Hillsborough commissioners to discuss controversial home improvement program

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners will discuss on Wednesday the embattled Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE program in the county.

The program has been criticized by local tax collectors and officials for its controversial loans.

The Florida PACE Program is set up for homeowners to get new roofs, windows, air conditioning and even solar panels for their homes. However, the loan for the improvements was attached to the homeowner’s tax bill. If that bill wasn’t paid, the home could be taken.

There are two items on the commissioners’ agenda regarding the PACE program. The first proposes suspending any consideration of PACE until federal regulations are in place . The second item is a report the commissioners will receive on Wednesday about bringing the PACE program back to the county.

This comes after the county started its PACE program in 2017 but canceled it in 2020 after three years .

Since then, the Florida legislature made several changes to the laws surrounding PACE programs, which some say have improved them for homeowners. However, others claim those changes don’t help the situation and PACE can be devastating for people.

“Once this PACE assessment is on their property tax notice, that bottom line increases significantly and then, clearly, they are unable to pay, which forces them to be delinquent and then they’re at the risk of losing their home,” said Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Milan.

That includes people like Pasco County resident Geraldine Eppley, who said her tax bill went from under $500 per year to more than $2,000 per year after she invested in solar panels.

“They first came around and said the solar panels would be a good thing for me to have,” Eppley said. “Because of the electric bill going down and that they would pay for themselves.”

But Eppley said the solar panels have not paid for themselves. Instead, she said it would now take her 30 years to pay for them.

Other counties have also raised concerns about the program . The Pasco County Tax Collector told 8 On Your Side he is ending his county’s agreement with PACE because too many people are in danger of losing their homes.

8 On Your Side has reached out to the head of the PACE program several times for comment but has not heard back.

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