Monday, May 20, 2013
Both the Pinellas County Commission and School Board have races in November 2014. Take a look at who's running so far.
Election Day 2014 is still a long way away, but that doesn’t mean competition for local seats isn’t starting to develop. With seats up for grabs on both the Pinellas County Commission and Pinellas School Board, Largo residents can anticipate some changes following the 2014 elections. Here’s a look at who’s filed for what races to date, according to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office: County Commission, District 2 (At Large) This at-large district, a seat currently held by Norm Roche, covers much of northwest Pinellas County. One candidate has filed to date: Hooper currently represents District 67, which includes much of Clearwater and Largo, in the Florida House, where he is up against term limits. The former Clearwater …
Friday, March 29, 2013
Pinellas County Commission Chair Ken Welch delivered the State of Pinellas address this week.
Pinellas County Commission Chair Ken Welch delivered the State of Pinellas address this week. In the video, which you can see above, Welch, "talks about strategic planning, poverty, public health, human rights, an upcoming transit tax referendum, tourism and the FY2014 county budget." Sign up for the Largo Patch email newsletter to get our top headlines delivered straight to your inbox so you won't miss a thing!
Monday, March 18, 2013
The health clinic will be located near the Pinellas County Jail and the county homeless shelter.
Pinellas County will soon begin construction on a health clinic for the homeless and poor of Pinellas in Largo. It will be located near the Safe Harbor homeless shelter and the Pinellas County Jail, according to county documents. In October 2012, commissioners accepted a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to build the health clinic for homeless families with children, county documents show. According to a report by the Tampa Bay Times, the clinic will offer an array of services. " ... The building would house a primary care clinic, mental health services and housing placement assistance programs. A small library and children's room are planned for its first floor and, on the second, county officials …
Friday, March 15, 2013
The health clinic will be located near the Pinellas County Jail and the county homeless shelter.
Pinellas County will soon begin construction on a health clinic for the homeless and poor of Pinellas in Largo. It will be located near the Safe Harbor homeless shelter and the Pinellas County Jail, according to county documents. In October 2012, commissioners accepted a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to build the health clinic for homeless families with children, county documents show. According to a report by the Tampa Bay Times, the clinic will offer an array of services. " ... The building would house a primary care clinic, mental health services and housing placement assistance programs. A small library and children's room are planned for its first floor and, on the second, county officials …
Saturday, February 16, 2013
At its Feb. 26 meeting, Pinellas County Commissioners will vote on whether or not to place a sales tax for transit improvement on the November 2014 ballot.
Pinellas County Commissioners took the next step Tuesday to ensure there is a public vote on a sales tax increase in November 2014 that would go toward Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority improvements. By voting 6-1 Tuesday, commissioners cleared the way to decide at their Feb. 26 meeting whether or not to place the proposed sales tax increase on the 2014 ballot. The vote, however, is a mere placeholder until an ordinance is drafted for the PSTA sales tax referendum. "For more than 30 years, we having been talking about transit," said commissioner Janet Long. "We have never gotten as far as we are right now. I my mind, it’s time to move forward. Our citizens deserve better and our kids deserve better." The tax can be up to one percent, …
Friday, February 15, 2013
County commissioner Norm Roche said it would be easier to advocate for a statewide domestic partnership registry than have varying registries at the local level.
The governing bodies of Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Tampa and Gulfport have all passed ordinances within the past year creating domestic partnership registries. Now at least one Pinellas County commissioner thinks the same should be done at the state level before any more communities follow suit. Domestic registries grant couples, gay or straight, to have a certificate that allows them to have most of the same rights as heterosexual married couples in Florida. Those rights can include hospital visitation rights, end of life decisions, childcare decisions, and in some cases, insurance coverage. Up until Jan. 24 when Hillsborough County Commissioners surprisingly voted against creating a registry, no Tampa Bay-area …
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Pinellas County Commissioners added a discussion about gun background checks to their legislative agenda.
Pinellas County Commissioners have added a discussion of gun background checks to their legislative agenda. Commissioner Janet Long said as elected officials, it is their responsibility to look at gun violence and gun policies in the interest of public safety. She said there are many holes in the existing background check system, including lags in time between when a person is officially listed as a felon and not. “Are you comfortable knowing the background check is not really a background check in terms of identifying people who are potential problems?” Long asked the commission Tuesday. “Are you aware that this is a real glitch in our state law and are your comfortable with it?” She said a person can be arrested for a violent crime on …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Future improvements include adding trains, moving the rental car facility and expanding terminals.
A new light rail train, expanded terminals and a new location for the rental car facility are among the changes that could come to Tampa International Airport in the coming years, an official told Pinellas County Commissioners on Tuesday. Joseph Lopano, Chief Executive Officer of Tampa International, laid out the plans at Tuesday's county commission meeting. In his presentation, Lopano said future build outs of the airport would mean TIA could easily support nearly 35 million passengers by the year 2041. In 2011, 16,732,051 passengers traveled through Tampa International. According to Lopano, the biggest issues at the airport now are congestion and capacity. Those issues include: In the presentation, which Lopano said he will officially …
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Pinellas County Property Appraiser Pam Dubov said filing for the property tax exemption ends March 1.
Pinellas County Property Appraiser Pam Dubov said Tuesday qualifying residents have until March 1 to apply for property tax exemptions. The tax exemptions, which Dubov said may result in hundreds of dollars in property tax savings, are for permanent residents of Pinellas County. Regular office hours for the property appraiser are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Property owners may also apply online from the website at www.pcpao.org, a news release said. According to Dubov, Florida offers several property tax benefits for qualified residents: According to a news release, each exemption has its own set of qualifications. To find out if you qualify, or for additional information, call the Personal Exemptions Division at 727-464-3294…
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Pinellas County officials said they might have to start thinking about the long-term budget impacts of climate change.
Forming the county budget is always a mixture of art and science. Pinellas County Administrator Robert LaSala says this year's budget is no different. "This is like a mosaic," LaSala said at Tuesday's budget work session. "It's made up a lot of pieces … a lot of moving pieces." There are definite numbers, such as the millage rate and fee schedules, that county officials can rely on to form the budget. However, many items like potential new state/federal mandates, a stagnant economy and ongoing housing crisis, are things county officials have to regularly brace for. As of Tuesday, the county has added another item that could affect future budget forecasts — climate change. County budget director Eric Naughton said it might be time for …
Leroy A Haggard
12:59 pm on Thursday, February 14, 2013
If anyone wants a weapon should not object to a thorough, and I mean a thorough back ground check. Like having a drivers license, a gun owner should do the same. ordeal. Every three years or so. If it is good for a car driver to have to go through, it i is good for a gun owner more ›