Pasco County Paving Assessment

Paving Assessment FAQs

What happens if I can’t afford to pay the assessment when I get the bill? Will I lose my property?
If you can’t or don’t want to pay the assessment when billed, the County’s current policy is to not take any formal legal action to collect the lien for the assessment amount. Should you ever declare bankruptcy, transfer or sell the property and an assessment amount is still due, the County at that point will seek to be paid for the full assessment amount out of any proceeds available.

When will I have to pay for the paving work to be performed?
No payment is due for any work performed until the project is fully finished and the final costs have been calculated AND the County has adopted a final assessment roll which creates a legal lien for the final cost for each parcel of property included in the assessment project. Each property owner will then receive a bill from the County for the assessment amount which they can elect to pay off all at once or in annual installments over the period of years listed on the bill.

How does an assessment project get approved?
All assessment projects (both those initiated by citizen petition and those initiated by the Board) must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners at a public hearing. Prior to that public hearing, all potentially affected property owners are notified by registered mail of the date, time and place of the proposed public hearing along with the maximum amount of assessment they may be required to pay if the project approve. Citizens interested in an assessment project are provided an opportunity to share their opinion on the matter during the public comment portion of the public hearing.

What other factors does the County consider in calculating an assessment?

I. If your property (both residential and/or non-residential) has legal right of access (such as by a driveway) to the area being improved and is connected to such improvements.

a. If you have a Residential Property, the following criteria apply:

(1) Improved Residential Parcels

1 ERU for each single family detached residential unit (including mobile homes on individual lots) and 3/5 ERU for each existing multi-family residential units (including apts., townhouses, duplexes and mobile homes in mobile home parks)

(2) Partially Improved Residential Parcels

Each parcel within agricultural, residential or mobile homes zoning districts are assessed the greater of the ERUS under (a) (3)
below or the actual number of existing dwelling units in place at the time of the assessment.

(3) Unimproved Residential Parcels

65% of the maximum number of single family residential units allowed under applicable land development code requirements for that parcel.

(4) Non-residential Parcels

Parcels that are zoned agricultural, non- residential or contain mobile homes are assessed 65% of the maximum number of single family residential dwelling units allowed under the predominant residential zoning requirements of the project area to be assessed.

II. Parcels with Secondary or Alternative Access to Improvements and that are contiguous (or adjacent) to the Improvements

Such parcels are assessed 50% of ERUS determined under Paragraph I above. An example of such a parcel would be a corner lot which has access to more than one street.

III. Parcels that are Non-contiguous (not adjacent to or directly connected) to Improvements but where 50% of Parcel lies within 1000 ft. of the centerline of Improvements and the parcel has access to the County's collector and arterial roadway network through the Improvements

Such parcels are assessed 25% of the number of ERUS determined for those parcels under paragraph I.

IV. Non-Contiguous parcels but where parcel's sole means of access to the County's collector and arterial roadway network is through the Improvements

Such parcels are assessed 25% of the number ERUS as determined under paragraph I.

V. Exceptions to assessment:

(1) Property has 0 ERUS

a) Parcels that are unbuildable because of environmental conditions, zoning requirements or deed restrictions, etc.

b) Parcels owned by federal, state, counties or cities

(2) Board may approve alternative methodology where strict application would create a practical difficulty or undue hardship.

What are ERUS and how are they calculated?
ERUS are based on the following factors:
1. The number of residential dwelling units in existence on your property and the number of residential dwelling units allowed to be placed on the property under its current zoning or the predominant zoning in the project area.

How is my assessment calculated?
Under Pasco County Ordinance No. 02-17, assessments are based on the number of Equivalent Residential Units (ERUS) applicable to your property.

How does an assessment come about?
Under Pasco County Ordinance No. 02-17, an assessment project can either be initiated through a citizen petition OR by the action of the Board of County Commissioners. Even if a petition fails to achieve the passage requirements set forth in the Ordinance, the Board has the ultimate authority to adopt an assessment where it believes it would be in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the residents within the boundaries of the proposed project.

If an assessment project is approved at the public hearing, is a lien automatically placed against my property for the amount of the proposed assessment?
No. If a project is approved at a public hearing, a preliminary roll listing as the parcels, their owners of record and the maximum amount is adopted by the Board and recorded in the public records of the County. This roll serves as a public notice to potential new owners and other parties who may wish to have an interest in any property within the project area that an assessment (not to exceed the maximum amount listed in the roll) will become to the County at some point in the future. This roll DOES NOT create a lien against your property and no payment for the assessment is due until all the work in the project area has been completed.