VALRICO, Fla — Hillsborough County is calling on the people who live in Valrico to help them shape the future of this community for the long haul.
"We're in Varicose. Valrico is different than Thonotosassa, [it] has a community plan. It's different than Ruskin, [it] has a community plan. Different than Brandon, [it] has a community plan. But we don't have one here in Valrico," said Jay Collins—the Special Area Studies Manager for the Hillsborough County Planning Commission," [Planning] doesn't work if we just sit back and write something, even if we think it is a great plan, it's written from our perspective."
More specifically—county officials are asking folks to weigh in on what they want to see and don't want to see when it comes to infrastructure, development, mobility and environment/recreation.
It's all being done as part of the county's overall comprehensive plan initiative.
And whether written or verbal, people who've attended community meetings on the matter aren't holding back.
"I think we need to maintain what we have we've really gotten way behind on sidewalks and roads," Suzan Watts—the President of the Bloomingdale Neighborhood Association
For Watts and many others—Valrico's roads are top of mind.
So much so, that some are willing to pay a little extra for upkeep.
"So, I do support the idea of renewing the half-cent tax, maybe even increase it to one of that is what we need to do. But it has to be locked in to do the things they say they're going to do," said Watts.
It's feedback that Collins says the county said welcomes and hopes to incorporate into a draft plan that they will present soon.
"So we hope that the folks, when we come back out here later this summer, will tell us we got it right. Or they're going to tell us [we] got it wrong and we're going to go back and work on it more," he said.
According to county officials once that draft plan get's the community's blessing, it will go to the county commission for a final vote.
To learn more about the community plan and process, click here.
