Local Realtor and registered nurse Charlene Joyce is a conservative Republican running in Nov. 2026 for the Florida House District 54 seat currently occupied by Rep. Randy Maggard. (Photo by Charmaine George)
Charlene Joyce has filed to run in the Nov. 2026 mid-term elections for the State House District 54 seat which covers parts of Pasco County, including Dade City and some of Wesley Chapel, and is currently held by fellow Republican Randy Maggard.
Charlene is a conservative Republican who lives in Dade City and says she disagrees with legislation Rep. Maggard filed in November to prohibit counties and cities from adopting their own rules related to water quality, wetlands, and pollution control.
âThe State House is trying to put more emphasis on [its own] power,â Charlene says, ârather than trying to let the people make the decisions for where they live.â
She says overdevelopment is a big issue, and that Pasco County needs smarter ways to grow. âIt shouldnât take an hour to get somewhere thatâs 20 minutes away,â she says.
And, while she says she has nothing personally against Maggard, âGod put it on my heart that I need to try to make a change, and make a difference in the lives of others.â
Charlene says itâs important to her to listen to her future constituents, and to maintain the beauty of Pasco County.
âI listen more than I talk,â she says. âI want to ask people questions, [find out] whatâs important to them, keeping it grassroots, conservative, and helping others protect their rights as parents and landowners.â
Charlene grew up in Wesley Chapel and is a single mom of two children, ages 6 and 3. She attends Life Church in Wesley Chapel, and says faith is central to her campaign, which she sees as a calling.
She also is a licensed registered nurse and obtained her R.N. degree through Rasmussen College in Tampa in 2018. She is the health care administrator for a residential facility in Hillsborough County for the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), where she cares for female residents, ages 12 to 18.
âOne of my pushing points for running was when I started working at DJJ,â she says. âI saw a lot of things that could be implemented through legislation and a lot of loopholes that could be closed.â
For example, she says, while DJJ employees are drug tested before they are hired, there is no Florida statute that requires testing throughout employment.
âIâve encountered people who came to work smelling like marijuana,â she says, âand thatâs unacceptable in a place with youth.â
However, she says, since residential facilities are contracted out to third party providers, they stick closely to legal requirements.
âThey do what they have to do,â she says, âbut not anything extra, because itâs money out of their pocket.â
She says her experience working with the youth in the facility where she works has been moving. On the weekends, she volunteers there with a team from a ministry called Set Free out of Pinellas County.
For kids who want to participate in the Set Free program, Charlene and the team bring Christian music and Bible teaching. She says she brings hope to the youth in her facility, most of whom have experienced trauma such as physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
âNo one is hopeless,â she says. âGod always finds a way, letting them know they are loved and valued. Itâs so important for a child to thrive and to walk a different path. These children may have made some bad decisions that put them in a position that might alter their lives for the worse, but I want to take that opportunity to change it for the better.â
Charlene also is a licensed real estate agent who obtained her Florida real estate license in 2024.
She says she is looking forward to the election, which will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
For more information about Charleneâs campaign for State House, visit CharleneforStateHouse54.com, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram @CharleneforStateHouse54. She can be contacted at (813) 333-8612. For more info about Charleneâs real estate business, visit CJoyceHomes.com.
Editorâs note – Unfortunately, due to the timing of our issues, we were not able to get this recap of the extended Florida Legislative Session that finally ended on June 16 into the June 24 New Tampa issue, but I did sit down for a chat with District 67 State Representative and Florida House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (photo) a little more than a week after that lengthy session ended to get her impressions of the hits, misses and what the people of her District, which includes all of New Tampa, can expect between now and the start of the 2026 Legislative Session next January. â GN
NN: First, give me your general impressions of this yearâs session.
