A Land Remembered series funding support
What the county recorded
This item is not from the published agenda
It is a stretch of the recording that this archive identified as a separate matter — a call to order, a recess, or something taken up that the agenda does not list. There is no official title, no staff recommendation and no disposition, because the county never recorded one. Everything below is inferred.
The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Jun 2, 2026
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Jun 2, 2026
The published PDF, as served by the county. This item is one entry in it.
What was said
Machine transcription of 25m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 20% of 87 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Your turn. Things say it's myself.
Yeah. Fantastic project going on in our County Lane Remember series. I think we've all heard about it. And um Kathleen Tomco's here just just in case.
The first commission meeting. But I think she said she's come to so I think it's important as the state develops. And we keep a piece of our our state history. Uh and if there's a way to get help support the series, um through the tourist development tax. um to help promote the the moving and get it in our our our schools somehow. and promote lands, much of the project is being filmed right here in Pasco in District One and District Two and
the Pioneer Museum which we which the county supports with with a grant and uh the legacy of of Florida, I think it's important as the series evolves and and hopefully it gets into our school system and becomes a piece of our state history. that families will learn how important obliged nature is and how critical it is to our heritage. And this one I think it'd be an exciting move if we helped support Uh the calls here. And um the initial
ask. Uh Tampano Corvala is 250,000. Other counties have chipped in and and there's ways to support it, but Um I'd like to
second your motion okay
second I'm just to support it and I was gonna bring it up if you did that support the falls and and it just be a unique opportunity a to sell past people brand
a hundred
percent and also our state district and battle in lines uh
Uh huh. Oh yeah, Kathleen. I have some photos on the box. Plus they give an update on on what they're doing and work they're doing. Um I think it's it's a great a great opportunity for for us. So
I I think people are gonna want to come visit Pasco, see where the see where the movie was shown, go to the museum. I'm super excited about it and I was very thankful to be able to watch you guys. You can throw some of my pictures up there from my
supplies from Pasco, Lifted Pasco.
Um When you go on Fox News and talk about your
movie, you'll
be
talking about Pasco County. Absolutely. And I am sixth generation from right here in Pasco County. That's as far as I've, you know, my aunt has gone back to do our genealogy. But one of my favorite things that the author Patrick D. Smith did was he made this a historical fiction novel. There are real families, the Likes family, the Hendry family, other families that are named in this book. But the McKey family is all
of our families. It's All of our families how one way or another came into our state. And when I say the Mackay family, it is skillet that was found. um in our film. He was found in the grandest way and he has an incredible that story. Um it is just um something that I am excited that um people not only in our county but um throughout our state are finally going to know who we
are. And we are the original cattlemen and, you know, citrus. We founded so many things here in our state. And Jeb Bush said that when his brother was governor of Texas, there were more Texas flags flown than American flags. When he was governor of Florida, there were more American flags flown than Florida flags. And he looked at us when talking with him about this production and said, I am so excited for
people to finally know. who we are. Well I am a Pasco County resident. This is my heart. I am 59 years old. And I have lived in Dade City for 58 years of my life. My parents are still here. um my grandparents or um generation when I looked at um Mrs. Pennyx sitting here when I walked in the door. Her husband and my grandfather work together and they're a part of my family and
who I am. And then sitting here listening to our homeless problem that we have here in Pasco County, I look around and I see that. But when I see what we are about to put on the screen. and educate people as to who we are. I feel that there will be so many opportunities for calls to action and for us to come together and help. From all aspects of our county needs and as um Someone
from State City, I am so honored that the majority of this film was filmed here in Pasco County and we have left a footprint throughout our county as well as the Penny Museum, as we mentioned. It is a place and it's going to be a destination. Some of our writers Um it it's kind of a a um exciting situation that um we have brought in writers from House of Cards and Game of Thrones. Well
the writer from Game of Thrones, um His last name is Hill. His grandmother was my vice principal in Pasco Elementary. I mean, he came from out in the world of writing film. And has a Date City connection. So much of this story has a Date City connection and a Pasco County connection. So just in we have spent, you know, when asking for funding, we
have spent so much money here in the county already. And we also have a lot of things that need to pay from episodes one and two and we're looking forward to um three and four um expanding um our operation and hopefully um doing even more here in pesco county which i can't imagine more but um we have a huge huge bill that we're getting to um write a check and when i say we're getting to they have um accumulated
um the horse feed and the, you know, kept a um account for us and that bill is due right now. We have had, you know, speaking of Yellowstone, we have had the Wranglers who worked with Taylor Sheridan on 1883. working on our production. We have had the best of the best in this industry. Coming to Florida. And the director is Florida Grant.
