Charter Review, 5-11-00
                                
**NOTIFICATION:
**This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the following
**meeting.  It should be used for informational purposes only.
**This document has not been edited; therefore, there may be
**additions, deletions, or words that did not translate.

> > GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
WELCOME TO THE MAY 11TH CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETING.
WE ARE GLAD THAT THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE ARE WITH US
AND WE HOPE THIS THERE ARE MEMBERS OF OUR VIEWING PUBLIC THAT ARE HERE
ALSO.
MR. BALLARD, WILL YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TO THE FLAG?.
[PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE]
>> AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE YOUNG MAN WHO HELD THE FLAG FOR US.
WE ARE HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TROUBLE THIS EVENING GETTING ORGANIZED.
MS. WEST, MAY WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE?
[ROLL CALL]
WE HAVE A QUORUM.
>> JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
I HAVE A LETTER TO READ INTO THE RECORD FROM MR. BEDKE.
HE WILL BE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AT A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONFERENCE FOR THE
BALANCE OF THIS WEEK, AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE CHARTER REVIEW
BOARD MEETING THIS EVENING AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MARY LOU TUTTLE IS ON
HER WAY HERE.
MEMBERS, DID YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING
OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING?
THERE IS A MOTION BY MISS WALDRON AND SECOND BY MR. BALLARD TO APPROVE
THE MINUTES OF THE APRIL 27th MEETING.
ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE?
WE WILL OPEN WITH PUBLIC COMMENT AND I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE
THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL IS ENTITLED TO FIVE MINUTES.
EACH INDIVIDUAL MAY SPEAK FIVE MINUTES.
BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO EXTEND TIME BY PEOPLE GIVING TIME TO OTHER PEOPLE,
BECAUSE IT BECOMES AN UNMANAGEABLE SITUATION HERE SO WE PREFER THAT
EACH PERSON THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE COME UP.
REMEMBER, IF YOU SPEAK AT THIS TIME, YOU WILL NOT SPEAK AGAIN AT THE END
OF THE MEETING.
MR. HUGHES, YOU ARE UP.
ARE YOU SPEAKING?
>>FROM THE FLOOR: YOU HAVE A SIGN-UP SHEET BACK HERE.
>>JAN SMITH: I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
WE ARE ORGANIZED.
THAT MUST MEAN WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TALK TO US THIS
EVENING.
BARBARA, IS IT TRUE YOU HAVE A SIGN-UP SHEET?
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IS THERE SOMEONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE CHARTER REVIEW
BOARD?
IS THERE ANYONE?
BOB DURAN, I SEE YOU ARE HERE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK?
BOB DURAN:  I HAVE NOTHING TO SAY THIS EVENING.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
PERHAPS YOU CAN COME BACK AGAIN TO SPEAK TO US.
>> GRANT WALTERS, I LIVE AT 12736 STAGHORN ROAD TAMPA, ACTUALLY THE
CITRUS PARK AREA.
I AM A MEMBER OF THE CIVIC PARK ASSOCIATION OF CITRUS PARK.
I KEEP A LITTLE BIT OF AN EYE ON THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD FOR THOSE PEOPLE.
AT THE ALLIANCE MEETING ON MONDAY NIGHT, WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT RECORD THAT WAS
PREPARED IN THIS CASE BY BARBARA MERRITT, ALONG WITH THE CONSOLIDATION
OF YOUR CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS.
WE ADDED THEM TO THE BACK OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MAY BE A STANDARD PRACTICE NOW BECAUSE I WAS
TALKING TO BARBARA AND I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THE FIRST
WRITTEN RESPONSE TO THAT.
>>JAN SMITH: WE APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE WILL DO WITH THOSE RESPONSES, UNLESS IT BECOMES UNWIELDY,
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY ON THE BOARD IS COPIED WITH THEM WHEN
THE MINUTES OF THE NEXT MEETING GO OUT.
IF IT BECOMES UNWIELDY, THEN BARBARA WILL KEEP COPIES AND ANYBODY CAN
REQUEST THEM, THEN SHE CAN GIVE US A SYNOPSIS OF WHAT THE COMMENTS ARE
DURING HER EXECUTIVE REPORT.
>> MADAM CHAIRMAN, MAY I SAY SOMETHING?
I USED TO HAVE A LOT OF THESE RESPONSE TYPE THINGS AND IF THEY ARE
CATALOGUED NUMBER-WISE, THEY CAN BE ADDRESSED OR KILLED OFF BECAUSE
THERE WILL BE MANY DUPLICATES OF THIS TYPE OF THING AND RECORDS CAN BE
KEPT.
THIS MIGHT BE ITEM ONE IN THIS CASE, BUT EVERYONE WOULD KNOW WHERE ITEM
101 WOULD BE IF THEY TURNED TO IT IN THEIR DIRECTORY, IF YOU KEPT THEM AND
CLASSIFIED THEM THAT WAY.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
BARBARA?
GET YOUR PENCIL OUT AND START NUMBERING.
THANK YOU.
MR. KARL WARREN?
>> MR. WARREN: GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO
SUBMIT MY PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT.
I WOULD LIKE TO RESUBMIT MY PRESENTATION FROM THE LAST MEETING BECAUSE
THERE WAS A TYPE GRAPHICAL ERROR.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS CARL WARREN, TAMPA, FLORIDA.
AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, I ADDRESSED MULTIPLE ISSUES AND CONCERNS.
AS A RESULT, I TOOK MORE THAN MY SHARE OF TIME.
I WILL MORE THAN MAKE UP FOR THIS TONIGHT BY BEING VERY BRIEF.
AS WE PREVIOUSLY INDICATED IN OUR APRIL 27TH PRESENTATION TO THIS BOARD,
WE EXPRESSED CONCERNS REGARDING AN INHERENT TENSION THAT STRUCTURE
REALLY EXISTS BETWEEN THE ROLES OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HIS
STAFF AND THE ROLES OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WE POINTED OUT THAT THE FLORIDA SUNSHINE LAW PROHIBITIONS PLACED ON THE
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT AS RESTRICTIVE FOR THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR AND HIS STAFF.
ALSO, WE POINTED OUT THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY HAS RENDERED A LEGAL
OPINION WHICH SHOULD HAVE NULLIFIED OR RESTRICTED CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OF
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HIS STAFF IN DIRECTLY INFLUENCING DECISIONS
TO BE MADE OR INFLUENCING POSITIONS AND VOTES ON ISSUES THE
ADMINISTRATOR OR HIS STAFF FAVORS, AS WELL AS INFLUENCING THE OUTCOME OF
THOSE ISSUES OF THE BOCC OR A BOCC MEMBER, THE ADMINISTRATOR DOES NOT
FAVOR BY A MANIPULATING VIA MOBILIZING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS IN WAYS
THAT INFLUENCE HIS STAFF OR POSITION, OUTRIGHT IGNORING DICTATES OR
REQUESTS BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION, FIGURATIVELY PUTTING A
PROJECT ON AN INVISIBLE SHELF, AND NOT DILIGENTLY, THAT IS IN A TIMELY
MANNER, FOLLOWING THROUGH ON THE REQUIRED AND EXPECTED
IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS, AND, B, LITERARY REALLY ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES OF
BEING ILLEGAL CONDUIT, MISREPRESENTING FACT AND FIGURES, CONDUCTING
DISINFORMATION AND MISINFORMATION, PROPAGANDIZED SCHEMES, AND WAYS TO
UNDERMINE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHILE PROMOTING
ADMINISTRATORS OR HIS STAFF'S AGENDAS.
I HAVE BEEN TRAINED AT THE MASTER AND DOCTORATE LEVEL IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA AND AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF FLORIDA.
I WAS TRAINED IN PUBLIC POLICY, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PUBLIC POLICY AT THE
MASTER'S LEVEL, AND EQUALLY, I WAS TRAINED IN THE SUBSTANTIVE AREA OF
PUBLIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW.
I PERSONALLY KNOW THIS TO BE A CAUSAL FACTOR, BECAUSE I WAS
SYSTEMATICALLY TRAINED IN HOW TO INFLUENCE POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT AS AN
ADMINISTRATOR.
THE POINT TO BE MADE HERE IS, WITH THE EXISTENT STRUCTURE, SELECTION, AND
APPOINTMENT OF A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, PRIMARILY TRAINED IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
HAVING INTERACTED WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS AND THE TOP LEADERSHIP IN
THEIR VARIOUS FORMS AND OBSERVING PERSONS IN LEADERSHIP ROLES WITH
VARYING CREDENTIALS, EXPERIENCE, AND TRAINING, I HAVE NOT FOUND IT TO BE
CENSURE UNNECESSARY FOR A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TO HAVE BEEN TRAINED
IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATOR.
THEREFORE, I SUBMIT TO THIS BOARD THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE AND CONCERN WORTHY
AND RIGHT TO BE PRESENTED TO THE VOTERS FOR CONSIDERATION.
I VERY STRONGLY BELIEVE THIS IS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN THAT COULD BE A GOOD
PLACE FOR THIS BOARD TO BEGIN TO SHOW SOME COURAGE, EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP,
AND COMMITMENT TO BEING ANYTHING OTHER THAN A DO-NOTHING BOARD AS
PREVIOUS CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS HAVE BEEN.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. WARREN.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE A COPY OF YOUR REPORTS.
MR. JOE ROBINSON?
>> I HAVE FIVE MINUTES?
THAT'S MORE THAN THE CITY.
MY NAME IS JOE ROBINSON.
I AM HERE BECAUSE I AM A CANDIDATE FOR SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS AND I WILL
KNOW WHAT THAT PERSON IS THEN.
I BROUGHT WITH ME MY DAUGHTER.
I TOLD HER TO COME WITH ME TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE GOVERNMENT
PROCESS SO WE CAN DEVELOP GREAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN CITIZENS IN TAMPA.
