked the cities to submit their lists by Tuesday so the county could start preparing a campaign to sell the tax to voters. The request wasn't premature, Spratt said, as March will "come pretty quickly." The timing also was set to coincide with government budget cycles, Spratt said. With the municipal and county governments already concentrating on setting priorities, it seemed like a good time for officials to establish goals should the sales tax be adopted for a third time. If renewed, county officials estimate revenues to total about $1.94-billion between 2010 and 2020. The Penny tax was started in 1990, and renewed in 1997. The proceeds, which must be used for such capital needs like buildings and infrastructure, are divided among the county and cities. The county gets the largest share, about 52.3 percent of the pot, Spratt said, because it provides countywide services to all Pinellas residents. For instance, the county plans to earmark $200-million of Penny money for the jail and court system, Spratt said. The cities get money based on population, with St. Petersburg slated to get the biggest slice, an estimated $318-million. But it's unclear what projects St. Petersburg has in mind because the city did not submit its list to the county. City officials prefer to wait until the county reveals its ideas to avoid any duplication, said Mike Connors, St. Petersburg's director of internal services. The city has a series of draft Penny lists, but the final list has not yet been reviewed by the City Council or Mayor Rick Baker, he said. City officials would not provide a copy of the drafts. Connors said he expects the city to release a final list in about a month. Elsewhere, Pinellas Park has lofty plans for the $59.9-million it is estimated to receive if new life is given to the tax. Among its proposals: a $12-million police station, a $7.5-million public works complex, $7.5-million in drainage improvements in the Skyview area of the city, $5.25-million for a fire station in the Gateway area, $5-million for an indoor pool complex and $3.5-million to renovate the senior center. Pinellas Park wants to surpass its estimated allocation with projects totaling $63.75-million. Not only that, Pinellas Park City Manager Mike Gustafson and other city officials appeared at a County Commission meeting last week to ask for $2-million of the county's projected Penny money to help fix drainage along Park Boulevard. The city figures the county should help pay for the fixes because Park is a hurricane evacuation route, Gustafson said. Spratt said it was too early to tell whether county officials would be sympathetic to Pinellas Park's request considering the demands the county faces. Seminole's wish list is broken into three general sections totalling $22.5-million, just a tad more than the $22.4-million the county estimates that city would receive. Under facilities, Seminole wants a new senior center, an emergency operations center, a public works complex, a community building, a fire station and a library expansion. Officials also want to develop a city center, a business assistance program and money to buy land for recreation space. Drainage and road improvements also made the agenda. At $5.1-million, Kenneth City's wishes add up to less than the $5.7-million the county projects the town would receive. Among the town's wants are more police cars, computers for the police department, street and drainage improvements, and an addition to one of the town's buildings. On the beaches, Treasure Island is hoping to fund 15 projects that would cost about $9.5-million. Those projects include replacing two bridges - one leading to the Isle of Capri and the other leading to the Isle of Palms - rehabilitating the sewer system, and an addition to the Treasure Bay recreation center on Paradise Island. The city has long range plans to put about 40 boat slips there, too, and establish a city marina. Firetrucks and police cars are also listed. The St. Pete Beach City Commission is scheduled to solidify its $12.6-million list with a vote on Aug. 8. On the table is the renovation and construction of existing fire stations and the library, new concession and rest room facilities for Pass-a-Grille and Upham Beach, pay down of the debt service on City Hall and the new community center complex, and help with the proposed Gulf Boulevard improvement project. Times staffers Aaron Sharockman and Casey Cora and correspondent Kathy Saunders contributed to this report. At a glance A look at how much money the biggest south Pinellas cities would receive from a 10-year extension of the Penny for Pinellas sales tax. St. Petersburg: $318.44-million Pinellas Park: $59.87-million Seminole: $22.4-million St. Pete Beach: $12.59-million Treasure Island: $9.48-million A PENNY MEANS MILLIONS The county plans to ask voters in March for a 10-year extension of the Penny for Pinellas sales tax. The money is doled out to cities based on population. Here's how much Pinellas municipalities could receive from 2010 to 2020: Bellair: $5.17-million Belleair Beach: $2.05-million Belleair Bluffs: $2.82-million Belleair Shore: $91,000 Clearwater: $138.86-million Dunedin: $46.84-million Gulfport: $16.19-million Indian Rocks Beach: $6.66-million Indian Shores: $2.26-million Kenneth City: $5.71-million Largo: $91.65-million Madeira Beach: $5.67-million North Redington Beach: $1.94-million Oldsmar: $17.29-million Pinellas Park: $59.87-million Redington Beach: $2-million Redington Shores: $2.95-million Safety Harbor: $22.4-million St. Petersburg: $318.44-million St. Pete Beach: $12.59-million Seminole: $22.4-million South Pasadena: $7.35-million Tarpon Springs: $29.16-million Treasure Island: $9.48-million
[Last modified August 1, 2006, 12:43:50]
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