FD: To me, this felt like a session of missed opportunities, because the Speaker set a tone at the beginning of the session, that it was going to be a member-driven process and that we were going to focus on affordability issues, and basically there would be opportunities to collaborate on such issues. But in the end, this session was marked by, in-fighting amongst Republican leadership. The Speaker of the House, the Senate President and the Governor just could not seem to get on the same page, so what was supposed to be a 60-day session wound up being over a hundred days. And unfortunately, the budget was the biggest bargaining chip and the budget process was held up and it wasnât as transparent as it typically is, meaning that there wasnât really the opportunity for the public, I donât think, to advocate, as much as they specifically would have for their budget appropriations. It was really tough â for the public and for lawmakers â because we also were kind of pretty much in the dark. It just seemed like they couldnât even agree on even whether or not they were fighting, much less what they were fighting about. In spite of everything, though, I think, in the end, it was an O.K. budget. Definitely not an A+ budget, but it was an O.K. budget.
NN: Whatâs missing from the budget?
FD: What I would like to have seen that was missing were more funds for housing affordability. By my estimation, we actually reduced funds for affordable housing and this is not a time to do that. Especially here, when we know the Tampa Bay area is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and itâs becoming too expensive for locals to live here.
Youâll also notice that the Governor vetoed a number of water projects, just like he did last year. The problem with that, as we continue to endure stronger storms and flooding events, is that we need to have the right infrastructure to try to protect human life and property.
NN: What do you see as your caucusâ victories, despite the Republicansâ super-majority?
FD: In the end, they actually kept the funding for Advanced Placement courses and International Baccalaureate programs and certain certifications for students. And I think that was the right thing to do. And I give full credit, both to the Democratic caucus and to the public for really springing into action and embracing a lot of noise about that, so that they had to reverse course. I am really proud of our advocacy for students and families on the AP classes. We really hammered them on that, which was good.Â
NN: What about your own successes?
FD: I was really proud to secure some significant appropriations. For example, in a prior session, I helped sponsor legislation to establish what we believe are the first Sickle Cell Disease Centers of Excellence in the country.
So this year, we were able to secure $3.75 million for sickle cell disease projects â $1.25 million to establish a âcause of death initiativeâ aimed at addressing a long-standing gap in knowledge surrounding sickle cell disease mortality. There hasnât been enough study and focus to understand the exact causes of death for many in the sickle cell population. Weâre trying to understand more about what happens to sickle cell patients and try to strengthen advocacy efforts.
Then, thereâs another $2.5 million that is going to help that population with non-emergency transportation access because what we found is that transportation is a huge obstacle to that patient population from getting consistent preventive care. They miss a lot of appointments. When that happens, you know, things that were preventable become real complications, and they have worse outcomes.
This is going to allow for two transportation vans at each of the 15 sickle cell centers, including the one in my District on E. Fletcher Ave.
The other thing that we did get was a $350,000 appropriation for the Hillel Jewish Student Center of Tampa on the USF Tampa campus. Weâve heard stories of students feeling threatened on campus. Probably like a month or two ago, there was a gentleman found with weapons on campus, who was not a student, and he had a copy of I believe it was Mein Kampf.
Thereâs been an uptick of anti-Semitism, so weâre very proud to help our students feel safe. The appropriation is for school âhardeningâ and some technology, plus educational and cultural programming to try to counter disinformation and anti-Semitic rhetoric. The daughter of one of my colleagues in the legislature is half-Jewish, half-Black, and she used to wear a Star of David at school. But, there were some things happening at school and now, she doesnât even feel safe to wear to wear her star anymore. And, sheâs only in middle school.
There also was some drama this year where the Senateâs Democratic leader â Jason Pizzo â resigned his leadership position part-way through session and announced that heâs becoming an NPA. It was very dramatic. Iâve been in this position now for about three years, and Iâll tell you that leadership is hard. Thereâs no glory in it. It sounds like a very nice title, but itâs tough. And, for whatever reason, heâd had enough. So then, the Senate elected Lori Berman unanimously as its new leader and I will tell you that Sen. Berman and I work together really well. And, from that point on, Iâve found that weâve been very coordinated. The Senate and House Democrats are already working on a joint platform for next Legislative session, because we recognize that weâre stronger together.Â
And, we did have some platform bills that we worked together on this year, particularly related to housing affordability, expanding Medicaid, safe gun storage and universal background checks. These are things that are not easy to pass, but I do think itâs important to raise them so that we are a part of the conversation, and so that we keep trying to keep the conversation centered on affordability, because thatâs what our constituents want. The most calls that we get are people worried about housing affordability and dealing with property insurance. And, even though weâre the minority party, I think itâs important that we uplift the voices of our constituents and our neighbors.
