ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — President Trump is giving Iran one more day to agree to a deal and open the Strait of Hormuz or make peace, warning the U.S. could strike power plants, bridges and other infrastructure if Iranian leaders do not make a deal.
Mediators from several other countries have sent a proposal for a 45-day ceasefire to the U.S. and Iran. The proposal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran has already rejected the plan. The White House said the president has not signed off on it.
WATCH: 'Plan for the worst': How Tampa Bay county fleet vehicles are handling the surge in rising gas prices
The conflict is affecting the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world's oil passes through. Last week, the president insisted the U.S. did not need the strait, but gas prices are still on the rise.
A recent survey from GasBuddy shows prices in the greater Tampa Bay area averaging $4.19 a gallon. That is nearly 80 cents higher than last month and about $1 more than this time last year.
"I believe it's ridiculous," Jack Purcell said. "I've never paid $4 a gallon for gas before."
Lance Bannister drove to Zephyrhills from New York in a hybrid car that requires premium gas.
"So you're looking at $4.85 a gallon for that, which is a little, little bit of a sting but cuts into some of your vacation fund," Bannister said. "Just a little disappointed with gas prices obviously."
While drivers are feeling the pinch, some county departments are seeing a different reality. Hillsborough County Fleet Management Director Juston Lafler said the county pays about $1 less per gallon due to bulk purchasing.
"It is lower than what you see at the pumps, at the local gas stations, because we're not charging, we're not making money off fuel," Lafler said.
The county also locked in lower prices for the first half of the fiscal year. But if the gas prices remain high for a long period of time:
"We may have to adjust our budgets or something else to make sure that we account for that anticipated increased cost of fuel," Lafler said.
Hillsborough County officials said they plan for worst-case scenarios, including major events like hurricanes, when fuel demand can spike.
"We pay attention to the pricing of fuels, and we are looking at the futures. We look at it every single day, we log it, and then we look at it to see when the best price points are to buy in to make sure that we best use the tax dollars," Lafler said.
A Pasco County spokesperson said despite recent spikes, lower prices earlier this year have kept them under budget so far.
Thanks for reaching out. While we’re monitoring rising fuel prices, we don’t expect impacts to county operations unless elevated prices continue for another few months. Even with the recent spike, the significant drop in fuel costs in 2025 and the continued lower prices into early 2026 have kept Pasco County under budget so far.
Private companies like WM, which operate trash services in Pasco and Hillsborough counties, are also preparing.
WM is well positioned to mitigate the effects of fuel price volatility. About 70% of our collection fleet in Florida is fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG) -- significantly reducing our exposure to diesel price increases.
In Pasco County, we recently transitioned to new CNG trucks and automated service for our valued customers.
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