by Joe Potter

At Its Oct. 13 meeting, the Dade City Commission honored longtime community leader Margarita Romo for her service and recognized her 90th birthday.

A civil rights leader, ordained minister, and community activist, Romo founded Farmworkers Self Help (FSH) and continues to serve through Resurrection House Mission in Dade City.

The Commission also acknowledged three city employees for their years of service: Patricia Deleo for 25 years, and Philip “Todd” Houtz and Jerry Newsome for five years each. Deleo has since retired after 25 years as a school crossing guard.

In other business, commissioners approved on first reading an ordinance that would impose a 12-month moratorium on data centers within Dade City limits, effective only if adopted on second reading.

The measure is intended to give the city time to develop appropriate regulations for such uses and would apply to Dade City’s incorporated areas. Commissioners noted a similar ordinance approved by Pasco County in July 2026, affects nearby unincorporated areas.

Under the proposal, the council discussed water use by data centers before voting, and Mayor Scott Black compared the potential strain to past habits of conserving resources, adding that the city may need to conserve

if data centers are developed locally. ♥