NN: Which bills of yours didnât pass?
FD: I had a bill that was seeking to give clarity and direction to doctors with respect to the six-week abortion ban because we continue to hear reports of doctors being unsure of what they can do with respect to miscarriage management because, technically, that could be considered an abortion procedure sometimes. So, in consultation with physicians who practice in this area, we worked on a bill that would just give them some guidelines. Unfortunately, it didnât pass.
Recently in the news, there was a Republican Congresswoman here in Florida who suffered an ectopic pregnancy, and she was having difficulties getting health care because the doctors werenât sure what they could do. So, this is something that really has a need. Thatâs a dangerous thing to have an ectopic pregnancy and to have a doctor not know if he or she can provide care for that. I may not be the one who carries it, but weâll definitely bring it up again next Session.
There was also a bill that I carried on water quality improvements. It actually was a platform bill for our caucus. I read a report that Florida is one of the states with the highest amount of lead in our drinking water. So, I was pushing for a study, so that we could better understand the issue and start to remedy this. The bill also is basically asking for the state to implement the recommendations that were made by the Red Tide Task Force that looked at that issue. But, when something is a big hot topic in the moment, the legislature will take action, but then, maybe once the news coverage dies down, they just put things on the back burner. But, our beaches are critical to our economy, so maybe we should be more preventive with it. That was a real disappointment that we couldnât get that to go anywhere because environmental issues have been fairly bipartisan in recent years.
NN: So, you have one more legislative session in your current role before youâre term-limited out. Whatâs your next political move?
District 67 State Representative and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell is already up in Tallahassee, awaiting tomorrow’s start of the Regular 2025 Session of the Florida Legislature.
But, on Feb. 26, Rep. Driskell was at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, in front of 50-60 New Tampa residents (there may have been a few people from outside of our area, too), discussing that upcoming session.
Rep. Driskell said that serving in the State House, “has been the greatest honor of my life, but as you know, we are living in some heavy political times and there is a lot going on.”
She noted that Florida’s state government is somewhat mimicking the federal government, in that all four legislative houses have a Republican majority (a super majority here in Florida), and both chief executives â Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. President Donald Trump â also are Republicans.
“It’s going to be challenging,” Rep. Driskell said of the upcoming legislative session, “especially when it’s already obvious that the State Legislature is in a posture to support the agenda of President Trump.”
Rep. Driskell said the state legislature already has held three special sessions on immigration. “We learned a lot from that,” she said. “There were two immigration bills that passed and I believe both are unconstitutional on their face, which I why I voted against both of them. But, I do urge the U.S. Congress to pass some meaningful legislation on immigration in its upcoming session.” She also noted that the bipartisan immigration bill that was on the table last year, “was effectively killed by then-candidate Donald Trump and I believe we need to get back to that (bill).”
As for the bills she plans to sponsor in this year’s regular session, Rep. Driskell said, “I’ll be carrying two bills with respect to the challenges we’re facing with governmental interference in health care, particularly with abortion. The first bill would kill the 6-week abortion ban and take us back to a time when patients and their doctors and families made those decisions. That would take politicians out of the exam rooms.”
She added that the second bill she’s bringing to session says that, “If we’re continuing to have this (six-week) ban, we need doctors to understand what the limitations are. We have heard stories about women getting to the point where they have sepsis because doctors are afraid to treat them because they don’t want to face criminal liability. This bill will provide clarity so health care professional can treat women. We don’t want women dying because doctors are afraid to treat them.”
Rep. Driskell also is carrying a bill about water quality, both with regards to drinking water and with red tide. “It’s shocking how much lead is in our drinking water,” she says. “We know there is lead in the water fountains at our schools.” She also mentioned that there was a red tide task force that worked on that issue two years ago, “but the recommendations have just sat there and have not been implemented. We are pushing to adopt those recommendations to protect our water.”
