Pasco County to vote to opt out of Live Local Act, tax breaks for developers

Trevor Sochocki
·1 min read

NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) — The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners is set to vote Tuesday on whether or not to opt out of the Live Local Act.

The act was created by the Florida legislature to incentivize affordable housing with tax breaks for developers. But, Pasco County officials said the act is not working to create affordable housing in the community.

In February, the county said it would lose out on $38 million over a 35-year period if two properties that were looking to use the Live Local Act were granted its tax breaks. The county said that would just be the beginning too, as officials approved a number of new apartment complexes eligible for tax exemptions.

The county said the loss of tax revenue would affect its ability to provide essential public services and funding for first responders and schools.

After state lawmakers updated the Live Local Act in their latest session, the county can now opt out of giving those tax breaks.

Opting out requires a vote from four of the five commissioners in favor and only lasts for a year, so the county would have to opt out again next year, and so on.

Commissioners are also leaving open the possibility of legal action against the state over the Live Local Act in the future.

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