The Southwest Florida Water Management District has tightened watering restrictions in the Tampa Bay area, including Pasco County, effective April 3rd.

The District continues to be impacted by the three-year drought. Over the past three years, the District’s rainfall deficit is about 30 inches. We must continue to save water during this critical time. Calculate your water usage. You can find out more at WaterMatters.org

The St. Petersburg Times published an excellent article "What You Need to Know About Rain Barrels" on Saturday, April 18th. Included in this article is information about rain barrel workshops and the Earth Day Celebration at Crews Lake Park on Saturday April 25th from 9:30-2:00pm. Bring the whole family and enjoy a variety of activities including lady bug release, native plant sale, Crocodile Encounters and more.

Relief funds from the Stimulus package are beginning to appear in Pasco County!

Career Central (Workforce Florida One Stop Center for Pasco and Hernando Counties) report that they have received funding to expand their hours, provide jobs for young people, as well as other programs.

United Way of Pasco County received funding for local food pantries and shelters. Organizations that received help include: Elderly Nutrition (Meals on Wheels & Dining Centers), Volunteer Way Food Bank, Daystar, Suncoast Harvest, and others.

To see how stimulus money is being spent in Florida, check out flarecovery.com.

Pasco County has a vision- " Pasco County will provide excellent customer service to our citizens in a lean, efficient and accountable manner." The LEAP (Lean, Efficient, Accountable Pasco) Project is the method by which we will implement this vision. Click here to read more...

The County wants to hear from the citizens!

What are your priorities for Pasco County? How do you see the future of Pasco County?

Come to one of the stakeholder meetings and let your opinions be heard

* East Pasco Residents & Businesses - Monday, March 30, 7 to 9 p.m. at Pasco-Hernando Community College East Campus Auditorium, Dade City.

* Growth Management & Economic Development Stakeholders – Wednesday, April 1, 7 to 9 p.m. at PHCC West Campus, Performing Arts Center Auditorium, New Port Richey.

* West Pasco Residents & Businesses – Monday, April 13, 7 to 9 p.m. at PHCC West Campus, Performing Arts Center Auditorium, New Port Richey.

* Central Pasco Residents & Businesses - Wednesday, April 15, 7 to 9 p.m. at Sunlake High School Cafetorium, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., Land O’ Lakes.

* Elected Officials (Board of County Commissioners, city councils, constitutional officers, School Board, legislative delegation, etc.) – Monday, May 4, 7 to 9 p.m. at PHCC West Campus,Performing Arts Center Auditorium, New Port Richey.


These meetings are open to the public, although RSVPs are strongly recommended. To RSVP, call 727-847-8115.

To help citizens understand the budget process- Michael Nurrenbrock - Director of Office of Management and Budget is writing a series of articles about the budget process titled Budget 101

Make Money...Make a Difference

The Census Bureau is currently recruiting for thousands of temporary census jobs. You must be 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, have a valid social security number, take a written basic skills test, pass a background check, and for field jobs you must have a valid driver's license.

You can call 1-866-861-2010 to schedule an appointment to take the test and apply for a job.

Find more information at the Census Bureau website

Career Central is a one stop center for Pasco and Hernando county residents seeking a job or changing careers. They will help you in your job search, provide training, and teach you interviewing techniques. Their website Career Central is loaded with tools and information. You can visit one of their three office locations or stop by the
Hudson Library on November 19 and December 10 between 11am and 3pm. For more information call the Hudson Library at 727-861-3040.

There are other one stop career centers throughout Florida. Click on this Workforce Florida link to find the career center near you.

On Veteran's Day we honor all men and women who have served in the armed forces. This day gives us an opportunity to thank them for the sacrifices they have made for our country.

The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs website is loaded with information such as veteran's benefits, jobs and more. New educational benefits for veterans are available under the Post 9/11 GI Bill you can obtain more information directly about these educational benefits in The Post-9/11 Veteran's Educational Assistance Act of 2008 Fact Sheet.

Election Day is November 4th

For Pasco voter information including a list of polling locations,
visit the Pasco Supervisor of Elections website:
http://www.pascovotes.com

For election results, visit the Florida Division of Elections website:
http://election.dos.state.fl.us

United States Election Assistance Commission website is loaded with information about the election process and is there to answer your questions.
http://www.eac.gov/

The Pasco E-Government crew video taped both the Republican and Democratic vice-presidential rallies at Sims Park in New Port Richey. Stay tuned for video footage from both rallies!

Election Day is November 4th

For Pasco voter information including a list of polling locations,
visit the Pasco Supervisor of Elections website:
http://www.pascovotes.com

For election results, visit the Florida Division of Elections website:
http://election.dos.state.fl.us

United States Election Assistance Commission website is loaded with information about the election process and is there to answer your questions.
http://www.eac.gov/

The Pasco E-Government crew video taped both the Republican and Democratic vice-presidential rallies at Sims Park in New Port Richey. Stay tuned for video footage from both rallies!

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (or "Swiftmud") has extended the once-a-week watering restrictions through February 27, 2009. Even though we have seen better rainfall in the area over the past year, it has not been enough to offset the two-year drought.

For Pasco County residents, you can view the watering schedule here. If you have any questions, check with the Pasco County Utilities Services department. If you live outside of Pasco County or want more information about the watering restrictions, check out www.watermatters.org.

Early voting in Florida started today! If you live in Pasco County, you can check out a sample ballot and keep track of how many people have voted at the Supervisor of Elections website. If you don't live in Pasco County, check here to find your local Supervisor of Elections office.

I am pleased to announce that the Pasco County Clerk of Courts is now offering searchable Criminal Court records on their website! This replaces a very outdated system known as CJIS, which was only available to subscribers via a dial-up modem or through an MS-DOS terminal at the clerk's office.

You can reach the disclaimer here. Scroll down and click on "I Agree" to access the search form.

Starting with the August 2008 election, Pasco County will be using optical scan machines to record votes. Check your mailbox for a brochure outlining the new voting system, and check out the new system at one of these Supervisor of Elections office demonstrations.