The State House Minority Leader also plans to work on tweaking the cemetery legislation she previously passed to help honor those buried in abandoned cemeteries, another to have a court reporter present during child custody hearings, “which can often get contentious,” to preserve the record of what is said during those proceedings, and more.
Rep. Driskell says she knows that nothing will come easy for her minority party this year, “But I have never been afraid to call out my fellow legislators or the governor when I feel they are moving in the wrong direction, focusing on the wrong things and not prioritizing you.”
We plan to receive additional updates from Leader Driskell after this year’s session ends, which is scheduled to be on May 2.
District 7 Tampa City Council member and New Tampa resident Luis Viera says he hasn’t made a decision yet, but he is looking at either a State House of Representatives or Hillsborough County Commission run in 2026, before his current City Council term expires in March of 2027.
While introducing Viera, who was the guest speaker at North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce’ (NTBC)’s monthly Business Breakfast on Feb. 4, NTBC president & CEO Hope Kennedy mentioned that she had heard Viera might be considering a run for Mayor of Tampa, but Viera said he was more interested in a run for the District 67 State House seat currently occupied by House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, who will reach her term limit with the Nov. 2026 election.
Since that Feb. 4 meeting, Viera says he has been approached by multiple media outlets about his plans going forward. He says he is mulling over the possibility of running not only for Driskell’s Dist. 67 State House seat, but also for one of the County Commission seats up for election in 2026. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” Viera says. “But, once I announce which of those offices I will choose to run for, I will have to give up my City Council seat before my term ends.”
Even though he is a registered Democrat (City of Tampa elections are all nonpartisan), the 47-year-old Viera also discussed his ability to work with other political office holders â including reaching across the political aisle â in Hillsborough and Pasco counties, as well as with Rep. Driskell, Dist. 20 State Senator Danny Burgess and with Dist. 15 U.S. Congresswoman Laurel Lee. He also talked about New Tampa’s status as the “Alaska” of the City of Tampa, was well as zip code 33647’s cultural diversity, as well as what he has accomplished in the nine years since first winning election â by 65 votes in the two-candidate Special Election runoff in Nov. 2016 â in his first election over fellow New Tampa resident Dr. Jim Davison.
Look for a full recap of Councilman Viera’s Chamber breakfast chat, and more information about his political plans, in the March 4 New Tampa Neighborhood News Issue #5-25.
North Tampa Bay Chamber President Hope Kennedy hosted a lively âCoffee & Conversationâ event on Oct. 1 at the Fairfield Inn in Wesley Chapel with State Senator Danny Burgess. (Photos by Charmaine George)
Anyone who knows District 23 State Senator Danny Burgess is aware that heâs not your typical politician. That fact was obvious during Sen. Burgessâ appearance at the North Tampa Bay Chamberâs âCoffee & Conversationâ event at the Fairfield Inn on Lajuana Blvd. on Oct. 1, which proved to be more than just the usual pre-election âLook at all Iâve accomplishedâ speech most incumbents and candidates engage in when they make public appearances.
In fact, during his conversation with Chamber president & CEO Hope Kennedy and about 40 Chamber members and guests, Sen. Burgess hardly talked about himself at all and was clearly serious when he said he fully supports Wesley Chapel incorporating and becoming its own city! (See below)
He also discussed the seriousness of Hurricane Helene (this was ten days before Hurricane Milton hit Florida) and what the state can do and is doing to help the Gulf Coast recover following the storm to ensure that those affected by Helene can still get insurance after such major storms. He also discussed why Pasco and other counties donât seem to be spending their impact fees to mitigate the actual impacts of all of this development, and so much more.
Kennedy started the âCoffee & Conversationâ event with a moment of silence for the victims of Helene and Sen. Burgess thanked her for doing that because, âOne part of you feels bad for driving on as normal, a little bit, but the other part of you feels an obligation to help, too, because that could easily be us. I think anyone who lives in the State of Florida recognizes that, when you see someone else in the path of the storm, thereâs a lot of humility that blows over you because the next one could be you.â
He added, âBe thankful that you donât live on the coast because I canât even tell you the number of people we personally know who just lost their homes. We have a lot to be thankful for, but we also have to think about, âHow can we help them?ââ
When asked what else the state can do to help the thousands of Floridians whose homes were either completely destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Helene, Burgess said, âImagine the worst and itâs that bad. Many of those homes are probably going to have to be knocked down and rebuilt, on stilts hopefully, because the surge is coming again. How many of those people now, after the last three storms, are saying, âI loved the idea of being on the beach but this isnât for me anymore?â The problem is that they could be stuck, canât get out because whether itâs interest rates or the cost of other homes, itâs cost-prohibitive, so theyâre trapped.â
He then mentioned a number of resources available to help the people affected by Helene.