He grew up right outside of Zephyrhills, right outside of Pasco County. um in one of those LENAR developments. And he is the director and the one who purchased the rights to A Land Remembered. And Patrick D. Smith's family chose him out of all the people that could have been chosen to tell this story. His plan of making a miniseries was the one that they chose. And so I'm just honored and proud. I can only say God is at the hell with this production
and the only reason that I am blessed to be a part of this production. And also to not only, I have looked out the windows of this town since I graduated from high school, Pasco High, in 85. And I've looked at drumps of all the dates that he could be. And I've seen it evolve from The you know, and I've heard stories of we were the wealthiest city. Then in our country back in the citrus days.
We uh had the most wealth. And you know, it's not just about wealth when the McKey family came across the Florida line. Um they made this the Indians. The Indians, they became family. skillet was brought into the Makini family. This story is about just bringing love and family and home. Back to our Florida. And I'm excited to be a part of telling that story. And it
educates the rest of the country, the world, about. Us as a cattle state, which Um, very few people know we were the first counts. Especially AOC.
Yeah, absolutely. And I have to say, um, we could have um Todd Wiseman Jr., I wouldn't have been a part of this if it had happened this way, but he was in LA. He graduated from NYU film school, you know, here from right outside of our county to a graduate of NYU film school. He worked in um LA and he took this, you know, they wanted to send this production to Georgia. They wanted to film it. In other countries and Todd said no, we are not going to tell our core story. anywhere
else but Florida. So not having a tax credit in Florida, um, we have gotten funding. We have lobbied and gone and spoken with the state. and they have helped us with funding the production, which is a huge support. For this this project and that's where we are coming to just different counties and you know the way I look at it is we are contributing to all counties here in Florida. We are going to drive the most um Honorable tourism. One
gentleman on our set who came from upstate to help us film said, you know. I knew m um Disney was in Florida. Well, I took my family to Disney. And he said I have done that. I don't need to do that again, as a man would say. And then he said, you know, I look at beaches and you know I could go anywhere to find a beach, but he said, I have come here. I have seen what is here that I have never known. And
he said Florida has the greatest treasures. And I think to be able to educate through the spell of the treasures of Florida, we have, you know, shown our pine forest here in um Pasco County. We have shown our cattle land, our oak hammocks. We have shown our old homes. Zek Mankai, who is the first generation, second generation of the Mankai family, was birthed at our Pioneer Museum.
So it is just so exciting. Um all of
it. Can you show my pictures real quick? Um I know that was a weird picture that I showed there, but I'll tell you, I'll describe to you what it is. She gave us a tour. uh of the hair and makeup Bus or whatever you call it. That is an artist actually weaving cypress. That is real here. And it's woven onto this mesh. It's amazing for one of the characters. That's how authentic it is. Okay, what's another picture? I d I didn't
take great pictures. I was I apologize for the whole picture. Wait, but Fascinating. Do you not have my other pictures?
Yeah. Yeah oh I sent a whole bunch of pictures. No,
no,
okay.
Well I do have to say too, this woman is an artist. This woman is an artist and I they have come from some of the greatest productions in um on projects um out of the industry that have had hundreds of millions of dollar budgets. And we are in a huge shift. um in the industry right now. People are and I say we because I am a part of this now. So great. Um But people have
left LA. I don't know that they're going back to LA. Um, the film industry is going to other countries. Um, I love um seeing the film industry here in Florida because I've gotten to know the people. And the people are like the people that I have grown up with here in this county, in Dade City. It is um you know, they're artists and there's so many different traits and we do have the best of the best um working on telling our story. We have an
armorist that worked um you know, doing the Army on the Patriot and so many other well-known films. Glory, I could just name so many. We have um told the story of the Battle of the Lusty, the largest Civil War battle right here was found in Pasco County. We are going to be telling the story gunshots.
