ECONOMY INTERVIEW
The right fixes Pinellas County is addressing its transportation issue with a strategy that links jobs, housing and opportunity countywide
Kenneth Welch Commissioner – Pinellas County What are the main initiatives that Pinellas County is working on? Hillsborough County approved a 1% sales tax in 2018. Tampa Bay is the best metro area in the country, except on the issue of transportation. That is the one area where we are behind the curve. It was huge that Hillsborough was finally able to pass the sales tax to fund transportation. The reality is that it usually takes multiple tries for a region to approve that kind of transportation funding source. In Pinellas, our county administrator and community stakeholders have been working on a strategy to fund our transportation needs, in a way that links jobs, housing and opportunity countywide. I believe that effort will culminate in a referendum this November for a sustainable transportation funding source. The initiative will address transportation countywide, reduce congestion on our roadways, provide safer pedestrian and bike trails, maintain bridges support transit and regional connections. This will be transformational for our county, and it will mean that the two largest counties in Tampa Bay, Pinellas and Hillsborough, finally have the means to connect our region, and provide our citizens with modern, efficient transportation options.
funded from the Penny will be built on investment corridors funded by the upcoming transportation tax that I believe will be on the ballot in November 2020.
How important is the availability of affordable housing for the region’s prosperity? It is vital. We are growing very quickly, and St. Petersburg has one of the most vibrant downtowns in the Southeast. There is a lot of new residential development, but many are increasingly expensive market-rate developments. So, where and how do you invest in affordable and workforce housing? Thankfully, Pinellas voters approved the Penny for Pinellas sales tax in 2017. We have a committee of city and county economic and housing experts who have recommended criteria for project funding. Housing
What are the unique business opportunities to be found in Pinellas County? We offer a business-friendly climate, and a low-tax revenue model with no state income tax. The workforce and education institutions are mature and growing. We are No. 2 in manufacturing jobs in the state after Miami-Dade. We have vibrant live/work/play/retire communities, and the best beaches in the world. We are also going to fix that transportation issue. I think more and more individuals, families and businesses are realizing how attractive Tampa Bay, and Pinellas County in particular, is for business. www.capitalanalyticsassociates.com
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