On March 13, 2007, The Penny for Pinellas will go before Pinellas County voters for renewal. If the 10-year renewal is approved, nearly $2 billion worth of city and county projects would benefit all Pinellas County communities in several different areas.

What You Should Know About The Penny

1. The Penny sales surtax generates $136 million in Pinellas County annually.

2. The Penny is paid by everyone who purchases non-tax-exempt items within Pinellas County.

3. Approximately 30% of the Penny is paid by people visiting Pinellas County, who use our facilities, but may not pay other types of taxes.

4. The Penny is allowed by state law, but can only be used for capital improvements and public safety equipment. It cannot be used to pay for operating expenses, like salaries, utilities and expendable supplies.

5. The Penny was first authorized by Pinellas County voters by referendum in November 1989, and again in March, 1997.

6. Unless Pinellas County voters agree to re-authorize the Penny for a third ten-year period, it will expire on January 31, 2010.

7. Pinellas County voters are being asked to make this decision to re-authorize in 2007 to ensure sound capital improvement planning for the upcoming years.

8. Before the Penny for Pinellas, cities used revenue bonds, i.e., debt financing for all major improvements, and transferred approximately hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from the City's General Fund for capital improvements.

9. The first and second ten-year Penny programs enabled the City to replace, improve and extend the life of City facilities on a pay-as-you-go basis, thus avoiding the interest costs of borrowing.

10. The Penny has allowed the City to replace or upgrade many older facilities, to improve their safety, increase their service capacities, and reduce costs through fire sprinkling and energy efficient lighting.

11. The Penny has enabled the City to improve its ability to routinely extend the life of its infrastructure and replace damaged infrastructure, like sidewalks.

12. The Penny has been paired with other funding sources, like the stormwater fee, to make major drainage improvements, and has been used to leverage many grants from regional, state and federal sources to stretch local dollars further.

What If The Penny Is Not Re-Authorized By Pinellas County Voters?

All the cities in Pinellas County and the Board of County Commissioners would need to revert to other existing funding sources for major capital improvements. These would include General Funds and borrowings that were used before the Penny existed. Without a dedicated funding source, like the Penny, capital improvements would compete with operations to a greater extent, probably slowing the amount of improvements made.

The Penny for Pinellas has become an important way for Pinellas County to provide for the needs of both its current and future citizens, as Pinellas County grows and develops over the next decade. Without the Penny, many public projects would not be completed until years into the future or not done at all. Funding for essential projects would revert back to falling on homeowners’ property taxes.

If the penny is not extended, the millage rate equivalent to generate the same annual amount is 2.3 mills.

2001-2006
St. Pete Beach received approximately $5.4 million

Penny Accomplishment Projects:
• Gulf Way & 8th Avenue: underground utilities and install new lights
• Corey Avenue: install new lights
• McKenny Park: Match FRDAP grant for new playground
• Lazarillo Park: Match FRDAP grant for new playground, pavilion and trees
• New City Hall: Debt Payment
• Demolition of old City Hall and Annex
• City Hall Park
• City Master Plan
• Community Services Addition
• Drainage improvements
• Street resurfacing
• Sidewalk and curb replacement throughout the city
• Seawall replacement
• Restoration of Don Vista building
• 7th Avenue Pier: matching funds from oil spill
• Gulf Way Walkway: matching funds from oil spill
• Don CeSar Boat Ramp: matching funds from oil spill
• McKenny Park Fishing Pier: matching funds from oil spill
• Public Works Office Building
• Community Center Renovation and expansion

2001: St. Pete Beach Received $836,500
• $100,000- City Hall Planning
• $90,000- 7th Avenue Pier
• $56,000- Seawall Replacement
• $75,000- Sidewalk and Curb Replacement
• $35,000- Don Vista
• $69,000- Drainage Improvements
• $24,000- Gulf Way Lights
• $10,000- Corey Ave Light
• $250,000- Community Services Addition
• $20,000- Demo Misner
• $12,000- Egan Park Improvements
• $37,500- Hurley Park/ FRDAP
• $48,000- Hurley Park Outdoor Basketball Court
• $10,000- Lazarillo Park Trees

2002: St. Pete Beach Received $704,000
• $266,500- City Hall Park
• $250,000- Don Vista Restoration
• $37,500- Lazarillo Park Improvements
• $50,000- Underground Utilities
• $50,000- City Master Plan
• $50,000- City wide Beautification

2003: St. Pete Beach Received $1,059,047
• $65,000- Blind Pass Road
• $337,047- City Hall Park (I)
• $50,000- City Hall Park (II)
• $230,000- Street Resurfacing
• $25,000- Seawall Replacement
• $50,000- Curb and Sidewalk Replacement
• $302,000- City Hall Debt Payment

2004: St. Pete Beach Received $797,000
• $190,000- Street Resurfacing
• $50,000- Curb and Sidewalk Replacement
• $25,000- Seawall Replacement
• $302,000- City Hall Debt Payment
• $230,000- City Hall Park

2005: St. Pete Beach Received $1,074,000
• $300,000- Street Resurfacing
• $50,000- Sidewalk and Curb Replacement
• $25,000- Seawall Replacement
• $305,000- City Hall Debt Payment
• $394,000- City Hall Park

2006: St. Pete Beach Received $900,000
• $302,000- City Hall Debt Payment
• $100,000- Public Works Office Building
• $498,000- Community Center

Proposed Penny Projects:

St. Pete Beach 2010-2020 Proposed Penny Projects
Expected Funds for St. Pete Beach: $12,591,000

Public Safety - $2M
Renovation of Fire Station 23 ($2M)

Recreation/Leisure Services - $9M
Expansion/replacement of Public Library ($3M)
Pass-a-Grille Public Restrooms and Concession Stand Improvements ($1M)
Upham Beach Public Restrooms and Concession Stand Improvements ($500K)
Community Center Complex Debt Service ($3.5M)
Various Park Facility Upgrades ($1M)

Public Works - $11M
Gulf Boulevard Improvement Project ($5M)
Continuation of Roadway, Sidewalk and Seawall Restoration Programs ($4M)
Various Roadways Improvements (undergrounding utilities, streetscaping, lighting, sidewalks, bike lanes, etc.) ($2M)

General Government - $1M
City Hall Debt Service ($1M)

In addition to the Penny for Pinellas revenues, the city is committing 5% of the general fund revenues to the Capital Improvements Program. Over the ten year period from 2010-2020 we estimate an additional $10M to be available from this source.