I felt emotionally back on
Yes, and It's and so so you know, back to the money we've spent in the county, you know, the the Wrangler from um 1883, Taylor Sheridan's story, stayed at Little Everglades and kept 28 horses at Little Everglades here in Dade City, Pasco County, Paul Feed and Hay. from Farber's feet. Mandy City. And um The Wranglers um purchased a pickup truck at Jim
Brown. Um there are so many things that you keep those oxen. Um at my house.
My call south land in the hills. So yes, it is um it is just really thrilled. And Steve Melt, he's you know, Pasco County. He has helped with the Pioneer Museum and he opened his home and we found at his land, you know, I I knew well the barcles, we put the homestead. That was
stunning. That's the picture I have um that I just melt, Gina. I have a picture of the the wag authentic wagon. And the Indians. Um Whatever, a little thing that you bring down. I think it wasn't supposed to take a picture, so they're not going to be able to do that. Oh, it's okay.
I might take a lot of pictures.
For the benefit we all know you uh and uh but for the benefit of the program and for those watching online.
Oh yes and how you
yes, yes, I am Kathley. Tom Co. And um Uh Sixteen. One six seven two two. Spring Valley Rim, Degate City, Florida. Three three five two three. I grew up on Palm Avenue, Fifth and Pump, the corner of Fifth and Pump here at Pave City.
So thank good board I've broken up to see if there's an app that's I help support the Yeah,
brands. Oh.
What's how much?
But
you didn't think
that I've drafted up during discussion here. Check on It's more technical. It's a little more technical just in terms because of where we're at with things. It would be my recommendation, even though there is some pressure on the force development tax, that this is a legitimate expense, but it would require some amendments to their work plan. So let me just read this and if it if anything doesn't make sense. 100%. Sorry.
Well, I just
donation.
I was just asking the uh county attorney if there's three votes. Should I abstain it? But he You know, it's so minuscule compared to the cost.
Based on based on the description that the commissioner has given me that any any you know the standard is special private gain or loss and the return Hello. Is Highly speculative in this case, based on All right, Mental. Um commissioner can abstain in an abundance of motion if she wishes to.
And if I could add um Mr. Mariano, even if you would like to invest, we have as small from a hundred dollars they go. We are still reasoning and everyone here in Pasco County, as well as the state of Florida, has the opportunity to invest in this production. And I will say the ones who have I mean. My hats go off to them, my heart goes out to them. They are
going to be the greatest part of telling our Florida story, our county story, our citrus industry, which is our history that I see going away here in Dade City. There aren't even monuments to showcase who we once were here in Dade City. We owned the two eight houses. the two largest citrus concentrate plants. Here in the World. We're here in Dade City. I don't see any monuments to celebrate those, but
I do see people contributing to this production that is going to um Show who we are here in the city, in this county, as well as this state. Well it's five six hours.
I heard about your investment from a few months back. You told me this is a great thing, et cetera, et cetera. How do the people invested? Well to me there's a conflict there too. Uh I haven't heard from you, Kathleen. By the way, you got an awesome daughter, you haven't mentioned Josie yet, but What a great girl you've re you've raised right here in Dade City, so you should be proud of her as well. Thank you, Jack. But I have to say it's just being the Trust Welling Council. Adam Thomas is here, so maybe maybe bring we may bring him up, but at one point we had a discussion about all the hotel roommates we try to generate with our And
I'm asking for money. groups that bring in conventions to go Instead of just a sixty thousand dollar number. Should go bring in You know, whatever the number is, whether it be 100,000, whatever, if they're bringing heads and beds, treating the same way they're bringing sports events, then he's telling me it's an epidemic of the budget. So I'm hesitant to just say we can go do it and find a way. And then the backstop is if that doesn't cover it. Because we don't want to go to oh, we just spent three million dollars on that jungle we made too quickly before going to public
to go buy that contract from the bargaining sports ranch that I want to make sure we've got the money in place. And if we don't have the money in place, we need to be ready to just have a governor ripping us apart about spending too much money, even though I don't think we have polls to spend time if we've to deal with the growth we've had. But I want to have that discussion. With Adam Thomas, if we're going to pull from that source to go forward. And if we're not, then have a discussion to where the money's going to come from, et cetera. What are we going to do right now? So it's 1210 just above. Or we can bring
it back after the meeting. It should be a mutual show meeting today. But I think it's worthy of a discussion. This is a big move. Yeah, whether it's Whether we're looking at from Tourist Development having the money or not? property taxes if you need to, I think it's worthy of lower discussion. It's phenomenal. I'm a big fan and I know can Commissioner Oakley's hand meal of some. Probably the movie the Taylor Taylor Chip shared with eighteen eighty three and all the others probably trapped it. But I think it's worthy of a discussion rather than a ranch move which I've seen
us make before and have consequences. So if the vote wouldn't mind, they would delay it till after the public hearing today and have it done. It should be a public should be a public meeting.
