Together they would raise cattle and farm citrus to grow their ranch; and WHEREAS, the Wiregrass Ranch name came in 1950 from a postcard sent by Ed Madill, a friend of James Porter, who addressed it to "Wiregrass Porter, Gatorville, Florida, USA" and it still arrived at the correct address;

and WHEREAS, in the early 1970s, the first substantial land sale was made to what would become Saddlebrook Golf and Tennis Center. Later developments involving the Porter family and Wiregrass Ranch land would include: a major shopping center, hospital and medical facilities, schools, hotels, entertainment venues, and sports facilities.

Even with these major developments, much more is still planned for the future in Pasco County; and WHEREAS, in May of 2013, the Porter family donated land to Pasco County that would later become the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County. The campus is now the centerpiece of the tourism efforts by the County's Destination Management Organization, "Experience Florida's Sports Coast"; and

WHEREAS, the Porter family also gives back to the community through the not-for-profit Wiregrass Ranch Foundation, which is dedicated to increasing opportunities in our community through philanthropy, stewardship and innovation; and WHEREAS, Wiregrass Ranch still has active agricultural and ranching operations with over 5,142 acres of land and represents over $1 Billion dollars of tax base within the County and is still growing strong;

and WHEREAS, Bill Porter, the President of Wiregrass Ranch, and the next generation of Porters including J.D, Quinn, Colby, Haley, Hatcher, Alexis, Rachel, Lynda, and Debbie are continuing the family tradition of commitment to Pasco County started by James and Martha Porter.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Pasco County, Florida, that said Board hereby recognizes and thanks the Porter family for their contributions to the Pasco County community.

DONE AND RESOLVED in regular session with a quorum present and voting this 20th day of September, 2022.

BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RESOLUTION NO. 22-224

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who sponsored the resolution, said the board wanted to acknowledge the Porter’s contributions, not only to Pasco, but also to the region and state. Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who sponsored the resolution, said the board wanted to acknowledge the Porter’s contributions, not only to Pasco, but also to the region and state. Commissioner Jack Mariano said “Your family’s commitment from the get-go was always to do this first class. You took your time, you made sure you had it right, you waited for the right people to come in. And the way that you did it methodically, every step of the way, has been fantastic. “Pasco is so much better off, because of the Porter family,” Mariano said.

Commissioner Ron Oakley said, “You all have done a great job with what you are doing out there with your land and you have been very great community service people at the same time.” “We appreciate all that you have done, and we look forward to doing more business with you in the future” Oakley said.

J.D. Porter, who spoke on behalf of the family, told the board he appreciated the kind words.

“We still have a long, long path to go,” he said. “We’ve got a long runway that we’re working with, but on behalf of my entire family, thank you guys for making it an environment that we can succeed in, and for continuing to grow.” “Working with you all and working with staff has become a lot easier and we look forward to a lot more great years, and we’ve got plenty of good stuff to come.” https://youtu.be/gZsbkr0AyWI?t=3999