âWe have activated the small business bridge loans through the Dept. of Commerce, which is a great resource offering zero-interest loans to businesses impacted by the storm,â he said.
âIf youâre involved in the agriculture, like an actual farm or an agricultural business, weâre offering up to a $500,000 bridge loan, through Ag commissioner Wilton Simpsonâs office.Â
âBut, for individuals, we have Hope Florida. Itâs an amazing connection point for all of the assets that our state provides that nobody knows about, because thereâs a communication gap. The reason Hope Florida was created was to solve that problem, plus that gap, for the resident, the individual, the impacted constituent. Please stress this to your readers to call 1-833-GET-HOPE. It was a program established by our First Lady (Casey DeSantis) and supported by the Governor. Itâs been an amazing resource. There are Hope Florida buses on the west coast of our state providing comfort care for people, the essentials. Is there an easy, quick fix to this situation? Absolutely not. But, can we do all we can to help our brothers and sisters in need? Yes. And, Hope Florida is that connection point for our state. Itâs really still in its infancy, but I think Helene is testing its grit and its resilience and validating that it is needed.â
Kennedy also had Sen. Burgess, who is running for re-election to his State Senate Dist. 23 seat (against Democratic candidate Ben Braver and John Houman, who is running as an independent candidate; see pg. 10 for details), explain the location of his District.
âI was born and raised in Zephyrhills and Iâm still there and Zephyrhills is still in the heart of my District, which is awesome, but I represent from the Pasco-Hernando line to the north, Dade City on the north side, Trinity and Odessa to the west and the Polk line at Plant City to the east, all the way down to Brandon to the south. My District includes Dover, Seffner, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, Land OâLakes and Lutz. This is home. Itâs everywhere Iâve grown up. I love that the municipalities of Dade City, Zephyrhills and Plant City are part of my District. And, all of New Tampa north of I-75. Only Tampa Palms is not in my District.âÂ
On Wesley Chapel Incorporation
As to why he is hoping Wesley Chapel becomes its own city, Burgess said, âI was driving home through Wesley Chapel with my dad from the Bucs game on a recent Sunday and out of his mouth, not mine, he said, âI just donât understand why Wesley Chapel doesnât incorporate. This area just has so much to offer. They need to take control of their destiny.â
And, from the man who at age 17 became the youngest mayor in the country when he was elected Mayor of Zephyrhills, âBeing the mayor of your town is the best gig on earth.â
Kennedy interjected that the conversation about incorporation, âHas been percolating again. For those who donât know, it was back in 2012 when the Chamber (then the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce) took a position to facilitate that conversation, but it just became such a heavy lift. We remembered that back in 2009, Will Weatherford (who was our areaâs State Representative but had not yet become the Speaker of the Florida House), was able to pass some legislation that actually gave Wesley Chapel the opportunity to incorporate itself without having to go to the state for permission.â
âIs that still on the books?,â Burgess asked.
To which Kennedy responded, âI believe it is. I hope it is. We havenât looked at it recently, but thatâs what started the conversation.â
âIf I could accomplish one thing before Iâm done,â Burgess said, âIâd like to be able to say âWesley Chapel is officially a city. with its own governing body.ââ
And, although the idea received boisterous applause from the Chamber members in attendance at the meeting, most of the online commenters on the post I put up on our Facebook page a couple of days later were mostly against incorporation.