THE REASON I AM HERE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE RECEIVED AND FILED ONE OF
MY BROCHURES, BECAUSE I AM GOING TO TALK FROM THAT.
THERE ARE TEN POINTS OF JUSTICE THERE THAT I THINK ARE RELEVANT TO WHAT
THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN SET FORTH HERE TO DO.
SO MANY THINGS THAT I SEE WRONG IN THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS AREA IS,
ONE, THAT THERE IS NO REAL POLICY IN THAT OFFICE TO CONFIRM CANDIDATES'
ELIGIBILITY FOR RESIDENCY.
I MYSELF RAN IN 95, AND I ASKED, WHY DID YOU PUT ME ON THE BALLOT WRONG?
AND THE ANSWER I GOT WAS, YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE YOU STAY.
I ASKED WHERE DO I STAY.
THE DISTRICT WAS REDISTRICTED IN 94 AND I NEVER GOT RENOTICED.
SO I ASKED THEM, SHE SAID YOU ARE IN DISTRICT 6, AND I RAN FOR THAT. THE DAY
I GOT TO VOTE, I WAS EMBARRASSED AND HUMILIATED TO FIND I WASN'T ON THE
BALLOT.
THERE NEEDS TO BE A POLICY THAT CHECKS WHERE SOMEONE STAYS AT BEFORE
YOU PUT THEM ON THE BALLOT INCORRECTLY.
U.S. CITIZENSHIP IS NOT BEING CHECKED.
DAVID DAKOR USED HIS VOTER REGISTRATION CARD SAYING HE WAS A CITIZEN,
NOBODY CHECKED ON HIM AND HE BECAME A MEMBER OF THE TAMPA SPORTS
AUTHORITY.
THAT ISN'T RIGHT.
YOU NEED TO KNOW, FIND OUT WHETHER SOMEONE IS A U.S. CITIZEN.
EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT 18-YEAR-OLDS.
NO ONE IS TRYING TO PUSH AN EFFORT TO REGISTER 17-YEAR-OLDS IN THIS COUNTY,
LEGALITY ALONE IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE A MOCK ELECTION EVERY FOUR YEARS AND ALL OF A
SUDDEN EVERYONE GETS GRANDIOSE ABOUT LEGITIMATE STUDENTS KNOW ABOUT
THEIR RIGHT TO VOLT BUT THAT IS A TEMPORARY THING.
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ALL THE TIME SO WE CAN BRING PEOPLE UP LIKE MY
DAUGHTER TO BE COMPETENT, REGISTERED VOTERS.
FRESH SIGNATURES, WE DON'T HAVE ANY FRESH SIGNATURES ON THE VOTER
REGISTRATION ROLLS.
YOU COULDN'T GO OVER AND VERIFY THE REGISTRY FORMS YOU SIGN AND COMPARE
THAT TO THE COMPUTER SIGNATURES.
I WAS TOLD I COULDN'T DO THAT. SOME OF THOSE SIGNATURES DON'T MATCH UP.
PEOPLE GET OLD, THEIR SIGNATURES DON'T MATCH.
WE NEED TO RETAIN FRESH SIGNATURES ON THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
COMPUTER SO THEY CAN BE CHECKED, AT LEAST ONCE EVERY FIVE TO TEN YEARS.
WE NEED TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY SUPPORT TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR
VOTING RIGHTS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS OFFICE THAT HELP
PEOPLE RESTORE THEIR VOTING RIGHTS THAT HAVE LOST THEM.
ABSENCE VOTING BY MAIL IS NOT ENCOURAGES, NOR IS IT ENCOURAGED TO REDUCE
VOTER APATHY.
WE NEED TO PUT A POSITIVE SPAN ON ABSENTEE VOTING SO PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE
TO VOTE BY ABSENTEE BALLOT AND THAT SHOULD BE PUSHED BECAUSE IF PEOPLE
CAN'T BE THERE, THEY NEED TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
WE NEED TO REWRITE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
OFFICE SECURITY PROCEDURE MANUAL AS REQUIRED BY THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF
ELECTIONS.
IT'S OUT OF DATE.
THEY DON'T USE IT IN EVERY ELECTION.
THEY USE IT WHENEVER THEY FEEL THEY WILL.
SUPPOSEDLY THEY DON'T USE IT FOR THE CITY MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
THEY DON'T USE IT FOR PLANT CITY ELECTIONS.
THEY ONLY USE IT FOR COUNTY-WIDE ELECTIONS.
WHAT IS THAT NONSENSE?
THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS SHOULD HAVE A PROCEDURES MANUAL THAT IS UP
TO DATE AND IS ADEQUATE IN TIME, WHICH IT'S NOT.
BECAUSE PROBLEMS ARE CREATED BY THAT MANUAL BEING OUT OF DATE AND NOT
ADHERED TO.
THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE TRAINING FOR THE POLL WORKERS.
I MYSELF HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH POLL WORKERS NOT KNOWING HOW TO FILL OUT
BALLOT REPORT FORMS, THE MOST IMPORTANT FORM DURING ELECTION, HENCE
HINDERING ELECTION BECAUSE OF THAT.
THERE NEEDS TO BE TRAINING FOR THAT.
FOR ALL THE STAFF.
DIVERSITY.
THEY ONLY HAVE THREE PEOPLE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN DESCENT.
THEY ARE WELL REPRESENTED FOR FEMALE, AND I LOVE FEMALES BEING IN THAT
OFFICE BECAUSE THEY MAKE THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS WORK.
BUT WE NEED MORE AFRICAN-AMERICAN REPRESENTATION AT THE MANAGEMENT
LEVEL, NOT CLERKS.
>>JAN SMITH: COULD YOU BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE, PLEASE, MR.
ROBINSON?
>> JOE ROBINSON: YES, THE PUNCH CARD SYSTEM THAT WE USE, WE NEED TO UPDATE
THAT AND THEN CONSIDER USING INTERNET-SECURED VOTING IN PRIMARIES, SO
PEOPLE CAN VOTE BY INTERNET ON PRIMARIES, LIKE IS BEING DONE IN ARIZONA, AND
I THINK WASHINGTON AND OTHER STATES.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. ROBINSON.
>> JOE ROBINSON: AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>>JAN SMITH: MARILYN SMITH?
>> GOOD EVENING, MARILYN SMITH, GRANDMOTHER AT LARGE.
I WILL BE BRIEF THIS EVENING, BUT I NEED TO BRING TO YOU, IF YOU HAVEN'T
ALREADY SEEN AND FIGURED THIS OUT, WHICH YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T, BECAUSE
IT IS NOT A HIGH-PROFILE SITUATION.
YOU HAVE A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR UNDER SECTION 5.
UNDER SECTION 5, YOU HAVE A LITTLE SECTION 5.05.
IT SAYS, THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PERFORMANCE BOND.
THERE ISN'T ONE.
AND IT SHOULDN'T -- THIS HAS TO BE REMEDIED OR TAKEN OUT.
THERE ARE TWO THINGS WE CAN DO. YOU CAN EITHER RUB IT OUT, AND I DON'T
THINK THAT IS THE WISE WAY TO GO, BECAUSE WE HAVE 99.2, WHICH MAKES ALL OF
OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS CARRY A PERFORMANCE BOND, AND WHO MORE SHOULD
WE WORRY ABOUT PERFORMING WHEN, LIKE MRS. PLATT NEVER GETS HER HANDS
ONA DIME OR MOVES IT AROUND, THE ADMINISTRATOR MOVES STUFF AROUND ALL
THE TIME.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE REAL PERFORMANCE BOND NEEDS TO BE.
NONE OF THE TODAY'S COMMISSIONERS HAVE DAY-TO-DAY TOUCH WITH MONEY,
BUT THE ADMINISTRATOR CAN CERTAINLY MOVE IT AROUND AND I HAVE HEARD IT
HAPPEN, AND YOU TELL THEM THEIR HAIR IS ON FIRE AND GET THEM TO VOTE
WHERE YOU WANT.
SO WHAT I THINK YOU NEED TO DO IS GO TO 99.2 ORDINANCE, ADD THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR, AND HAVE A BOND PUT ON HIM, BECAUSE HE IS REALLY DOING
SOME STRANGE THINGS.
IT ISN'T THE FIRST TIME I HAVE NOTICED THIS. HE IS EXTREMELY RECALCITRANT IN
PERFORMING HIS DUTIES.
HE LET ONE THING GO IN THE MONTHS THAT INVOLVED PUBLIC INPUT.
IS HE INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM US?
I DON'T THINK SO. I FIND THAT ABHORRENT.
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A REPUBLIC AND A DEMOCRACY.
HE THINKS HE'S KING.
WE NEED TO PUT PERFORMANCE BOND ON HIM AND IT WILL TAKE TWO MINUTES OF
THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S TIME TO SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE
AND BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT DONE.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MS. SMITH.
MR. HUGHES?
>> RALPH HUGHES: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
RALPH HUGHES, TAMPA.
I HAVE ATTENDED AND PARTICIPATED IN EVERY HOUR AND EVERY MINUTE OF THE
FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS THIS BOARD HAS HELD TO DATE.
I REACHED A CONCLUSION THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
THAT IS, I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TWO MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD WHOSE AGENDA
FROM THE START, AND CONTINUES TO BE, TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN SUCH A
MANNER AS TO BLOCK ANY PROPOSAL FOR A CHARTER CHANGE FROM BEING
APPROVED BY THIS BOARD TO BE PLACED TON BALLOT, THEREBY GIVING THE
PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON IT UP OR DOWN.
I DO NOT KNOW THE MOTIVE OF THESE TWO MEMBERS OR WHAT THEIR REASON OR
REASONS MAY BE.
