Property owners in Land O' Lakes, Lutz and Odessa already pay the Pasco County parks tax. Now an ordinance change allows the county's six incorporated cities to opt in.

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners adopted Ordinance 26-25 on Tuesday, July 14, amending the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Municipal Service Taxing Unit to allow incorporated municipalities to join the levy with their city's consent. The ordinance was filed with the Florida Department of State on Wednesday, July 15, and took effect that day.

Ordinance opens the tax district to six incorporated cities

Until this amendment, the Parks MSTU applied only to unincorporated Pasco County. The prior version, Ordinance 25-27 adopted May 5, 2025, included a map explicitly labeling municipalities as "not included." The new boundary language reads: "The boundaries of the MSTU shall include all unincorporated areas of Pasco County, Florida, and within incorporated areas subject to the consent of the appropriate municipality."

That means Dade City, New Port Richey, Port Richey, San Antonio, St. Leo and Zephyrhills could each vote to bring their residents into the taxing district. No municipality has publicly announced plans to do so.

Tax runs about $51 a year on a $300,000 home

The Parks MSTU is an ad valorem, or property value-based, tax. It was assessed at $17.12 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value when it first appeared on 2024 property tax bills, according to the county's parks funding page. The fiscal year 2026 rate has not been separately confirmed.

At the 2024 rate, a home assessed at $300,000 would owe about $51 a year.

Revenue funds the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department's operations, maintenance, capital improvements, equipment, wages and administrative costs, per the ordinance text.

Commissioners Mariano and Starkey signed off on the change

The ordinance was adopted with a quorum present and voting, according to the filed document. Commissioners Jack Mariano and Kathryn Starkey signed the ordinance. Clerk and Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles attested it. Individual commissioner vote counts were not available from the ordinance document.

When the commission first created the MSTU in 2024, Starkey called it "a stable funding source to ensure our parks are safe, clean and beautiful as we continue to serve our growing communities," according to a county news release at the time.

Unincorporated residents' tax bills stay the same

For unincorporated residents in Land O' Lakes, Lutz and Odessa, the amendment does not change their tax bill. They have paid the Parks MSTU since 2024. The change allows incorporated cities to share in both the cost and the park services the levy funds.

Any legal challenge to Ordinance 26-25 must be filed within 30 days of adoption, by Thursday, Aug. 13. The full ordinance text is available on the Pasco County public notices page.