But, NTBC Board member Jamie Hess, who also was in attendance for the coffee event, said that, âWeâve had about five meetings about it and our Board is really going to push for it.â
âThat makes me so happy,â Burgess said. âLook, there is a stigma attached to adding â as some of my friends in Tallahassee say â another layer of bureaucracy, but the reality is that it allows you to have a distinct identity, which this community does. But, more than that, there is a missing link when you donât have that very localized, closest-to-the-people form of government. I just personally believe and yes, Iâve learned this first-hand, that living in a municipality doesnât mean youâre not affiliated with the county. In Zephyrhills, we had fire services through the county, but the county understandably has a very large footprint and a lot of area to cover. But, as a city, you can control your destiny and most important, your culture â that Main Street feel, thatâs what I love the most about it. Wesley Chapel has that feel, but we just need to take control of the ship, especially with everything I know is coming here.â
Kennedy added, âItâs so exciting to be in a community youâre literally building it out of the ground. That conversation that is happening, so stay tuned.â
There was a noticeable groan when I asked where the boundaries for the City of Wesley Chapel would be drawn.
âThatâs where it died the last time,â Kennedy admitted. âThe Chamber put up signs (on Wesley Chapel Blvd.) but the people in Lutz insisted on them coming down. The Census Designated Places (CDPs) through the U.S. Census Bureau uses natural boundaries to determine CDPs, so we looked at Cypress Creek as that natural boundary, but the Lutz folks wanted it drawn at I-75 which is not a natural boundary. We assume the planned boundary [of the City of Wesley Chapel] would be at the CDP boundary of Cypress Creek.â
Insurance Issues
After moving on from the incorporation discussion, Kennedy said that a survey she conducted through the Florida Chamber of Commerce showed that the #1 issue for most folks in Florida is insurance.
âGiven the crisis with the recent storm, insurance is going to continue to be a big issue,â Kennedy said. âCan you give us a lay of the land from Tallahasseeâs perspective?â
And, although Burgess sad he was no longer on the Insurance Committee in the Legislature, he said, âWe had multiple sessions and special sessions to address that issue. From a legislative prospective, Iâm sure thereâs more that we can do. However, we did so much in the last couple of cycles that we ripped the Band-Aid off of many issues â from tort reform to how insurers operate to checks and balances in that realm.â
He added, âWe are starting to see, and I says âstarting,â because I donât want to be insensitive, because itâs not over, but we are starting to see the fruits of those investments. We are starting to see big insurers re-commit to the Florida marketplace â like State Farm, which is a huge one because they had pulled out, but theyâre coming back in. It isnât going to happen overnight. In government, we probably went a little too long without trying to adequately address the problem. It does take 18-24 months to start to see that pendulum swing back into a balance but I do believe that, after the series of three to four reforms we did over the last couple of years, that we are starting to see a re-stabilization of the market. And Iâm speaking as someone who lost their home insurance recently and was put into Citizens (the insurer of last resort in Florida). Weâve only been with Citizens for maybe a month. But, weâre already getting notices from other insurance companies [offering to insure us]. So, it is happening.â
Of course, after the devastating storm surge of Helene (and now major damage even our area received from Hurricane Milton), Burgess said, âThe question is what happens next? Are these individuals going to be able to get insurance after this storm? Because theyâre not allowed to pull out right after the impact happens. Thatâs bad faith and weâre not going to let that happen. It shouldnât happen and if it is happening, the [State] Insurance Commission needs to know.â
But, looking forward after the repairs, he said, âIf a future storm [like Milton] happens and has a similar impact, how do we balance that? Because, at the end of the day, everyone in Florida is paying that price. So, we have a big issue on our hands as a state. So, we have to start having some really tough conversations as to how to move forward on that.â
He also mentioned that auto insurance is another major issue. âFlorida is a no-fault state so you carry at least $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) and the other person does, too, so no matter whose fault it is, you just take care of yourself. But, $10,000 is a product of 1976. Itâs gone the second you enter an ER door. So, thatâs inadequate coverage and the biggest cost driver in our system right now. So, if we pass mandatory bodily injury coverage and have a threshold of at least $25,000, thatâs how we get back to responsibility and also a balance in the force when it comes to auto insurance rates.â
Burgess also said that because living in Florida is so desirable, the cost of everything here is going up. âInflation is real,â he said. âInterest rates are through the roof, our homes are valued at far more than we ever purchased them for â because, in large part, of the number of individuals wanting to move here. So, weâve got a lot to be thankful for but also the âback endâ effects and I think those are some of the things weâre trying to rectify.â
Kennedy then opened it up to questions from those in attendance, âBut with the caveat that the Chamber is a bi-partisan organization. We are here for pro-business legislation and for having conversations with our elected officials.â
Regarding The âLive Localâ Act
Kennedy then asked Burgess about people who make a decent living who still canât afford to buy or rent homes/apartments in our area.
