ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — Cracked pavement, potholes and failing patch jobs have some Zephyrhills residents saying their neighborhood roads are falling apart.
“It’s uneven. When you drive down it, you have to go real slow otherwise it could be messing up your suspension,” said resident Bryan Single.
Watch report from Erik Waxler
Single said he reached out to Tampa Bay 28 because he is frustrated with the conditions on 4th, 5th and 6th streets between Jendral Avenue and Fir Avenue.
Up and down those streets, potholes, cracks and rough patches are visible. Just across Jendral Avenue, however, the roads appear to be in good shape.
“It shouldn’t be like this. It could be so much better. It’s just like we’ve taken a back seat to maybe some of the more nicer neighborhoods,” Single said.
Resident Judy Roller echoed that sentiment: “These roads are horrendous. Even if you go slow, trying to avoid the potholes, there’s no way you can avoid them.”
City officials said the streets fall under Pasco County’s control. County leaders confirmed they are reviewing the issue.
As of Oct. 1, 2024, Pasco County replaced its Residential Paving Assessment (PVAS) program with a new Road Rehabilitation Services Municipal Service Taxing Unit (MSTU). This new ad valorem tax, based on property values, funds paving, rehabilitation, street signage, striping, drainage work and related road improvements across unincorporated areas.
The MSTU is designed to distribute the costs of road improvements equitably across the county, rather than charging only the residents on specific streets. It appears on property tax notices (TRIM) mailed in August 2024, with the first MSTU charge appearing on November 2024 tax bills. For properties assessed at $100,000, the 2025 paving tax will not exceed $51.84.
Pasco County’s approach to repaving now relies on science-based criteria—including pavement condition, traffic levels, safety and surrounding land use—to select and prioritize roads for treatment, which can include full repaving, asphalt rejuvenation, or microsurfacing/ The county also maintains a publicly accessible 3-Year Road Rehabilitation Work Plan (FY 25–27), though the schedule may fluctuate due to funding, weather, contractor and material availability, safety concerns, or unexpected maintenance needs.
Residents like Roller expressed hope that the MSTU funds will reach their neighborhood.
“I’d love to get out and walk. I can’t walk because I’m afraid I’ll fall,” she said. “The whole thing just needs to be redone.”
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