I DO KNOW THIS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THEY ARE DISINGENUOUS AND THEY
SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THIS ASSIGNMENT --
I DO KNOW IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS BOARD TO DELIVER CHARTER CHANGE
PROPOSALS AND GIVE THE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON ANY PROPOSED
CHANGE IN THE CHARTER THAT WOULD BRING ABOUT ANY MEANINGFUL
IMPROVEMENT IN OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE FOR ANYONE TO BELIEVE THAT WE
SHOULD HOLD TO THE NOTION THAT WE SHOULD NOT CHANGE THAT PROVISION IN
OUR CHARTER THAT LIMITS OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO
APPOINTING ONLY THOSE PERSONS TO COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WHO HAVE A
MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND THREE YEARS OF EXECUTIVE
EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
WE SHOULD REMOVE THIS LIMITATION AND INSTEAD PERMIT THE BOCC TO APPOINT
THE BEST QUALIFIED PERSON THAT THEY DEEM QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED TO DO
THE JOB: IT'S ALSO HARD FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WOULD HOLD TO THE
NOTION THAT WE SHOULD NOT GIVE THE VOTERS THE OPTION OF ESTABLISHING AN
APPOINTED COUNTY AUDITOR'S OFFICE, APPOINTED BY THE BOCC, WHOSE JOB EVERY
DAY, ALL DAY, WOULD BE TO FERRET OUT ANY AND ALL WASTES AND
INEFFICIENCIES IN OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND TO ASSIST THE BOCC BY
PERFORMING BUDGET REVIEWS OF OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, OR ANY OTHER REQUESTS
OR CHANGE IN THE BUDGET THAT MAY OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
YOU WILL RECALL COMMISSIONER PAT FRANK SPOKE TO THE BOCC'S NEED FOR THIS
ASSISTANCE.
OUR COUNTY HAS THE HIGHEST AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX RATES, THE SECOND
HIGHEST, AND THE HIGHEST IMPACT FEES IN THE STATE.
WE HAVE WATER AND SEWER RATES THAT ARE TWO AND A HALF TIMES HIGHER
THAN POLK OR PINELLAS COUNTY AND A SALES TAX RATE THAT IS 12 1/2 PERCENT
HIGHER THAN SUCH URBAN COUNTIES AS BROWARD, PALM BEACH, AND HIGHER
THAN OTHER COUNTIES.
OUR COUNTY HAS INCREASED OUR COUNTY BUDGET 5.4% FOR EACH OF THE PAST
THREE YEARS WHILE OUR ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH HAS BEEN ONLY 1.8% EACH
YEAR FOR THIS SAME PERIOD OF TIME, AND YET WE ARE TOLD THERE IS NO MONEY
AVAILABLE TO FUND OUR TRANSPORTATION NEEDS.
DO WE NEED AN APPOINTED COUNTY AUDITOR?
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.
I SUGGEST THAT THE TWELVE OF YOU WHO DILIGENTLY AND FAITHFULLY INTEND
TO CARRY OUT THE RESPONSIBILITY ENTRUSTED IN YOU ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE
SIMPLY IGNORE THE TWO I REFERRED TO EARLIER.
THESE TWO WILL SPEAK BUT TUNE THEM OUT.
OFFER NO RESPONSE, YOU WON'T CHANGE THEIR MIND SO WHY TRY?
PRETEND THEY ARE NOT EVEN PRESENT.
TWELVE OF YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH THE MISSION AT HAND AND THAT MISSION IS TO
GIVE THE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOLT, TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES IN OUR
CONSTITUTION, THAT YOU BELIEVE WILL RESULT IN BETTER GOVERNMENT FOR ALL
THE PEOPLE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
AS YOU KNOW, A POSITIVE VOTE BY TEN OF YOU WILL SEND ANY PROPOSAL
FORWARD.
I TRUST YOU WILL APPROVE SOME ITEMS BY THE END OF JULY SO THEY CAN BE
REVIEWED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO PLACE ON THE NOVEMBER 2000 BALLOT,
THAT YOU WILL THEN APPROVE OTHERS AFTER NOVEMBER 2000 TO BE PLACED ON
THE BALLOT IN 2002, NOVEMBER 2002.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. HUGHES.
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME DOWN AND SPOKE THIS EVENING.
IF YOU DIDN'T SPEAK AT THIS TIME AND YOU STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE MEETING
AND WISH TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS, WE WILL LISTEN TO YOU THEN.
THANK YOU.
I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE WITH US THIS EVENING AS OUR FIRST SPEAKER,
COMMISSIONER JAN PLATT.
SHE HAD ASKED TO BE HERE EARLY BECAUSE SHE HAD THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO
HAVE A HEARING.
YOU MIGHT CONSIDER HER THE DEAN OF THE BOCC.
THERE HAS BEEN ONLY ONE PERSON WHO HAS SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS LONG AS SHE HAS.
SHE WAS ON THE ORIGINAL BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT PUT THE
CURRENT CHARTER IN PLACE, AND SHE SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE.
SO I THINK WE WILL BE WELL INFORMED THIS EVENING WITH THE HISTORY OF HOW
WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN A COMMISSIONER?
>>JAN PLATT: THIS IS MY 20TH.
ELSWORTH SIMMONS SERVED 21 YEARS.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH YOU FOR A FEW
MINUTES AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FIRST OF ALL FOR SERVING.
YOU HAVE A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THE COUNTY AND ITS
GOVERNMENT, AND ABOUT THE POLITICS.
I WAS CHAIRMAN OF BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT DRAFTED THIS
CHARTER.
AT THAT TIME, MATT JETON, JOHN POKE, RON COLSON, E. L. BEAN AND I WERE THE
FIVE COMMISSIONERS.
WE SPENT A YEAR ON THIS CHARTER AND THE BASIC THRUST OF IT WAS TO DISPERSE
POWER.
BEFORE THIS CHARTER, THERE WERE FIVE AT-LARGE COMMISSIONERS.
WE HAD TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT BUT WE RAN AT LARGE.
WE FELT IT WAS A GROWING MELT RO POLL TAN COUNTY THAT WAS GOING TO
REPRESENT A LOT, THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS GOING TO REPRESENT A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
IT WOULD BE BETTER TO EXPAND THE BOARD AND HAVE A PROFESSIONAL AT THE
HELM.
AND WE DID WRITE IN QUALIFICATIONS, AND WE DID THAT BECAUSE PROFESSIONAL
ADMINISTRATORS ABIDE BY A CODE OF ETHICS, JUST AS ATTORNEYS HAVE A CODE
OF ETHICS.
PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATORS HAVE A CODE OF ETHICS, SO THERE IS A VERY BIG
PLUS TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO MEETS THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT WE HAVE PLACED
IN THIS CHARTER.
WE LOOKED AT THE ISSUE OF THE PLAYER, AND THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT CONTINUES
TO RAISE ITS HEAD.
AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE, AGAIN, BECAUSE OF ELSWORTH SIMMONS, BECAUSE
IN THE TERMS THAT HE SERVED, THOSE 21  YEARS, HE WAS THE CHAIRMAN FOR 15 OF
THOSE YEARS.
AND AT THE TIME HE WAS THE CHAIRMAN, THERE WAS NO SUNSHINE LAW AND
THERE WAS NOT AN ADMINISTRATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT UNTIL 1973.
HE LEFT OFFICE IN 1972.
SO IT WAS JUST A YEAR AFTER HE LEFT OFFICE THAT WE HAD THE FIRST
ADMINISTRATOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY A GROUP
OF CONSULTANTS THAT CAME UP WITH THE IDEA, AND IT WAS A SPECIAL ACT OF THE
LEGISLATURE THAT CREATED THAT.
BUT THERE ARE THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO CONTINUE TO WANT TO GO BACK
TO THAT STRONG -- TO HAVE AN ELECTED FIGUREHEAD, AND I THINK IN A WAY, IT
GOES BACK TO THAT TIME OF ELSWORTH SIMMONS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER WHEN ELSWORTH WAS THERE, HILLSBOROUGH
COUNTY WAS BASICALLY TOMATO PATCHES, PHOSPHATE MINES, AND IS NOT THE
URBAN COUNTY THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
TODAY THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS REPRESENT PEOPLE RATHER THAN CROPS.
SO IT'S A WHOLE CHANGE IN COMPLEXION.
AGAIN, WITH A GROWING METROPOLITAN AREA, IN MY VIEW, THE LESS POLITICIANS,
THE BETTER.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE?
IF YOU WANT SOMEBODY WHO CAN REALLY GET THINGS DONE, IT'S A DICTATOR, OR
A KING.
BUT WE IN OUR COUNTRY DECIDED A LONG TIME AGO WE WANT REPRESENTATIVE
DEMOCRACY AND THAT HAS SOMETIMES ROCKY ROADS.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED DON'T GET ALONG AS WELL AS WE WOULD
LIKE THEM TO, BUT THAT IS NO REASON NECESSARILY TO CHANGE THE FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.
SO THIS GOVERNMENT THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS IN ITS INFANCY.
IT'S ONLY BEEN IN EFFECT FOR FIFTEEN YEARS.
I PERSONALLY HOPE YOU GIVE IT A CHANCE TO WORK.
I HOPE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE PUSHING FOR THE OFFICE OF
ELECTED MAYOR EQUATE IT WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA. YOU CAN'T EQUATE IT
BECAUSE THE COUNTY IS AN ARM OF THE STATE.
AS AN ARM OF THE STATE, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FUNDS THE
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, THE SHERIFF, THE
PROPERTY APPRAISER, TAX COLLECTOR, DOWN THE LINE.
AND THEY SUBMIT THEIR BUDGETS TO THE ADMINISTRATOR.
NOW, IF THAT WERE A POLITICIAN, WHAT IF THAT POLITICIAN WAS A PROMINENT
DEMOCRAT AND THE REST OF THEM WERE REPUBLICANS?
AND YOU GET INTO THE HASSLE WITH THAT BUDGET OF PARTY POLITICS.
