Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on ELAPP:
Hillsborough County’s popular, voter-approved land preservation program running out of money
Saturday, August 8, 2015 9:43pm
TAMPA — Hillsborough County’s popular land conservation program is in danger of running out of money. And its leadership blames the county.
Nearly 80 percent of voters in 2008 approved a referendum to give up to $200 million to the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program to purchase pristine, sensitive land for preservation. But after an initial funding of $59.5 million, the county has not contributed any more, and now only $4 million of unallocated money remains in the pot.
“It’s a disgrace,” said former Commissioner Jan Platt, for whom the program is named. “What are they waiting for, another referendum or the next election to kick them out because they ignored the referendum?”
The program was created by referendum in 1987. Three years later, residents voted to extend it for 20 years and fund it with up to $100 million. Both times it passed with at least 70 percent of the vote.
The 1990 referendum included a 25 cent tax on every $1,000 worth of property to pay for bonds issued to buy the lands. But in 2008, commissioners declined to tie a tax increase to a renewal referendum, meaning subsequent county boards would have to find a way to fund any bonding on their own.
Now, after passing the first stormwater fee increase since 1991 and with a sales tax hike for transportation potentially on the horizon, there’s little appetite from commissioners to raise taxes for land conservation. Last month they shot down a proposal from two of their own — Commissioners Les Miller and Stacy White — to give $15 million of the county’s $23 million BP oil spill settlement to ELAPP.
Here’s one problem: Opinions differ on what voters approved in 2008.
ELAPP’s most ardent supporters believe it was a mandate to set aside $200 million to protect the environment. Jan Smith, ELAPP chairwoman, noted that the referendum passed overwhelmingly “when the economy was in such a tremendous downturn.”
In pushing for a referendum at the bottom of the housing market free-fall, supporters hoped the county could get a good bargain on land purchases.
Asked if she thought the county was upholding the spirit of the referendum, Smith offered a terse, “No.”
But the language of the 2008 referendum is less definitive. It said the county could bond up to $200 million to acquire and secure lands for conservation, but there wasn’t a timetable to spend the money. The only stipulation was that any bonds issued to purchase lands must be paid off within 30 years.
County Administrator Mike Merrill said he viewed the $200 million as “a cap,” not a guaranteed amount that had to be spent. With the county still recovering from the recession, he said Hillsborough could not afford more than its initial investment.
“While voters enthusiastically approved it, taxpayers also expect us to be able to manage this within the context of everything we do,” Merrill said.
Merrill said the county already is struggling to fund maintenance, including controlled burns and wildlife preservation, for the 61,500 acres acquired by ELAPP during its 28-year existence. It costs the county about $2.5 million annually to maintain those properties, he said, and those expenses by law can’t be charged to ELAPP.
“The question I have asked the ELAPP supporters directly: How much is enough?” Merrill said. “I haven’t gotten a good answer to that.”
Smith told the Tampa Bay Times that ELAPP has identified 27,000 acres of land worth acquiring. With an average price tag of $4,000 per acre, that would require about $108 million, though not all of those parcels are available for purchase.
There are still expectations on the board that a revenue stream — but not a tax increase — is possible before the budget is finalized in September.
White, a Republican who represents rural east Hillsborough, said he expects to unveil a new proposal within six weeks to fund and “revitalize” ELAPP.
Part of the discussion, Merrill said, is determining whether there are revenue opportunities from the preserved lands. So-called carbon credits are one option.
There’s a small but emerging market of companies and organizations looking to meet self-imposed social responsibility objectives. They could pay the county to set aside lands that would reduce Hillsborough’s carbon footprint to meet their own corporate or organizational goals.
Another possibility would be to allow some tourism on conservation sites.
“Take out the revenue side for a moment,” Merrill said. “Taxpayer money has been used to acquire this. Taxpayers ought to have passive usage even to walk the property with a guide, not camp or start fires or hunt, just experience these sites that are magnificent.”
Many of the parcels earmarked for preservation are contiguous, and the county can better take advantage of that by ensuring connecting parks are well-kept, Commissioner Sandy Murman said.
“People overwhelmingly approved that amendment,” Murman said. “That was the message and we can’t forget or lose sight of what that message was.
“We can’t put it on the shelf and come back to it in 20 or 30 years.”
