Tarpon Springs' Economic Growth: Slow, But Steady

Lots of talk these days about economic development in Tarpon Springs, and with the election right around the corner I have been spending a great deal of my time knocking on doors and asking my neighbors how they feel about our city’s intensified commitment to economic development here.

I have discovered, not surprisingly, that a common thread runs throughout most reactions to the question: “Do you feel the city is doing enough to stimulate economic development activity in Tarpon Springs?”

Opinions fall generally into two groups. I’ll summarize with the headlines from both:

One group is of the mind that Tarpon Springs has “developed enough for a small town” and should slow down the pace of commercial growth before we lose the “small town charm” that attracted us (and tourists for that matter) to our city in the first place. For future reference, let’s refer to this group as the “traditionalists.”

The other group consists of quite a few, very passionate believers in “aggressive, but controlled growth.” They see economic development as the answer to Tarpon’s long-term future prosperity and the primary weapon in the war against rising property taxes. It should be noted here that this group would not sacrifice our historical gems for new bricks and mortar. Let’s call this group the “new wave.”

As a Tarpon Springs City Commission candidate, I have gone on record as being pro economic development, and in these tough economic times it’s perhaps more important than ever that our city leaders have a sound plan in place to address replenishing the reserve fund we keep tapping due to revenue shortages.

The good news is, there IS a plan in place that has been slowly, but steadily, rolling out before us in recent years. Perhaps it is human nature that prevents us from seeing the steady pace of improvements taking place around town, such as the Lemon Street revitalization, the Tarpon Avenue streetscaping, the road extensions like Spruce to US 19 and the freshly designed “Wayfinding” signs scattered throughout the city directing tourists and residents to our greatest points of interests.

The better news is, Tarpon’s redevelopment plan is guided by our Smart Code, which in essence evaluates every new building project – large and small – with the goal in mind to be compatible to the overall community standards. In other words, smart planning makes for a more synergistic and compatible environment for all to enjoy.

So, while the “traditionalists” have every right to their opinions concerning ongoing development, it is my hope that this group also takes into consideration that preserving and maintaining the natural and historic resources we all enjoy here in Tarpon Springs requires capital, and lots of it.

It’s no secret that our existing revenue stream is not healthy enough to fund all of the services we have come to appreciate over the years; this year we were again forced to draw on our reserves in order to balance the budget. And while there may be some remaining line items in the budget that could be trimmed, most agree we are getting dangerously close to sacrificing the quality and quantity of city services if we cut too much more.

With this in mind, I suggest that the “new wave” needs to keep ideas flowing that are designed to attract new business and residential development to Tarpon Springs. By so doing we will realize a steadily growing and dependable revenue base to draw on in order to maintain and enhance our overall quality of life.

Which brings to mind another great piece of news - there are currently eight housing developments on the rise in the Tarpon Springs area, the majority of them being projects that were stalled in recent years due to our soft economy. As I mentioned earlier, positive change is happening all around us, and sometimes we just need to step back and see things from a new perspective.

When all of this happens, our property values will begin a steady increase, affording us some sense of economic normalcy. And as a self-professed optimist, that’s the way I see the future of Tarpon Springs unfolding at this time, as long as there are capable leaders at the helm.

… And that’s where I come in. With your support March 12th, I promise to work hard to move Tarpon Springs in the right direction, toward economic growth and prosperity.

Jim Bouldin, Candidate for Tarpon Springs City Commission, Seat 4