WELL, WHEN IT'S A PROFESSIONAL ADMINISTRATOR, THEN HE IS GOING TO USE HIS
BEST JUDGMENT AND NOT THE POLITICAL JUDGMENT TO MELD IN A BUDGET THAT
HE WOULD THEN PRESENT TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
SO IN MY OPINION, THE PUBLIC IS BEST SERVED BY OUR CURRENT SITUATION OF THE
SEVEN-MEMBER BOARD.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE BASIC REFORMS THAT I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD
CONSIDER IS MAKING THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS NON-PARTISAN.
WE HAD PROPOSED THAT WHEN WE DRAFTED THE CHARTER.
MATT -GETON AND I SUPPORTED IT, THE OTHER THREE COMMISSIONERS DID NOT.
IT WAS BASICALLY BECAUSE OF THE THREE PARTY CHAIRMAN.
THE PARTIES GET A PORTION OF THE FILING FEES SO IT IS A FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE
FOR THE PARTIES TO HAVE COMMISSIONERS BE PARTISAN.
THE CITY COUNCIL IS NOT PARTISAN.
THE SCHOOL BOARD IS NOT PARTISAN, AND, AGAIN, AS WE ARE A GROWING
METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY, IN MY OPINION, AS MANY DIVISIONS THAT WE CAN
ELIMINATE, THE BETTER.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT THAT WHOLE ISSUE OF MAKING THE
COMMISSION NON-PARTISAN.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS ONE THAT I THINK JAN SMITH PROPOSED AT THE LAST CHARTER
REVIEW TIME, AND THAT WAS TO EXPAND THE TIME BETWEEN CHARTER REVISIONS
FROM THE CURRENT FIVE YEARS TO MAYBE SEVEN YEARS, BECAUSE WE GO
THROUGH THIS EVERY FIVE YEARS, THE SAME ISSUES KEEP COMING UP, AND I'M NOT
SURE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO IT AS FREQUENTLY AS WE CURRENTLY DO.
YOU HOLD A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.
I HAD SERVED ON THE FLORIDA'S CONSTITUTION REVISION COMMISSION IN THE '70s,
AND THIS -- YOUR PROCESS HERE WAS ONE THAT I HAD ADDED TO THE CHARTER,
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO
PLACE SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT WITHOUT HAVING TO COME TO US AS
POLITICIANS FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, SO THERE IS A GREAT
RESPONSIBILITY.
AND I THANK YOU FOR HAVING ACCEPTED IT.
THOSE ARE REALLY MY COMMENTS AT THIS POINT.
I WOULD BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I HEARD THE COMMENTS ABOUT AN AUDITOR.
UNDER THE FLORIDA CONSTITUTION, THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT IS THE
AUDITOR.
AND HE IS NOT UNDER THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
HE'S NOT UNDER THE ADMINISTRATOR.
I WILL READ FROM THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, ARTICLE 5, SECTION 16.
NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION, THE DUTIES OF
THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT MAY BE DIVIDED -- AND IT GOES ON AND SAYS, HE
SERVES AS EX OFFICIO CLERK OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AUDITOR,
RECORDER, AND CUSTODIAN OF ALL COUNTY FUNDS.
SO HE HAS AN ARM'S LENGTH TO OUR BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
IT'S MY OBSERVATION THAT THE AUDITS HE HAS PERFORMED ARE -- HAVE FOUND US
MORE COST-SAVING MEASURES THAN THE PERFORMANCE AUDITS THAT WE HAVE
BEEN PAYING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR DURING THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS.
HE DOES PERFORM AUDITS AT THE REQUEST OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS.
HE DID THE AUDIT OF THE KASH 'N KARRY SUPERMARKETS WHEN THERE WAS A
QUESTION ABOUT THE PRESCRIPTIONS.
HE DID AN AUDIT FOR THE HEALTH CARE PLAN, THE PHOSPHATE SEVERANCE TAX.
ALL OF THESE WERE REQUESTED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
AND FOR THE TAMPA BAY RESEARCH.
THEN HE IS ALSO FREE TO DO AUDITS AS HE SEES FIT.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD ADD THAT TO THE MIX, THAT HE'S NOT UNDER OUR
THUMB, AND HE'S NOT UNDER THE ADMINISTRATOR'S THUMB.
HE IS PURELY AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY, AND SO I REALLY THINK YOU ARE GOING TO
HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL -- WELL I WON'T GET INTO THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF IT
BUT I DO THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION, THE CLERK
IS THE AUDITOR, AND DOES IT WELL, IN MY OPINION, IN THIS COUNTY.
I WOULD BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY OF THE QUESTIONS ANY OF YOU MIGHT
LIKE TO ASK.
>>TERRY BALLARD: A WHILE AGO, MARILYN SMITH BROUGHT UP A POINT ABOUT THE
PERFORMANCE BOND, AND I WAS WONDERING -- AND YOU ALL CREATED AND USE
PART OF IT.
WHO CREATED THE CHARTER TO MAKE SURE, ENFORCES IT?
THIS HAS BEEN WEIGHED APPARENTLY AGAINST THE CHARTER.
IS THERE A MECHANISM IN THE CHARTER THAT COULD ENFORCE THAT?
IT JUST MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY THE
ONE THAT DOES THAT?
>>JAN PLATT: I THINK OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE REFERRED QUESTIONS LIKE THAT
TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO HAVE THEM ISSUE OPINIONS ON, AND THAT'S
BASICALLY HOW WE HAVE DEALT WITH ISSUES WITH THE CHARTER.
AND I DID HEAR WHAT MARILYN SAID, AND IT'S A GOOD APPOINT.
AND I WILL ASK THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU ALL DO.
WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THAT PERFORMANCE BOND?
BECAUSE I WAS UNAWARE THAT THERE WAS NOT GENERAL LAW TO DEAL WITH IT.
THAT'S WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT HAVING YOU ALL LOOK AT THIS, IS THAT THERE ARE,
YOU KNOW -- NO SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IS PERFECTED, AND I THINK THAT IT'S
ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA TO LOOK AT IT AND TRY TO FINE-TUNE IT.
I WILL ASK THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO LOOK AT THAT ISSUE.
>> THE FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ON THE AUDITOR -- THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT, THE
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT IS FINANCIAL, AND WHAT THERE'S TALK ABOUT IS
THERE IS AN AUDITOR THAT WOULD BE UNDER THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN AUDIT BUDGET REVIEW, TO GIVE YOU AN ARM TO DO THE
BUDGET, REPORT IT TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION, AND LOOK AT PERFORMANCE
AUDITS IN THIS CONSTITUTIONAL AUDIT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY OUTSIDE
AUDITS OR ANYTHING THERE. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, THE WAY I UNDERSTAND
IT.
>>JAN PLATT: I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE RICHARD AKE TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THE AUDIT.
BECAUSE THAT UNDER THE CONSTITUTION IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT HAS NOT STOPPED US FROM HIRING INDIVIDUALS TO DO PERFORMANCE
AUDITS.
AND WE HAVE DONE THAT, AND SPENT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
BUT HAVING SAT ON THE BOARD FOR 20 YEARS, I CAN TELL YOU IN MY OPINION WE
HAVE SAVED MONEY, MORE FROM THE AUDITS BY THE CLERK, WHICH IS REAL
INTERESTING, BECAUSE HE IS HOUSED IN THE COURTHOUSE AND YOU WOULD THINK
MAYBE HE WOULD BE GIVING US POLITICAL AUDITS, BUT HE DOESN'T.
HE DOESN'T.
IN FACT, MICHAEL ZAGORC, WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY, WAS THE AUDITOR, AND
HE WOULD CALL AN ACE AN ACE.
SOME OF THESE PERFORMANCE AUDITS HAVE NOT BEEN THAT HARD-HITTING, IN MY
OPINION.
THAT'S JUST MY OPINION.
>> MS. LASHER?
>>DENISE LASHER: YES, THANKS FOR COMING BEFORE US THIS EVENING AND
SHARING YOUR OPINIONS AND IDEAS.
I HAD A QUESTION REGARDING THE -- HOW THE COUNTY ATTORNEY IS POSITIONED,
WHERE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HIRES THAT PERSON, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY
REPORTS TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, AND IN OTHER GOVERNMENTS, THE
ELECTED BOARD HAS THEIR OWN LEGAL REPRESENTATION.
AND THEN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS AN ATTORNEY THAT REPRESENTS THE
INTEREST OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THAT AS TO HOW -- DOES THAT WORK WELL, OR DO YOU
HAVE SITUATIONS WHERE YOU THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO HAVE YOUR OWN
INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL FULL-TIME?
>>JAN PLATT: I THINK PERSONALLY IT WORKS WELL AS IT IS.
BEFORE I CAME TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, I WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE IRONY IS THAT AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, I WAS THE ONE WHO PROPOSED
THAT THE CITY OF TAMPA HAVE A CHARTER.
AND THAT CHARTER HAS PROVIDED FOR AN ATTORNEY UNDER THE CITY COUNCIL.
I WAS THE PRIME SPONSOR OF HAVING AN ATTORNEY UNDER THE CITY COUNCIL.
BUT THAT'S A STRONG MAYORAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT WITH CHECKS AND
BALANCES.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAD NO STAFF AT ALL, OTHER THAN SECRETARIES.
THEY REVIEW WHAT STAFF GIVES THEM, AND EITHER VOTE YES OR NO.
IT'S A STRONG, STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE CITY OF TAMPA.
THE COUNTY, HOWEVER, IS NOT IN THAT SITUATION.
YOU HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR WHO IS SELECTED TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICIES THAT
THE BOARD ENACTS, AND IF YOU CAN'T WORK AS A TEAM, THEN YOU NEED TO LOOK
AT THE PEOPLE.
THAT'S MY VIEW.
