BP Oil Spill Money: How Should Pasco Spend It?
The county is looking for people to sit on an advisory committee that will suggest ways Pasco could use penalty money from fines paid out for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill..
Do you have ideas on how Pasco could use funds from money received from penalties that will be paid due to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010?
The Pasco County Government is giving you an opportunity to share them.
It is inviting residents to apply to sit on the county’s advisory RESTORE Act Committee. The volunteer committee will come up with ideas on how penalty money could be used.
Eighty percent of the administrative and civil penalties BP or other parties deemed responsible for the spill are paying is being dedicated to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Five Gulf states are eligible to seek a percentage of that money: Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Alabama and Missisippi.
Pasco is one of several Florida counties eligible to seek money from the pot of penalty funds. It is uncertain, however, how much Pasco will receive, if it receives any money at all. A Tallahassee-based consultant recently told the county it could net $19 million of penalty money, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
It’s also unclear how much the parties deemed responsible for the spill will actually pay out.
The payout to the Gulf region is based on the federal RESTORE Act, passed last year. The money from any penalties paid will be stored in the RESTORE Act Trust Fund.
“The RESTORE Act Trust Fund was established to maintain funds and certain
percentages will be used for ecological and economic restoration of the Gulf
Coast region,” according to a press release.
The RESTORE Act committee will provide ideas and input to the board of counyy commissioners, but the commissioners are the ones who will make decisions.
The county is looking for a variety of people to serve on the committee and recently put out the call for committee applicants. It’s looking for the following people to sit on the committee:
- a higher education institution (college or university)
- a member from the aquaculture industry
- a member from the workforce development/job creation industry
- a member with experience in economic development
- a member from the tourism industry
- one at-large citizen member
- a member recommended by the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce
Anyone interested in a seat on the committee should email restoreact@pascocountyfl.net and provide a brief bio and description of what role they can serve on the committee.
How would you spend the money? Tell us in the comments below.
Mark
8:15 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
I would pay debt down....this city will probably put more traffic cameras up!
guillermo
8:53 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
That money should put on an Emergency Fund, that could be used later on meanwhile that money will be gaining interest
Jimmy James
11:49 am on Friday, March 1, 2013
Save it for a "rainy day." A kid might spend it just because he/she has it in his/her pocket
steve nellis
2:13 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Greedy bastards is what this country has become. Lets see how much we can get. I am tired of this. The economy was down before the spill. As a nation we have become takers. How great we our for setting examples for future generations. I have lost all respect for all government and the elected officials
Jimmy James
2:16 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Steve, I agree, "Gimmee-gimmee-gimmee"
Grace
8:38 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Too many people in this country have become greedy that's true and a lot of the politicians, however BP is not the government and thank God BP got caught, and has to pay for messing up the Gulf. Now if this had an actual effect on Pasco County, personally I don't know and don't think so. It didn't hurt our tourism, it didn't hurt our businesses but I really don't know.
Brian
3:11 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
open up more strip bar and then tax the heck out of them.......
James S
5:43 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
Use it to dredge the canal up by the old limerock mine in Aripeka.
Gomez O
9:31 pm on Friday, March 1, 2013
i would say fix the roads and schools.... and the rest of the money should put on an Emergency Fund,
Pat
1:00 pm on Sunday, March 3, 2013
I don't believe paso had any damages from the oil spill so why do we deserve any money and if we did get money it should go to are crappy beaches and coast line that would have been affected by said oil spill that didn't affect paso county.
Sandra Dornick
8:28 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
Pat, I was wondering too what lost revenue did Pasco experience because of the oil spill. We have NO beach tourism or hotels that could have been affected. What did Pasco list as revenue loss?
James S
9:39 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
Of course Pasco had losses from the oil spill as the entire state suffered with reduced tourism, etc. We don't have many beaches, it's true, but people simply stopped coming to Florida. Pasco is rated very highly for bird watching tourism, nature tourism, numerous youth sports national and regional tournaments, etc.
Balee
5:18 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
My impression of this money was to pay back the people (business, etc) that suffered losses. After that, why not spend some (just some) on sprucing up West Pasco County. Clean up eyesores that visitors and future residents see as a detriment to living here. Find some sort of tourist attraction that draws more revenue for Pasco County (not sports oriented). Put in a fund that serves for emergency purposes that deserving people need.
James S
6:30 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
Sure are a lot of roads in this county that are rated residential but have become connector roads and they desperately need repair. For example, Drexel road from Lake Patience to Lake Thomas Road!
James S
6:30 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
That should be "collector" roads, not connector.
Timothy Miller
8:07 pm on Monday, March 4, 2013
Finish the started project of the Hacienda.
James S
2:32 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The $$$ should benefit the entire county, not any one city!
Sandra Dornick
12:48 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013
What was listed as losses incurred? If it was just tourism, that is a past issue of course, you cannot recoup that. This is a windfall for the county.
I would like to see a parking area by Decubellis to park your vehicle to use the Starkey trail, a gravel pull off would be nice. Spent big money on sidewalks, but no where to park to use them for riding bikes or walking dogs.
Sidewalk extended down Moon Lake Road for school children to safely walk or ride their bikes, it stops at Lacey.
More community garden spaces (not just in NPR proper).
Demolition of dilapidated buildings, houses and trailers.