I think we should bring back. another time after we're sure that we can do what we should like
you. And if I want to bring back Land O'Connor, but Soviet, but literally if I have those discussions with things that are solid and really going to happen. Great. This is a longer term thing. And again, Kathleen, I'm just hearing about it quickly from you. Everyone would appear and show. I share your enthusiasm, your excitement. I just want to make sure the money's there where the money's coming from
and all
the pressure we're facing with the state of talk about ripping our tax base away. to where we are exactly. And if I don't have the money in tourist development I I gotta find a way of you probably just say yes.
Okay, and if I could say the reason you're hearing so quickly from me is because we started this project a year ago. Um, in the industry, they are in need of content. This is the greatest timing. in the industry to get our story out. So we are rushing to get it out. And we are very blessed to have the support. Hillsboro County, their county has given us $500,000 towards our production, which everything is
going on film and for this production. The reason we have the heads and beds there, because that's our headquarter. But having the headquarters centrally in Hillsboro County, the purpose was so we could film within an hour radius. And not uproot people in the industry. That lady who does the hair, the cosmetology, the makeup trailer that we had, all of these people came in from other states. If
we would have had to have moved them all over to follow us to every location that we went, then they would have left us. So we had to bring them where we were planning. Some film. I went out being that day city girl And in one day, we have gone through six locations managers. In one day, I brought our card departments. With me and our um uh our director our Our
second book direct. I forget the terminology in the film industry, but I was that too. I've been doing this for one year. And in one year, we have raised Money to make this Compete with with Let's have the paradigm. Little House in the Prairie is the number one streaming show. Out there right now on all the streaming services. They are doing a remake of Little House on the Prairie. We already have captured
because we have one of the actors that was on Little House in the Prairie that's not come out yet. And the mother of that actor said, I have never seen. Not even Little House on the Prairie has what y'all are showing here about your state. But back to me taking one day to grab the art team and our assistant director, I came here and I brought them to Steve Melton's. I took them to our Pioneer Museum. I took them to Preserves and to Jack Vogel's and to
Mark Barthel's. And we are filming one hour from Tampa. We were already based in Tampa. So we are here. Our other money from heads and beds have gone here into this county. Not only that, but we had someone have an accident leaving the Pioneer Museum. They got their car stuck. Diane Hyler got her car stuck. on the railroad traffic because the infrastructure is not great here in our county. And there's a
little concrete pad that you can hardly see in the dark to drive across the railroad tracks. She got her car stuck in the railroad tracks and totally ripped out the underneath of her vehicle. She is going to CSX to get our infrastructure fixed and paid by them. So there are so many things that we are doing to help. I don't mean to sound so passionate. I'm I'm heated, passionate, whatever it I am. I I am, I have been just. Well
my my my
goal here was to bring up the conversation to get the boards take on the matter and and and see where we land and how we do the funding and all that sort of stuff.
Yeah, if I didn't get the same conversation that Adam and I were in the tourist one two, three months ago, back and forth well. the the monies, et cetera, et cetera. He says we don't have it. That's sixty thousand dollars that we're talking about. So from that to go to 250 is a big number. And again, I'm scared, I'm scared of the governor just coming to the task of Pani saying how we're going to cut everything and we're going to keep pushing property tax, which will be devastating to us. So I am comfortable if the vote is okay. I'm going to meet with Michael, Adam, and we're going to talk beforehand to see if there are
funds available. I'm comfortable bringing back this afternoon so we don't vote you off for these. But give us the time to be Mm-hmm. Before we take we take a step. I think it's a responsible thing to do with the taxpayer money and the tourist road money.
Thank you so much. And I will say we are making the decision of where we're going to film next year. And I know other counties have offered money for us to go. We have filmed here and I am still pushing for our studio to be in Dayton City,
Florida.
Yeah,
thank you so much. Thank you for terms of one there.