JOHN LAWSON WAS OUR ATTORNEY AT THE TIME WHO HELPED US CRAFT THE
LANGUAGE TO ASSURE THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WOULD HAVE
THE LEGAL ADVICE THAT THEY NEEDED TO DO THEIR JOB, BUT ALSO THAT THE
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAD THE LEGAL ADVICE THAT HE NEEDS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST MY OBSERVATION THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO
GET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OTHER PEOPLE, AND ADMINISTRATORS ARE LIKE
THAT.
IT'S JUST -- AS LONG AS I HAVE BEEN HERE, THE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE ALWAYS HAD
-- I HAD A CONFLICT WITH -- -- HAVE ALWAYS HAD A CONFLICT WITH THE PLANNING
COMMISSION, NO MATTER WHO IT WAS.
THE ADMINISTRATORS DON'T ALWAYS LIKE TO GET THE OPINIONS OF THE
ATTORNEYS, REGARDLESS OF WHO THE ATTORNEYS ARE.
SOMETIMES THAT'S JUST PEOPLE.
BUT IT'S ESSENTIAL.
GOVERNMENT IS A SYSTEM OF LAWS.
AND YOU CAN'T OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THOSE LAWS, SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT
THE ADMINISTRATOR GET LEGAL ADVICE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS HE PROFESS
AND IMPLEMENTS POLICIES, AND -- -- AS HE PROPOSES AND IMPLEMENTS POLICIES.
IN MY OPINION, FOR THE SMOOTHEST KIND OF RELATIONSHIP, IT OUGHT TO BE THE
SYSTEM UNDER THE CURRENT CHARTER.
IF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAD HIS OWN ATTORNEY, THEN YOU WOULD GET
INTO DOG FIGHTS.
WE DON'T NEED THAT.
AS WE ARE GROWING AS A METROPOLITAN AREA, WE JUST DON'T NEED TO CREATE
CONFLICT SITUATIONS.
SO I MEAN I LIKE IT AS IT IS.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. HURLEY?
>>DAVID HURLEY:  TWO QUESTIONS.
HOW MANY YEARS WERE YOU ON THE CITY COUNCIL?
>>JAN PLATT: FOUR.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  I DON'T THINK ELSWORTH WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL, BEING
FROM SOUTH TAMPA, SO YOU PROBABLY -- -- SOUTH COUNTY, SO YOU PROBABLY
BEAT HIM THERE.
WHAT COMPARABLE SIZE COUNTIES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAVE NON-PARTISAN
ELECTIONS?
>>JAN PLATT: I DO NOT KNOW.
IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO FIND OUT.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  DON'T WE APPROACH A COUPLE STATES AS FAR AS POPULATION
AND SIZE?
WE ARE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE.
I CAN'T SEE THEM ELECTING THEIR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES AS
NON-PARTISAN SO I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
>>JAN PLATT: I DON'T KNOW.
SOME OF THE NATIONAL POLITICAL ISSUES DON'T RELATE TO DOWN HERE AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL.
WHAT ARE OUR ISSUES?
ANIMALS, ANIMAL CONTROL, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT THE SEWER LINES,
SOMEWHERE ARE WE GOING TOO PUT THE ROADS.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  WATER IN OUR ROADS.
>>JAN PLATT: WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT THE WATER.
IT'S NOT THE GLOBAL ISSUES THAT PARTY POLITICS OFTEN TAKES ON, AND THAT'S
JUST MY OPINION.
SCHOOL BOARD DOESN'T HAVE IT, CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T EITHER.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  MS. LASHER ACTUALLY ASKED MY QUESTION, SO -- >>.
>>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS TO ASK COMMISSIONER PLAT?
>> >>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE A QUESTION.
COMMISSIONER, I GUESS IT WAS APRIL THE 30TH, IN THE SUNDAY "TAMPA TRIBUNE"
HEADLINE STORY, FLORIDA METRO SECTION COMMISSION, AND IT LISTS, CITES
DIFFERENT CONCERNS AND ISSUES THAT HAVE COME ABOUT OVER THE COURSE OF
THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SITTING HERE ON THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, YOU READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS
IN A LOCAL MAJOR NEWSPAPER.
TO ME, AS A CITIZEN, IT WARRANTS RESPONSE -- AS A CITIZEN.
I AM CONCERNED WHEN I READ SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THIS?
>>JAN PLATT: WELL, I THINK I DID RESPOND TO IT IN THE ARTICLE.
IT'S PEOPLE.
AND THERE ARE DIFFERENT MIXINGS AND IT'S DIFFERENT TIMES AND THERE ARE
DIFFERENT ISSUES.
AND THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT ONE YEAR MAYBE AREN'T GETTING ALONG
OR APPROACH ISSUES IN A WAY THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS NOT HAPPY WITH, THE
NEXT YEAR MAY BE GETTING ALONG FINE.
I THINK THAT THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE USING SOME OF WHAT HAS BEEN
OCCURRING ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN THE LAST YEAR AS A
REASON FOR THE ELECTED MAYOR.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU NECESSARILY CHANGE THE STRUCTURE OF
GOVERNMENT TO MEET WHAT IS A MOMENTARY POINT IN TIME.
YOU KNOW?
YOU DON'T ABOLISH THE PRESIDENCY BECAUSE CLINTON DID WHAT HE DID.
THERE'S A PROCESS, AND IT'S CALLED IMPEACHMENT.
THERE ARE PROCESSES THAT YOU DEAL WITH ISSUES, AND THAT'S WHAT IS
WONDERFUL ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT, THAT THERE ARE PROCESSES TO DEAL WITH
THE ISSUES.
>>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP ISSUE, MADAM CHAIR.
I AM ATTEMPTING TO EDUCATE MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS ON LOCAL CAMPAIGN
FINANCE REFORM FOR THE LOCAL BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
I HAVE A REAL CONCERN ABOUT THE LARGE SUMS OF MONEY THAT ARE BEING
RAISED IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR COUNTY
COMMISSION CANDIDATES?
>>JAN PLATT: THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME, IF YOU CAN LEGALLY DO IT.
IF YOU CAN LEGALLY DO IT.
BUT I THINK THERE'S THAT LEGAL QUESTION.
>>GERALD WHITE: OKAY.
AND WE HAVE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WORKING ON THAT, I BELIEVE.
>>JAN PLATT: YOU KNOW, IN TALKING ABOUT THAT, THAT IS ANOTHER ISSUE WITH
THE ELECTED MAYOR.
IT WILL TAKE HUGE SUMS OF MONEY FOR SOMEONE TO RUN FOR THAT SEAT.
WHEN I RAN FOR MAYOR AGAINST GRECO, HE RAISED $500,000.
FOR THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF TAMPA.
I RAISED $50,000.
HE RAISED SO MUCH MONEY THAT BY THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN, HE OPENED A
SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO GIVE SOME OF THE MONEY AWAY.
OUR CAMPAIGN WAS GOING TO APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP!
BUT IF IT TAKES $500,000 TO RUN FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA MAYOR, THINK OF THE
AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WILL GO INTO A CAMPAIGN FOR THE MAYOR'S SEAT.
IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF MONEY SO I AM ALWAYS FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REFORM IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE?
>>GERALD WHITE: MY LAST THOUGHT, SINCE I HAVE BEEN ON THIS BOARD, THESE
ISSUES, SOME, IT'S THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD THEM.
SINCE COMING ON THIS BOARD, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD THAT WE HAVE
A PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY SO I PUT OUT A SUGGESTION BASED ON
MY COLLEAGUES AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THE OTHER CONCERN
I AM FIRST HEARING ABOUT IS THIS NON-PARTISAN ELECTION.
AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT AS IT IS TO GET ELECTED IN
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND ONE OF THE AVENUES THAT I HAVE SEEN TO MOVE
FORWARD IS THE PRIMARY PROCESS, YOU KNOW, A LARGE PORTION OF THE CITIZENS
VOTE ONE WAY IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND SO THAT AFRICAN-AMERICAN CANDIDATE,
HISPANIC CANDIDATE, MOVES FORWARD BECAUSE OF THEIR PARTY AFFILIATION.
HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
HOW ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS MINORITY PARTICIPATION IN THEIR
LOCAL ELECTIONS WITH COUNTY-WIDE NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS?
>>JAN PLATT: WELL, I WOULD HOPE THAT PEOPLE WOULD VOTE FOR INDIVIDUALS,
REGARDLESS OF THEIR PARTY OR THEIR RACE OR THEIR ETHNIC BACKGROUND.
I MEAN I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY WOULD VOTE FOR THE BEST PERSON, AND I THINK
IF YOU GET GOOD PEOPLE TO RUN, THAT THEY WILL WIN.
I MEAN I GUESS I AM IDEALISTIC, BUT THAT IS WHAT I THINK IT OUGHT TO BE.
THAT'S JUST ME. I VOTE FOR THE BEST PERSON, AND I HOPE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. WHITE.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE?
>>GERALD WHITE: NO.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING.
I KNOW YOU HAVE HAD AN UNBELIEVABLY BUSY WEEK.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY YOU HAVE GIVEN ME TO SERVE HERE AND I
KNOW MR. LABOUR FEELS THE SAME WAY.
>>JAN PLATT: I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME DOING THIS.
IT IS A RESPONSIBILITY, AND I HOPE YOU ACCEPT THE PRIVILEGE AND THE
CHALLENGE.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
WHILE YOU ARE STILL HERE, MARY HELEN CAN RESPOND TO THE ISSUE OF THE BOND.
I THINK WE CAN PUT THAT ASIDE.
MARY HELEN CAMPBELL WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: SECTION 5.05, THE WORDING OF THAT SECTION, THE
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SHALL BE REQUIRED TO POST A PERFORMANCE BOND IN
ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL LAW.
I'M NOT SURE OF THE INTEND WHEN THAT WAS PUT IN THERE.
