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State Unveils Stimulus Strategy

By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: February 2, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - On Tuesday, county commissioners will discuss which capital improvement projects they believe have the best shot at qualifying for some of the billions earmarked for President Obama's billion dollar economic stimulus package.
The local action coincides with a new statement released by the Tampa Bay Partnership on the federal economic stimulus package.
The state agency reports that the Tampa Bay region would need to create more than 50,000 new jobs to return the region to a 5 percent unemployment rate, or what is considered a healthy economy.
The Partnership, of which Hernando County is a member, is focusing the regional approach for the federal stimulus package in three steps:
It has outlined policy principles it believes any package needs to make sure it has a "positive and immediate effect on our regional economy."
The Partnership has used those principles to analyze a Tampa Bay list of projects, which is compiled from local governments, including Hernando. So far that list includes 351 projects totaling $4.8 billion. Hernando County has yet to submit its list to the agency.
The agency will then analyze the federal legislation and create a federal advocacy strategy for Tampa Bay.
Commissioners will discuss the local stimulus package during their meeting Tuesday which begins at 9 a.m. at the Hernando County Government Center, 20 North Main St. in downtown Brooksville.