Southpinellas: City's Penny picture prettier than county's

City's Penny picture prettier than county's

St. Petersburg has not come up short and has not canceled any promised projects so far, a report notes.

By JON WILSON

ST. PETERSBURG -- Unlike Pinellas County, the city's Penny for Pinellas spending blueprint is on target and contains no budget-busting surprises, according to a report City Council members will receive this week.

Conservative estimates of revenue the Penny sales tax produced, pay-as-you go spending and consistent tracking of finances have avoided shortfalls, the report says.

"We're just trying to proceed in a logical fashion and one by one tick off the projects in the plan," said city administrator Tish Elston. Elston and city budget planners produced the report.

The report also notes that no promised projects have had to be canceled so far, but it cautions that the situation could change because of pressure for increased funding for various projects.

Examples are the concerns for improvement in the Grand Central District and in Roser Park, neighborhood agitation for more traffic calming projects, and desires for more recreation and better streets.

"There are a lot of pressures and it is a balancing act," Elston said. "You try to get as much done as you can for the community, but sometimes you just have to draw the line."

Council members don't expect to deal with a problem like the one faced by Pinellas County government, which overspent its Penny-funded projects by about $123-million.

"I don't foresee any hiccups or glitches," said City Council member Bill Foster. "We try to anticipate situations like this."

Said Jay Lasita: "It almost falls into the "no news is good news' category."

"We seem to have promised correctly and managed our projects correctly, and managed our budgets where we don't have overruns to eat into other projects," Lasita said.

Penny for Pinellas is a countywide tax voters first approved in a 1989 referendum, which authorized the levy for 10 years beginning in 1990. In 1997, voters approved a 10-year extension.

St. Petersburg has completed or started a number of projects officials consider signature efforts under Penny funding.

Among them have been renovation of the Gladden Park community center in Disston Heights, renovations to the Mirror Lake Branch library downtown, refurbishing of the swimming pool at Campbell Park near Tropicana Field in the Challenge area, and construction of a sports complex in Pinellas Point.

Meanwhile, Wildwood Recreation Center is being rebuilt with Penny funds. The $4.5-million project, which also is in the Challenge area, will produce the city's largest recreation center at 32,000 square feet. It will have two air-conditioned gymnasiums.

Lake Maggiore reclamation work has been the largest single project, officials say. About $5-million in Penny funds are allocated. The project's first phase, stormwater runoff cleansing, has been completed; dredging work is next.

St. Petersburg is in line for $242-million over the Penny for Pinellas extension.

The amount is based on a population formula; St. Petersburg gets about 18 percent of the Penny revenues not taken off the top for the county jail.

The city organizes its Penny-funded projects into four categories: public safety, neighborhood and citywide infrastructure improvements (such as roads, sidewalks and stormwater management), recreation and culture, and city facility improvements.

Recreation and culture projects enjoyed a greater priority between 1998 and now, but infrastructure work is going to receive a greater emphasis through 2006, the report to the council says.

Projects coming up soon are storm drainage improvement, improvements on Third Street S between Fifth and 20th avenues, and a massive seawall renovation project in the city's north yacht basin and along Coffee Pot Boulevard.