THE GENERAL LAW USED TO REQUIRE THE CONSTITUTIONALS AND THE
COMMISSIONERS TO POST A BOND.
THAT WAS CHANGED IN '98.
THE STATUTE, SAID IF YOU WANT TO ABOLISH THEIR LAW BY STATUTES, YOU CAN.
WE DID PASS AN ORDINANCE.
THERE WAS NOT A SIMILAR PROVISION IN THE FLORIDA STATUTES DEALING WITH
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO HE DIDN'T POST A BOND BECAUSE HE'S NOT REQUIRED TO UNDER GENERAL LAW.
IF GENERAL LAW WERE TO BE CHANGED TO REQUIRE COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS TO
POST BONDS, HE WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT REGARDLESS OF THIS PROVISION,
BECAUSE WE CAN'T BE INCONSISTENT WITH GENERAL LAW, SO BASICALLY, THE
SENTENCE IS IN THERE.
IF GENERAL LAW EVER WOULD REQUIRE HIM TO POST ONE, HE WOULD HAVE TO.
YOU KNOW, ONE AFTER NEW TO DEAL WITH THIS PERHAPS WOULD BE TO CHANGE
THE ORDINANCE THAT NOW REQUIRES THE COMMISSIONERS AND CONSTITUTION
ALWAYS TO POST BONDS, IF THAT WOULD BE THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS TO AMEND THEIR ORDINANCE THAT WAY.
NOT THAT THIS IS BEING IGNORED OR NOT COMPLIED WITH.
IT IS SIMPLY OF NO EFFECT BECAUSE GENERAL LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT, IF
THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. IS THE SECTION 5.05, THAT'S IN THE CHARTER,
CORRECT?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: THAT'S CORRECT.
>> SO TECHNICALLY, I SUPPOSE WE COULD DELETE THE LANGUAGE WITH GENERAL
LAW, IN ACCORDANCE WITH GENERAL LAW?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: CERTAINLY, IF IT WAS THE PLEASURE OF THIS BOARD TO
REQUIRE SUCH A BOND, AND THEN YOU WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO SPECIFY THE
AMOUNT AND WHO THEY FILE IT WITH SO THERE WOULDN'T BE QUESTIONS.
>> ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MS. CAMPBELL.
WE ARE ALSO PRIVILEGED THIS EVENING TO HAVE WITH US PAM IORIO, SUPERVISOR
OF ELECTIONS, WHO HAS BEEN IN THAT OFFICE, I BELIEVE, EIGHT YEARS, AND SERVED
ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR EIGHT YEARS, SO SHE HAS AN
AWFUL LOT OF EXPERIENCE TO ALSO SHARE WITH US THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR COMING.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
>>PAM IORIO: THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ASKING ME.
IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING.
BOARD MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU ARE PUTTING INTO THIS. I HAVE SEEN
SEVERAL CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS UNDERTAKE THIS PROCESS.
IT IS A LOT OF HOURS, A LOT OF MEETINGS, A LOT OF WORK: ALL OF YOU WHO ARE
CITIZENS WHO DECIDED TO VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME, I AM APPRECIATIVE OF IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THIS FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.
YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, FLORIDA WAS A VERY RURAL FRONTIER-LIKE
STATEMENT IT ONLY HAD A HALF MILLION RESIDENTS.
FROM THAT TIME, FROM THE EARLIEST CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA,
THE CONCEPT OF GOVERNMENT BY COUNTY WAS ADOPTED.
SOME OF YOU MIGHT BE FROM OTHER STATES WHERE YOU FIND THIS WHOLE
CONCEPT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT BEING THE FOCAL POINT OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT TO BE UNUSUAL.
I KNOW MANY TIMES I ENCOUNTER PEOPLE FROM THE NORTHEAST, FOR EXAMPLE,
WHO FIND THIS CONCEPT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT RATHER ALIEN.
THEY HAVE TOWNSHIPS OR SMALL MUNICIPALITIES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
BUT IN FLORIDA, COUNTY GOVERNMENT WAS ADOPTED, AND INTENDED TO CARRY
OUT STATE RESPONSIBILITIES AT A LOCAL LEVEL, REALLY DEALING WITH A VERY
FRONTIER-LIKE RURAL STATE.
IN FACT, ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL 19 25, THE STATE OF FLORIDA WAS STILL 80% RURAL
IN NATURE.
ALL OF THE 67 COUNTIES THAT WE HAVE TODAY WERE ALL CREATED PRIOR TO 1940.
AND SO, YOU SAW, AND WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL REFERENCES TO ELSWORTH
SIMMONS, BUT THAT WAS THE KIND OF COMMISSIONER THAT DOMINATE NOT JUST
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY POLITICS BUT POLITICS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF
FLORIDA, THAT KIND OF PERSONAL POLITICS, IF YOU NEEDED A LOAD OF DIRT, YOU
CALLED THE COMMISSIONERS, AND THE LOAD OF DIRT APPEARS.
BUT THAT'S HOW THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND COUNTY COULD OPERATE, WITH A
SMALL POPULATION, PRIMARILY RURAL, AND A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH
THEIR COMMISSIONERS, THERE WAS THAT VERY PERSONAL INTERACTION.
HOW WE GOT TO THE 1983 CHARTER AND COMMISSIONER PLATT, WHO I HAVE A
GREAT DEAL OF RESPECT FOR, I HAVE RESPECT FOR ANYONE WHO CAN LAST 20-PLUS
YEARS ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION, THAT IS A TOUGH POSITION, AND I RESPECT
FOR HER OTHERWISE, ASIDE FROM THAT.
SHE KNOWS HOW WE GOT TO THE 1983 CHARTER.
IT BEGAN WITH THREE PEOPLE BEING LED OUT OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
COURTHOUSE IN HANDCUFFS, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THREE OF THE FIVE WHO DID
NOT RESPECT THEIR PUBLIC OFFICE, USED IT FOR PERSONAL GAIN, AND WERE
ARRESTED.
SO THERE WAS THIS HUE AND CRY FROM THE COMMUNITY,
I REMEMBER THIS, BECAUSE IT WAS MY FIRST POLITICAL ACTIVITY, TO BE PART OF
THIS COMMITTEE TO FASHION A HOME-RULE CHARTER FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE THOUGHT WAS THAT COMMISSIONERS METTLED AND GOT INVOLVED TOO MUCH
IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNMENT, THE PHONE CALL THAT SO AND SO NEEDS
A LOAD OF DIRT, SO AND SO NEEDS THAT POTHOLE FIXED, WAS THE WAY BUSINESS
WAS CONDUCTED AND SOMEHOW THERE HAD TO BE PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT
OF GOVERNMENT.
THERE HAD TO BE SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTOOD HOW TO HIRE COMPETENT
DEPARTMENT HEADS AND HAVE A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND DO
PROFESSIONAL BUDGETING THAT A COUNTY OF OUR SIZE NEEDED.
SO THIS CONCEPT AROSE OF HAVING STRICT DELINEATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES AND AT THE SAME TIME TO CHANGE THE
STRUCTURE, INSTEAD OF HAVING FIVE AT LARGE TO HAVE THE FOUR IN
COMBINATION PRIMARILY TO AID IN THE ELECTION IN THE MINORITY
REPRESENTATIVE TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
IN FACT WE DID NOT HAVE AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ELECTED TO THE COUNTY
COMMISSION UNTIL WE MOVED TO SINGLE DISTRICTS IN 1984-85.
SO THIS CHARTER WAS ADOPTED AND I WAS PRIVILEGED TO BE ELECTED AS PART OF
THE NEW GROUP THAT WAS ELECTED IN 1985 TO IMPLEMENT THE NEW CHARTER.
NOTICE, BACK TO HOW WE -- BACK TO FLORIDA GOVERNMENT.
BECAUSE AS FLORIDA GOVERNMENT EVOLVED AND AS A STATE OF GOVERNMENT
INVOLVED AND AS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EVOLVED, SOMETHING INTERESTING
HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY.
IN 1970, TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE RESIDED IN CITIES, BUT IN 1997, OVER HALF OF
THE RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA RESIDE IN UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF
THEIR COUNTIES.
THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SHIFT.
WHAT HAPPENED ALONG THE WAY TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA, AND WHAT HAPPENED
ALONG THE WAY TO THE COUNTY OF HILLSBOROUGH, IS THAT WE BECAME AN
URBAN CENTER.
WE SHED OUR RURAL IMAGE.
YOU KNOW, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREAS,
NOT JUST IN THE STATE, BUT IN THE COUNTRY.
AS I LOOK AT OUR VOTING WORLD, IN OUR VOTING SYSTEM, WITH ALMOST A HALF
A MILLION VOTERS, WE ARE NOT JUST ONE OF THE LARGEST VOTING COUNTIES IN
THE STATE.
WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY, AT NEARLY HALF A MILLION
VOTERS.
SO YOU HAVE THIS TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF THE
COUNTY, AND GOVERNMENT BECOMES A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX.
IN FACT, IN THE 1970S, THE LEGISLATURE TRIED TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE.
HOW COULD GOVERNMENT BEGIN TO FUND MUNICIPAL SERVICES WITHOUT THE
TOOLS?
AND SO THEY ADOPTED IN THE 1970S, THIS CONCEPT OF MUNICIPAL SERVICE TAXING
UNITS, WHICH WE ALL HAVE TODAY.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF THE COUNTY YOU OPEN YOUR TAX
BILL AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING CALLED THE MSTU, WHICH WAS FASHIONED BY THE
LEGISLATURE IN THE 1970S TO DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE OF HOW COULD RURAL
COUNTIES THAT WERE BECOMING HEAVILY URBANIZED FUND URBAN SERVICES?
COUNTY GOVERNMENTS KEEP CHANGING ON US AND STATE GOVERNMENT KEEPS
CHANGING ON US , AND THAT IS A NATURAL EVOLUTION.
