December Update from Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving! As always, I greatly appreciate the Avalon Park Sun for giving me the opportunity to update you on what is happening in our wonderful community.

As you think of gifts you will give to friends and family this holiday season, please join me in supporting our local businesses in Pasco County. They could use your support and business this December and all year round. You can find some unique gifts you will not be able to find elsewhere!

In November, I had the honor of speaking at the grand opening ceremony for Double Branch Artisanal Ales. This is a new locally owned craft brewery in The Grove complex in Wesley Chapel. Thank you to the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce for being there for the ribbon cutting.

Many of the Pasco CARES programs to help our citizens and businesses deal with the impact of COVID-19 are in effect through December. These include business reimbursement programs for PPE and some direct assistance programs. Due to federal requirements, these programs will be wrapped up by the end of the year. Please check out MyPasco.net for all the latest information and eligibility requirements.

I once again have some very exciting news in my role as Tourist Development Council Chairman. First, our tourism office, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, was recognized with a Destination Branding and Marketing Campaign of the Year Award for Population Over 500,000 by the Sports Events and Tourism Association. The award, given in 2020 for work completed in 2019, includes the re-branding to Florida’s Sports Coast. The tourism team was also recognized with two Flagler Awards from Visit Florida in November.

In a previous column, I mentioned the sports tournaments throughout our county in September. The numbers are in and I have great news! Our Tourist Development Tax collections for September were up almost two percent over September 2019. The TDT, paid on overnight accommodations by visitors, has not seen a monthly increase over the previous year since COVID began. This is a testament to the great work our tourism team is doing to safely bring events and visitors to our community. September tournaments included baseball, basketball, fishing, and hockey. Please stay safe by following the guidelines provided by our health experts: wear a face covering when you cannot distance from others, wash your hands regularly, and avoid large groups. We will continue to get through this by working together!

Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday season!

About: Commissioner Mike Moore is currently the Chairman of the Pasco County Commission. He lives in Wesley Chapel with his wife and three children.