Pasco County commissioners adopt higher mobility fees, zero out golf‑course charges after debate over rural discounts and sports subsidies

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted a mobility-fee ordinance aimed at raising revenue for transportation projects, while voting to zero out mobility fees for new golf-course construction after a debate over rural lot discounts and potential subsidies for a proposed multi-rink ice hockey complex.

Planning staff told the board the fee changes are intended to cover roughly 25% of Pasco County’s estimated need for new transportation facilities within the county’s growth projections and said the proposal exceeds statutory fee thresholds but meets the four statutory tests required by Florida law (a recent supporting study, two workshops, phased implementation and a unanimous vote). "We have that study, we've held the workshops and the table phases the increases," the presenter said (S13).

The board wrestled with three key policy choices: whether to lower the rural lot minimum for a reduced fee from 5 acres to 2.5 acres; whether to fully incentivize golf-course construction by eliminating fees; and whether to fully incentivize a new "ice hockey complex" (defined by staff as a project with four or more rinks) as an economic attractor. Commissioner Starkey (S3) said he opposed reducing the rural acreage threshold, arguing that servicing smaller rural lots costs more and that the county already faces a large funding deficit for roads. "It costs more to deliver services in the rural area ... we have a 75% deficit in funding the roads that we need," Starkey said.

Several commissioners noted that site-specific relief could be provided through MPUD conditions rather than changing the ordinance baseline. Planning staff said that approach — leaving the ordinance at a 5-acre baseline but allowing discounts through MPUD conditions — is feasible. "If it's an MPUD, I think you can make that work," one staff member said during the discussion (S14).

After discussion, the board agreed to adopt the ordinance as amended to zero out mobility fees for new golf-course projects, while retaining the 5-acre rural discount baseline. Commissioners also said economic-development buy-downs could be used to subsidize particular projects where appropriate. The ordinance passed by roll call vote 5–0.

What happens next: The ordinance as amended was adopted by the board; staff will implement the phased increases in accordance with the adopted schedule and the county will apply MPUD conditions or economic-development tools on a case‑by‑case basis to address specific projects such as the proposed hockey complex.