NO ONE WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE OPERATE TODAY UNDER THE SAME
CONSTITUTION THAT FLORIDA OPERATED UNDER AS A FRONTIER STATE IN 1845
WHEN IT FIRST BECAME PART OF THE UNION.
NOBODY WOULD SUGGEST THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY REMAIN STATIC AND
REMAIN UNDER THE SAME FORM OF GOVERNMENT, ALTHOUGH ITS NEEDS AND ITS
POPULATION KEEPS CHANGING ON US!
WELL, I THINK THAT YOUR FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION -- IN FACT, I BELIEVE MR.
HURLEY ASKED THE QUESTION, DON'T WE HAVE A LARGER POPULATION THAN SOME
STATES?
IN FACT WE HAVE A LARGER POPULATION THAN SEVEN STATES.
WE HAVE A LARGER POPULATION THAN WYOMING, ALASKA, VERMONT, NORTH
DAKOTA, SOUTH DAKOTA, MONTANA.
THAT'S HOW BIG WE ARE.
I THINK WE HAVE A FUNDAMENTAL QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT OUR CURRENTLY
FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS THE PROPER STRUCTURE FOR THE EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF
URBAN SERVICES.
AND WHETHER OR NOT OUR CURRENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT PROVIDES FOR
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP FOR THE NEARLY ONE MILLION INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE HERE
NOW, AND THE GROWTH RATE THAT WILL CONTINUE ON INTO THIS CENTURY.
WHILE TAMPA IS THE POLITICAL FOCAL POINT OF OUR COUNTY, THE PEOPLE LIVE IN
THE UNINCORPORATED PART OF THE COUNTY, DON'T THEY?
I MEAN YOU KNOW THAT. THAT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FIRST FACTS YOU WERE
PRESENTED WITH AS MEMBERS OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
WHILE 300,000 PEOPLE LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, NEARLY 700,000 LIVE IN THE
UNINCORPORATED PART OF THE COUNTY ; IN PREPARATION FOR TONIGHT, I LOOKED
AT A SPEECH THAT I HAD GIVEN, AND ON MARCH 24TH, 1990, I GAVE THIS SPEECH
BEFORE THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, AND I READ IT BEFORE I CAME HERE TONIGHT,
AND I STILL FEEL THE SAME WAY AS I DID IN 19 OAT.
MY VIEWS HAVE NOT CHANGED AT ALL.
LET ME JUST SAY FIRST OF ALL WHEN I WAS ELECTED IN MAY OF 1985 TO THE
COUNTY COMMISSION, I THOUGHT OUR CHARTER WAS A GREAT FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.
I WORKED ON THE COMMITTEE TO HELP PASS IT.
I HEARTILY ENDORSED IT.
I WAS ON THE BOARD ABOUT SIX MONTHS BEFORE I SAW IT WAS FLAWED, THAT WE
OPERATED UNDER A FLAWED FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
LET ME JUST READ ONE BIT OF MY SPEECH THAT I GAVE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW
BOARD TEN YEARS AGO THIS MONTH.
THE PROBLEM IN THE STRUCTURE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THIS MONTH TODAY
FROM MY OBSERVATIONS ARE -- AND I WAS ON THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME THAT
I GAVE THIS SPEECH -- NUMBER ONE, POLICY-MAKING BY COMMITTEE.
NUMBER TWO, LACK OF STRONG POLITICAL LEADERSHIP.
NUMBER THREE, LACK OF ACCOUNT ABILITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTION OF A COUNTY EXECUTIVE WOULD BEGIN TO
ADDRESS THESE THREE PROBLEMS, AND I WENT ON TO TALK ABOUT WHY.
I STILL FEEL THE SAME WAY TODAY.
WE TALK ABOUT -- AND IN THIS TALK, I TALKED ABOUT HOW, IF THIS FORM OF
GOVERNMENT THAT WE ARE SUGGESTING TO HAVE A STRONG EXECUTIVE WITH THE
CHECKS AND BALANCES OF A LEGISLATURE BRANCH SOUNDS FAMILIAR, IT'S BECAUSE
WHAT OUR FOUNDING FATHERS THOUGHT OF OVER 200 YEARS AGO.
NOW, THEY DIDN'T THINK OF IT THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
THE FIRST TIME AROUND,  THEY THOUGHT OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION,
WHICH BECAUSE IT LACKED THE STRONG EXECUTIVE, DIDN'T WORK.
AND THEY SAW THAT, AND THEY MADE THE CHANGE.
I THINK AS YOU PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTED HERE TEN
YEARS AGO IS THAT THIS DEBATE SWIRLS AROUND THIS CENTRAL ISSUE.
THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DEBATED, I WOULD SAY NOW FOR -- WE'RE IN THE YEAR 2000,
PROBABLY FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS.
I WOULD SAY THE DEBATE BEGAN SOMETIME IN THE 1960s, CONTINUED ON IN THE
1970s, PARTICULARLY TOWARD THE ISSUE OF CONSOLIDATION.
REACHED A FEVER PITCH IN THE '80s, HAS CONTINUED IN THE '90s, AND REGARDLESS
OF WHETHER YOU PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT -- IF YOU DON'T PUT SOMETHING
ON THE BALLOT, IT WILL CONTINUE INTO THE 00s.
THAT IS WHAT THE DECADE IS?
I HAVE HERE, TWO POLL, ONE IN 86 AND ONE IN 89, THAT 62 PERCENT OF THE PEOPLE
WOULD VOTE FOR SUCH A THING.
NOW, COMMISSIONER PLATT SPOKE TO WHY -- AND MR. WHITE SPOKE TO THE
DYSFUNCTIONAL NATURE THAT THE NEWSPAPER REPORTED OF THE CURRENT
COMMISSION.
WHILE CERTAINLY YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE ISSUE OF PERSONALITIES THAT DON'T
GET ALONG, I REALLY MAINTAIN THAT ONE REASON WHY COMMISSIONERS ARE SO
UNFRIENDLY TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER AND REALLY DON'T GET ALONG AND DON'T
SERVE THE PUBLIC WELL IS BECAUSE THERE IS SUCH A LEADERSHIP VACUUM,
TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP VACUUM, AND WHEN YOU HAVE A LEADERSHIP VACUUM,
YOU HAVE SEVEN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE TRYING TO FILL THAT VACUUM IN THEIR
OWN WAY, EACH ONE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR OWN HEADLINES, EACH ONE TRYING
TO OUTDO THE OTHER, WITH THEIR OWN PROPOSALS, WITH THEIR OWN VIEW OF HOW
THE WORLD OPERATES BECAUSE THAT'S HOW COMMITTEES OPERATE.
AS LONG AS THERE IS GOING TO BE A LEADERSHIP VACUUM, YOU WILL HAVE STORIES
LIKE THAT.
IN FACT, IF YOU WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT STORIES OVER THE PAST MANY YEARS,
YOU WILL SEE THAT THE COMMISSION IS THE FOCAL POINT FOR THAT FORM OF
DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOR.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THAT FIRM LACK OF POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THE PEOPLE
REALLY DESERVE.
I HAVE SEEN MANY CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS.
I THINK YOU HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TASK.
THERE IS NEVER HIGH HOPES THAT YOU WILL PUT AN ISSUE LIKE THIS ON THE
BALLOT.
THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE IT TAKES TEN OF YOU.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR TEN OR FOURTEEN PEOPLE TO AGREEMENT
FUNDAMENTALLY, AT THE HEART OF WHY IT'S BEEN SO DIFFICULT FOR PAST
CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS TO COME TO AGREEMENT, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A
MISTAKEN NOTION THAT THE TEN WHO AGREE ON A PROPOSAL HAVE TO REALLY
BUY INTO THE PROPOSAL, HAVE TO FEEL REAL STRONGLY ABOUT THE PROPOSAL,
HAVE TO REALLY BELIEVE IN THAT PROPOSAL IN ORDER FOR IT TO GO ON THE
BALLOT.
AND I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT'S YOUR JOB.
I THINK YOUR JOB IS TO LOOK AT A PROPOSAL -- NOT THAT YOU AGREE ON
NECESSARILY, ALL OF YOU, OR TEN OF YOU, BUT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE THE FORUM
FOR THE ELECTORATE TO VOTE ON A PROPOSAL.
YOU NEED TO PUT TOGETHER A PROPOSAL THAT MAKES SENSE, THAT'S SOUND, ONE
THAT YOU COULD LIVE WITH, BUT IT'S UP TO THE ELECTORATE, THE VOTERS, TO
DECIDE ON ARE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE A CHANGE IN COUNTY
GOVERNMENT.
THIS PROPOSAL, A PROPOSAL FOR AN ELECTED COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, IS LONG
OVERDUE ON THE BALLOT.
WE ARE SOPHISTICATED, URBAN, PROGRESSIVE COUNTY.
THE VOTERS OUGHT TO BE TRUSTED WITH MAKING THIS DECISION.
THOSE ARE SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ON THE ISSUE, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE, NOT JUST ON THIS, BUT ON ANYTHING, OR
ANYTHING DEALING WITH MY OFFICE AS SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
MR. HURLEY?
>>DAVID HURLEY:  TWO THINGS.
YOU SAID THREE THINGS, AND I WAS TRYING TO WRITE, AND I GOT TWO OF THEM.
COULD YOU SAY THOSE THREE THINGS AGAIN?
THE THREE THINGS YOU SAID WERE DEFICIENT IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT?
>> THE THREE THINGS I SAID TEN YEARS AGO I STILL AGREE WITH TODAY,
POLICY-MAKING BY COMMITTEE, LACK OF STRONG LEADERSHIP AND LACK OF
ACCOUNTABILITY.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  ALSO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS BECAUSE I NOTICED IN
SARASOTA COUNTY -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE AWARE OF THIS BECAUSE WE WERE
JUST GIVEN THIS INFORMATION OURSELVES -- THEY WERE GIVEN FIVE CHARTER
AMENDMENTS.
