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Pasco’s fiscal picture bright for 2020 By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
As budget planning ramps up for fiscal year 2020, Pasco County officials believe the county has bright economic prospects for the coming year. “We’re now projecting for the fiscal 2020 budget an increase of 9.5 percent of countywide taxable assessed values. That is the
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same increase as we had in fiscal year 2019,” said Robert Goehig, budget director for Pasco County. “This 9.5 percent increase is huge. It’s unprecedented. We haven’t seen increases like this, really, at all.At 9.5 percent increase of assessed value, that generates about an additional $18.5 million in property tax revenues,” the budget expert told the Pasco County Commission, during a workshop
session on April 30. He also noted that the expected rate of the increase for the coming year is the same as it was in 2008, before the Great Recession. Unlike then, however, the underlying economy is much stronger, Goehig said. “We feel we’re in a better position now See 2020, page 13A
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Celebrating motherhood As Mother’s Day approaches — it’s on May 12 this year — we wanted to celebrate some of the small daily moments that moms recently shared with their children within the communities served by The Laker/Lutz News. Above, Rayliris Green, of Land O’ Lakes, walks next to Jayden, her 7-year-old son, as he bicycles during a recent evening. Asked what makes his mom special, Jayden responded: ‘My mom is so beautiful, she is so kind to me. She takes care of me, and is always there for me.’
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Rayna Woodruff, of New Tampa, carries her 8-month old son, Levi, and holds the hand of her 2-year-old son, James, as she walks through The Shops at Wiregrass. She defined motherhood like this: ‘It’s life-changing. It’s a struggle of love. There’s lots of activities, lots of tears, but it’s a balance. Watching them grow everyday, it makes me excited for their achievements, whether its walking, or riding a bike. It’s a lot of emotions.’
During a recent morning outing at The Shops at Wiregrass, Jill Pydeski, of Wesley Chapel, left, holds on to her 2-year-old daughter, Hannah, while sharing a laugh with her mother-in-law, Lorraine Pydeski, of Dunedin. Jill was moved to tears, when her mother-in-law described her this way: ‘She is a wonderful mom. The best. We feel very lucky to have her in our family.’
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Wesley Chapel Veterans’ home celebrates Boulevard expansion 20 years of local service plans progress By Brian Fernandes
bfernandes@lakerlutznews.com
By Brian Fernandes A construction time frame has been set for Pasco County’s plans to widen Wesley Chapel Boulevard to six lanes. The expansion of the road — also known as County Road 54 – will be broken into two projects. The first project begins just north of the road’s intersection with State Road 56 and extends to the north of its intersection with Magnolia Boulevard. The second project extends from the intersection at Progress Parkway to the intersection of Oakley Boulevard. An initial 2003 study prompted the idea of expanding Wesley Chapel Boulevard to four lanes. However, later studies predicting an increase in density resulted in a call for more widening. “Projections we did, before 2008, show that future growth is going to bring the vol-
The Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home drew hundreds to a celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of the center’s opening in Land O’ Lakes. The April 30 ceremony was held outside the facility, which has been home to veterans and has been a place where many community organizations have been involved for two decades. Marlies Sarrett, the facility administrator, opened the program with a warm welcome to all attendees, followed by words from Charlie Reese, the master of ceremony. Members of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) from
See EXPANSION, page 13A
See VETERANS, page 13A
bfernandes@lakerlutznews.com
BRIAN FERNANDES
The 20th anniversary ceremony for Baldomero Lopez State Veterans’ Nursing Home was a special occasion bringing family together. Resident Skip Upham, left, was joined by his brother-in-law, Jim Callahan, for a special lunch after the ceremony. Upham, 78, is a veteran who served in the U.S. Marines.