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Pasco EDC reports jobs, capital gains; commissioners debate "Live Local" tax-exemption effects
Summary
Bill Cronin of the Pasco Economic Development Council reported fiscal-year results including 14 wins, 1,182 new jobs and $360 million in capital investment; commissioners questioned state 'Live Local' tax exemptions and a new adaptive-reuse bill affecting local land‑use control.
Bill Cronin of the Pasco Economic Development Council presented the EDC’s Q4 report for last fiscal year and the Q1 report for the current fiscal year at the Feb. 11 Pasco County commission meeting, and commissioners used the presentation to press state-level concerns about housing tax exemptions.
Results and projects: Cronin said the EDC ended the year with 14 “wins” (new or expanding companies), 1,182 new jobs and $360 million in capital investment, exceeding a $250 million capital goal. He said advanced manufacturing remained the largest sector, with life sciences rising to 19% of recruitment activity. Cronin highlighted the Double Branch Ranch ready site (spec buildings coming) and an Amazon Robotics facility that broke ground on State Road 52. He said earned-media value for the prior year was about $2.5 million and that early Q1 media value had already exceeded $3 million because of a high-profile food incubator vendor.
Trade and workforce: The EDC hosted a Vancouver trade mission, partnered with Global Tampa Bay and organized a Mexico City trip scheduled for later in February. Workforce programs — including CareerSource referrals and the EDC’s Workforce Connect tool and Smart Start incubators — were described as central to recruitment and retention.
Live Local and state bills: Commissioners pressed Cronin and county staff about the Live Local tax-exemption program and a new bill (filed as House Bill 409 by Representative Caruso) that would allow adaptive reuse of office and hotel buildings to multifamily residential with tax exemptions. County staff said Pasco and local taxing authorities have opted out of the Live Local tax exemption for the current year and plan to do so again; staff also cautioned that permanently blocking multifamily approvals could erode the inventory that enables the county to argue for future opt-outs.
Why it matters: commissioners said they worry the state exemptions encourage conversions that bypass local land-use priorities and noted Pasco’s actual housing gaps — county staff said the greatest deficit is for rental units below 50% of area median income and for owner-occupied units priced below about $300,000. The board discussed strategies including targeted incentives and continued lobbying for legislative fixes.
Ending: The EDC report was received; commissioners asked staff to continue monitoring state legislation and to coordinate with the county’s lobbying efforts.
