Bill Varian

Staff Writer, Tampa Bay Times

Bill Varian writes about Hillsborough County government and politics. He joined the Times in 1999 as a crime reporter in Citrus County after five years of writing about growth-related issues and city hall for the Tallahassee Democrat. A 1990 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., he also has worked at newspapers in Augusta, Ga., and Burlington, N.C.

varian@tampabay.com

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Latest Fact-Checks By Bill Varian

Clear

Sam Rashid
stated on July 26, 2010 in a mailer.

The sales tax increase, if approved, will cost taxpayers "up to $300 million per year, in perpetuity, to finance a rail system for the City of Tampa."

Mostly False

By Bill Varian • August 28, 2010

Josh Burgin
stated on August 20, 2010 in a mailer.

Property taxes "are now 18% higher than when (Mark Sharpe) first took office."

False

By Bill Varian • August 20, 2010

Mark Sharpe
stated on July 20, 2010 a campaign mailer

"Mark Sharpe has lowered property taxes by 17 percent."

Mostly False

By Bill Varian • August 19, 2010

David Caton
stated on November 5, 2009 a mass e-mail

If voters agree in November to approve a one-cent sales tax increase, that will give "Hillsborough County the highest sales tax of all Florida counties."

True

By Bill Varian • June 7, 2010

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