Burgess said, âThe âLive Local Actâ was supposed to assist the âmissing middleâ (class). Its intent was pure and it was a good bill but it did have some flaws. Weâre still working through it and there are a couple of things we still need to address, a few gaps that need to be filled, but what it was supposed to do, from Pascoâs perspective, was help those who work in Pasco County be able to afford to live here â or any of many other counties throughout the state. We want the working class middle to be able to afford to live near where they work.â
He added, âIt passed unanimously! It wasnât until after it passed and the Governor signed it that anybody said, âHold the phone.â So, the biggest âkumbayaâ thing ever in Tallahassee became this huge explosion.â
Regarding Impact Fees
Burgess said that impact fees are one of his pet peeves. âIf youâre a governmental entity in the I-4 corridor, whether county or city, and youâre hurting for money, I think we need to consider that thereâs been a mismanagement of funds.â
Attendee Carlos Saenz (photo below), the owner of two Dairy Queens and Fazoliâs on S.R. 54, said that for two Dairy Queens in Pasco, âI stroked a $140,000 check just for the impact fees. It feels punitive for the privilege of creating jobs in the county.âÂ
And where did that impact fee go?,â Burgess responded. âDid you ever get a notice? We had an impact fee bill this year and in my Senate version of the bill, I wanted to know if the impact fees a county is collecting are going to help the areas that the business or development is impacting.â
Kennedy said, âWe actually made a pitch to Pasco County to reallocate some of those impact fees, but theyâre so splattered that we couldnât get a definitive answer [as to how theyâre spent].â
Burgess said, âHave you ever looked at your personal finances and said, âWhere did it all go?â I think itâs the same principle for the county, or any government, because Iâm not just picking on Pasco. If you [had to] put those impact fees in a separate pot and itemized it, maybe you could have insured that it went in a certain direction. We had a bill to do just that but it didnât pass.â
And, Burgess said, âThatâs not only a problem with commercial land. The impact fees alone on a piece of land we wanted to buy in Zephyrhills kept us from putting an offer down. I didnât have an extra $20,000 to put down for that vacant property.â
When Kennedy asked what could be done about the impact fee situation, Burgess asked for help mobilizing other chambers and business organizations to get behind a possible impact fee bill in the next session. âI love the state organizations but they get wrapped up in politics sometimes,â Burgess said. âI think all of you would benefit tremendously from passing a piece of legislation like a transparency act for impact fees, with them allocated to the area where the impact is taking place â other than the schools. We donât want to take impact fees from them and the bill that didnât pass specifically did not take away from the impact fees schools would receive. I think our team has that bill included in our 2025 âbill trackerâ for the next session.â
Burgess agreed about having impact fee caps and thresholds on the state level, âBut, I think for us to put artificial caps on everything without knowing what the true costs of the impacts to these areas are, we might still be needing to fix something on the back end, like with Live Local. I think the first step is transparency and that the impact fees are going to the areas being impacted. And then, from the transparency piece, weâre going to be able to identify âThatâs extortion.â A lot of my colleagues in Tallahassee just want to blow the whole system up, but that will create a lot more problems than you solve. So, Iâm of the mind, as a military guy, to tactically find where the impacts are taking place before attempting to cap it or moderate it.â
Kennedy added, âOur Board also suggested that the county should have an ordinance to re-allocate those funds from âCapitalâ to âOperational,â so they could use whatâs already there to get the ball moving, but we hit a brick wall with that as well. So, we want to work through the state instead.â
Burgess agreed that impact fees should be something thatâs uniform across the state, âsince there should be nothing to hide, in theory.â
