Bertell Butler IV - New Port Richey Council Member

Gary Anthony Greger passed away on September 22 at the Bandura Ave life station. He was a hard working family man and dedicated husband to his fiance Patricia Cook.

There is a reason why Public Works employees are nationally recognized as first responders right alongside firefighters and officers; the job is not easy. Operations mechanics, like Gary, are some of the first people on the road after a Hurricane, risking their lives to get the city’s public safety and public health infrastructure back online.

Already, the city’s Public Works department has made immediate safety changes and new equipment requirements to tighten up OSHA standards subsequent to Gary’s passing. By naming Gary in the nomination form below, our community has the opportunity to remember Gary for the hardworking man he was, and to commit our city to spreading awareness in Gary’s name about the risks taken everyday by Public Works employees.

Nominate Gary Anthony Greger at https://speakupnpr.org/help-us-name-two-downtown-parking-lots-contest

On my way to the Main Street Bridge for the 1 PM Boat Parade. A quick statement on local businesses:

The comments and ordinance proposed by a Hernando County Commissioner do not represent the spirit of locals in Tampa Bay who work hard to back our business owners.

A testament to that: earlier this month, city council adopted my motion to stop a recommendation from the Land Development Review Board that would have put arbitrary limits on retail sales by ECarve LLC.

Looking ahead, we’re working on changes to the city’s Sign Ordinance so that we can do justice by businesses like Scooter's Coffee, Patriot Stogies, A Fine Cigar Lounge, and SMILE FOOD MART who were all blindsided with arguably subjective code violations.

Also later next month, the Community Redevelopment Agency will be reviewing its business grant programs to remain competitive in the Florida's Sports Coast, keep local businesses here, and attract more talent to take a shot on New Port Richey.

And, with budget season around the corner, I plan to propose that the city take a second look at our business fire fees, originally proposed by the Mayor, so we can prevent any double tax on business owners who already pay taxes for fire services.

Chasco 2026 in New Port Richey.

The Krewe Of Chasco made the best neighbor. Hands down, they had the most patriotism for America250.

In the spirit of our democracy’s 250th anniversary, our community has a lot of choices for Mayor. I saw Marlowe Jones and Daisy Thomas working hard to share their campaign platforms.

All mayoral candidates will be at the Richey Suncoast Theatre on March 30th at 6pm for the mayor debates. Come on out!

Thank you to Rotary Club of Holiday, the volunteers, New Port Richey Recreation & Aquatic Center, Public Works, New Port Richey Fire Department, New Port Richey Police Department, and our interlocal partners for a safe and eventful parade with lots of beads!

Months ago, city staff proposed a new camera program as a straightforward school safety initiative. The goal was simple and one I supported: use speed detection cameras around Richey Elementary, Gulf Middle, and Gulf High to slow traffic and keep our kids safe.

That was the program I believed we would be voting on.

However, at the final city meeting, without any prior public discussion, it was disclosed in the last paragraph of a city memo that the camera system would also include Flock technology.

Flock is an AI-driven surveillance technology created by a private, for-profit company. Their tech collects license plate data on all passing vehicles, including those not breaking the law. It also creates what Flock calls a “vehicle fingerprint,” which can include make, model, color, the state of registration, whether a plate is covered or missing, and unique features like dents in the vehicle and political bumper stickers.

In other words, this program is no longer just about protecting kids from speeding cars. It has morphed into including the infrastructure for a searchable, cloud database of where people routinely drive and what their vehicles look like.

Flock is less than ten years old and has already faced scrutiny from lawmakers, the ACLU, and IJ over concerns that this type of technology can create permanent records of our movements and expose sensitive data to security breaches. Flock is too new to be trusted; they previously insisted that they had no federal contracts, but they now admit that they had been running a “pilot program” with federal agencies subject to the PATRIOT Act.

On Tuesday, I was the lone vote against this program. The motion passed 4-1, but I believe, sincerely, that more of my colleagues would have been open to at least pausing the Flock component had we openly discussed this earlier in the process.

To be clear, I do support speed enforcement near our schools. What I will not support is enlisting our city into a privately built, cloud-based surveillance network.

Over the coming months, I will be working on proposals to preserve the original intent of this program, protecting kids through speed enforcement, while eliminating the Flock surveillance technology from the agreement.

I believe we can keep our kids safe without sacrificing public trust.

I’ll keep you updated.

For the first time, our city will directly deliver more than half a million dollars to homeowners who need it most. This is what it looks like when our tax dollars are put to work in our neighborhoods.

Next up: our city administration is already applying for the next round of federal CDBG funding, and we're working at all levels of government to secure our fair share of the $585 million in federal hurricane relief.

Earlier this year, the city took away your right to choose your garbage company. Now, the city manager wants to create a tax on trash. Here's how this impacts you and what we can do to stop it:

If this tax passes, you will pay more for the same garbage service you’ve always received. No extra pick-ups. No changes in service. Just more money out of your pockets so the city can be a middleman.

No one is safe: Homeowners will pay more. Rents will go up. Escrows will increase, and so too will housing costs.

If you visit family in another state for a couple months a year, there is no way to pause the trash service. Seniors on fixed incomes will pay twice for the same service, once to their HOAs and again to the city.

If you share a trash can with a neighbor...
If you compost your trash...
If you haul your trash right to the dump.....you will still be forced to pay this tax.

Here's the part that really frustrates me: For families who haven’t been in their houses since the hurricanes, who haven’t received trash service in months, they will be returning home to a delinquency bill and a letter from the city threating to take their property.

My home flooded in Hurricane Helene. I know I speak for a lot of people when I say our personal finances can't stretch any further.

I promised to put money back to work in our neighborhoods. That’s why I’ve voted against this trash tax every step of the way. And it is why I filed an ordinance to stop the tax on trash, prevent predatory property liens, and create solutions that lower rates by addressing service pauses, opt-outs, and the elimination of double fees.

All of the votes on this have been razor thin, meaning if just one council member changes their mind, we can stop this tax on trash.

Please come to the public hearing to speak against this. If you do not want to speak, your presence in the audience is enough to hold your government accountable.

Details: September 4th at City Hall, 5919 Main Street, at 6:30pm.

One week ago, the school board sold the original Gulf High site to our city. I took some time this weekend to reflect on the sale, not to rehash every point of contention, but to give you an honest account of how we got here and, more importantly, where we are headed.

This has been a difficult deal from the beginning. Our community had to contend with sharp differences within city council, city staff, and the school board about the agreement's shape, scope, and degree of protections. From the city staff’s perspective, purchasing the property without a future revenue source was a nonstarter. While staff did not always say it publicly, this seemed to be their central concern: How do we recoup the costs from the sale? What money will this property generate after the sale? One council candidate said it to me plainly on his election night: “There has to be a small waterfront restaurant or some condos. Something to generate revenue.”

It was almost two years ago, I met Beva, Donna, Rita, June, and Deanna at the West Pasco Historical Society’s boardroom. This is where I gave my full support for the historic preservation of the former school building and all of its 7.9 acres. For many alumni and myself, this was about protecting a historic school that tells the stories of generations older than the city itself.

Our city has leaned into this vision before and it is part of the reason our downtown is thriving. $14 million in 2007 for the Rec & Aquatic Center. $5.4 million in 2015 for Sims Park. By comparison, even if this new endeavor reached the higher end of projections—around $9 million—the cost would fall well within the range of large-scale public investments we've made over the past two decades. Investing into the original Gulf High site has the potential to create long-term returns through state and federal historic grants, educational programming, local vendors, small business events, and future job opportunities centered around cultural tourism.

Still, the City Manager continued negotiating with the school board from a position of widening the door of opportunity for private development. What started as a community conversation banning private development for 100 years—a strong protection—ultimately was watered down over two years of negotiations into a 25-year covenant clause preventing some types of residential development while permitting other residential types. This change is a major detriment to the agreement. Right now, our city could turn St. Clair Field into a parking lot and build waterfront homes on the Cotee River, and this would not violate any aspect of the agreement. For these reasons, I voted no on the property sale.

We may not have gotten the deal I hoped for, but now that we have the property, I remain committed as ever to its preservation.

This property belongs to you, and to every buccaneer and city resident of the last one hundred years.

Our gratitude is owed to Beva, Donna, Rita, June, Deanna, and every other alumni advocate; to the Pasco County School Board and its district staff; and to our very own Councilman Peter Altman for seeing this historic moment through.

Looking ahead, there is a lot of work to do. To start, I will work with council, the historic preservation board, and city staff to get the property registered on state and national historic inventories. In the coming months, we’ll hold a visioning workshop where we will be asked to share ideas for the property's future. Students studying water quality with the Energy & Marine Center. New lights at St. Clair Field so we can bring our Bucs Football team home. Class reunions in the original building. A stage and theater room turned into a community venue. Food and film festivals by the river. All possible ideas that celebrate our culture, our environment, and our city’s history.

I’ll share the workshop’s date and time when I know more.

Earlier today, a car accident occurred at the intersection of Massachusetts Ave and Van Buren St.

Given the high number of children who walk and play in this area, I am closely monitoring incoming information to understand exactly what happened.

At 6:14 PM, I asked the City Manager to send Council a report on what occurred and the extent of any injuries. As always, safety remains the top priority. Once our public safety teams complete their work, I will review the report and go from there.

Tonight as I think about those affected, I am holding onto hope for their full recovery.

Thanks, Duke!

Duke Energy Foundation, City of New Port Richey team up for summer swim safety In recognition of the May 15 designation as International Water Safety Day, Duke Energy Foundation announces a grant to the City of New Port Richey for swim lessons and summer camp scholarships.

You may have noticed a new layer of protection at this year’s Chasco Fiesta.

These orange barricades were placed at key intersections and are a part of a proactive strategy from Chief Kochen and the New Port Richey Police Department to keep our community safe.

In February, City Council unanimously approved the purchase of these barricades in light of recent tragedies around the country—like the one in New Orleans, where innocent lives were lost in a horrendous vehicle attack.

We saw a new risk, and our talented first responders met it with action.

This investment in public safety saved the taxpayers too. The $45,000 price tag was fully covered through a federal agreement that lets the city use seized funds from illegal activity—turning crime into prevention.

We’ll continue to use these barricades at events across the city to keep people safe and give families peace of mind.

Community pride on full display at the Chasco Fiesta Parade.