THEY ACCEPTED AND REJECTED THEM, AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE PERCENTAGES BY
WHICH THEY ACCEPTED AND REJECTED THEM, OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY READ THEM,
BECAUSE THERE IS NO PATTERN.
I WAS AMAZED.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO GIVE THE VOTERS CREDIT FOR BEING ABLE TO READ AND
UNDERSTAND.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
>>DENISE LASHER: I HAVE A QUESTION NOT REGARDING THE POINTS THAT YOU JUST
MADE BUT SOMETHING ELSE.
WHEN I LOOK AT DIFFERENT ELECTED OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND IN THE
COUNTRY, THE ONLY ONES THAT I VOTE ON THAT DON'T HAVE TERM LIMITS ARE
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND I GUESS JUDGES, BECAUSE WE
DO VOTE FOR JUDGES.
YOU BEING SUPERVISOR OF ELECTION, YOU MAY KNOW OF OTHERS.
THE GOVERNOR HAS A TERM LIMIT LEGISLATORS, THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAS
TERM LIMITS.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS TERM LIMITS.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE FOR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS TO
NOT HAVE TO ABIDE BY TERM LIMITS?
>> CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS ARE MINISTERIAL OFFICES.
WE ARE NOT POLICY-MAKERS.
WE ADMINISTER AN OFFICE.
AS ADMINISTRATORS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW WHO HAVE RUN A BUSINESS OR
MANAGED AS ADMINISTRATOR, THE LONGER YOU ARE AT IT, THE BETTER YOU ARE
AT IT.
TO TELL A SHERIFF, A CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, A SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
THAT AFTER YOU HAVE GAINED EIGHT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE YOU OUGHT NOT TO
SERVE THE PUBLIC ANY LONGER, WHEN YOU ARE BETTER AT IT THE LONGER YOU DO
IT, THAT'S FOOLISH.
WHY WOULD YOU GET RID OF THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE?
I SEE IN MY OWN FIELD OF ELECTIONS THAT HAVING THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING
THROUGH EACH ELECTION CYCLE AND THAT KIND OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE
THAT YOU CAN BRING TO THE TABLE IN TERMS OF KNOWING WHAT TO LOOK OUT
FOR, AND IN LEARNING FROM EACH EXPERIENTIAL YOU CAN'T DUPLICATE THAT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE FOOLISH TO SAY TO ANY PERSON WHO ADMINISTERS AN OFFICE
THAT YOU NEED TO MOVE ON, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BECOME KNOWLEDGEABLE AND
HAVE EXPERTISE.
>>GERALD WHITE: COMMISSIONER, EXCUSE ME, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, FORMER
COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND THE HISTORY OF OUR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT OUR CONCERN, AS YOU HAVE HEARD ALREADY, IS THIS LOCAL
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM, AND FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
WHAT'S YOUR FEELINGS ON THAT, AS A FORMER COMMISSIONER AND NOW
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, SARASOTA COUNTY TRIED SOME KIND OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE
REFORM IN TERMS OF LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PEOPLE CAN CONTRIBUTE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS.
I THINK IF YOU PASS A LAW THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T GIVE MORE THAN $500, THAT
MEANS YOU GET MONEY FROM THE SAME GENERAL BUSINESS ENTITY, LAW FIRM, I'M
NOT SURE INTO GETS AT THE PROBLEM.
COMMISSIONER PLATT SPOKE TO THE PROBLEM OF THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF
MONEY THAT WAS RAISED FOR THE MAYORS RACE.
MUCH OF THE MONEY RAISED BY CANDIDATES IS ABSOLUTELY OVERKILL.
UNTIL WE GET TO THAT ISSUE THAT YOU DON'T NEED THAT KIND OF MONEY TO WIN
A RATION, IF YOU LOOK AT THE EXPENDITURE SIDE OF THE COIN, REPORTERS
ALWAYS LOOK AT THE CONTRIBUTION SIDE, BUT IT'S THE EXPENDITURE SIDE THAT'S
FUN TO LOOK AT BECAUSE OF THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT
CANDIDATES WASTE.
IF THE MAYOR SPENT $500,000 BACK IN 1995, I CAN'T IMAGINE, BECAUSE THERE ARE
ONLY ABOUT 40,000 PEOPLE WHO VOTED.
I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE WHAT TA CAME DOWN TO ON A PER-VOTE BASIS?
A LOT OF IT IS PEOPLE WANTING TO CLIMB ONTO A WINNING BAND WAGON,
WANTING TO BE AFFILIATED WITH A WINNING CANDIDATE, NOT THAT THAT'S MONEY
NEEDED TO WIN A RACE.
SO WE NEED TO COME TO TERMS TO WHAT IS CONSIDERED A REASONABLE AMOUNT
OF MONEY TO RUN A PARTICULAR RACE.
IF WE EVER GOT TO A POINT IN OUR SOCIETY WHERE WE COULD CAP AMOUNTS FOR
PARTICULAR RACES, WE WOULD LIGHT YEARS AHEAD.
WHETHER OR NOT THAT MEETS A CONSTITUTIONALITY TEST, TA MEETS THE
QUESTION, I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WORKING ON THESE
ISSUES.
THAT IS WHERE YOU NEED TO GET TO, CAPPING THE AMOUNT THAT CANDIDATES
CAN SPEND ON CERTAIN RACES AND BRINGING IN SANITY TO THE PROCESS.
>> SO YOU AGREE THAT IT IS A PROBLEM?
>> NOT JUST LOCALLY.
I THINK ACROSS THE BOARD, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS SPENT ON CAMPAIGNS
IS OBSCENE, FROM THE PRESIDENT PSI ON DOWN.
I BELIEVE IT IS A TREMENDOUS TURN-OFF BECAUSE I BELIEVE VOTERS BEGIN TO
BELIEVE THEIR PARTICIPATION IS SECONDARY TO THE MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS.
WHAT WE NEED IS PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE WHO DON'T GO OUT AND COLLECT
HUGE FUNDS, THAT COLLECT REASONABLE AMOUNTS AND ARE CAREFUL WITH HOW
THEY SPEND THEIR MONEY.
IF YOU HAD A PATTERN OF THAT BEING DONE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A CONCERN.
IT IS THE EXPENDITURE OF THESE SUMS THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT BY THE
PUBLIC.
>> I ALWAYS LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR PRESENTATIONS BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUCH
AN INTERESTING HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE THAT YOU ALWAYS ADD BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU ARE VERY INTERESTED IN HISTORY, ESPECIALLY FLORIDA HISTORY, SO I
APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS.
I APPRECIATE YOUR REMARKS.
I ALSO BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS IF WE ARE
GOING TO VOTE SOMETHING OUT, TO FEEL THAT OUR VOTE IS NOT SOMETHING
ENDORSING WHAT WE ARE VOTING FOR BUT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO FERRET
OUT ALL THE ISSUES THAT MIGHT SURROUND AN IMPORTANT REFERENDUM
DECISION, SUCH AS CHANGING THE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT, GIVEN THE
INTERESTING HISTORY WE HAVE HAD IN OUR COUNTY, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT
THE COUNTY COMMISSION LOST ITS QUORUM THAT DAY WHEN THREE COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS WERE MARCHED OUT IN HANDCUFFS.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE COUNTY-WIDE MAYORAL ELECTION PROCESS AND THE
MONEY.
WHILE I AGREE WITH YOU THAT OFTENTIMES THAT CANDIDATES DON'T SPEND THE
MONEY THEY RAISE, THERE IS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND THAT CANDIDATES USE THE
AMOUNT THEY RAISE AS A HAMMER, OR AS A REASON -- AND THE PRESS
UNFORTUNATELY PLAYS INTO IT -- AS TO WHY THEY ARE SUCH A STRONG
CANDIDATE.
>> YES.
>> LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
IF WE HAD A COUNTY-WIDE RACE FOR MAYOR AND THE LARGE PERCENTAGE OF
PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO WON WERE PRIMARILY LOCATED
WITHIN THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND IT WAS A STRONG BLOCK OF PEOPLE, AND THE
CANDIDATE THEMSELVES LIVED IN THE CITY OF TAMPA, ARE YOU CONCERNED
ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PERCEPTION IN THE OUTER PART OF THE
COUNTY THAT THEIR ISSUES MIGHT NOT BE DEALT WITH, THAT THIS COUNTY MAYOR
MIGHT BE MORE INTERESTED IN URBAN ISSUES AND DEALING WITH THE CITY?
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU COUNTER THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT ANY SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO APPEAL
TO ALL PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
CAN YOU MANAGE THIS COUNTY-WIDE MAYOR IGNORING SUN CITY CENTER?
IGNORES LUTZ?
NO.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE ANY PERSON RUNNING FOR A COUNTY-WIDE POSITION
THAT WOULD ONLY CONCENTRATE THEIR SUPPORT IN ANY ONE AREA.
I ALSO THINK THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE RURAL AREAS TODAY WONDER WHAT
THEIR REPRESENTATION IS.
WHAT REPRESENTATION DO THEY HAVE TODAY?
HOW MANY ELECTED COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LIVE ON FARMS?
I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THEM.
DO ANY OF THEM LIVE ON A RURAL TRACK OF LAND, ON A FARM?
ANY RURAL PEOPLE?
>> ONE, DISTRICT FOUR, LIVES ON A FARM.
>> THEN THEY HAVE REPRESENTATION, THAT THEY MAY VERY WELL STILL HAVE ON
THE COUNTY COMMISSION AFTER EVEN A CHANGE IS MADE.
NOW, STEVE, YOU BRING UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN THAT
IN ITS TOTALITY REALLY MAKES SENSE.
ALL THE COMPONENT PARTS REALLY HAVE TO MAKE SENSE IF YOU ARE GOING TO
PRESENT SOMETHING TO THE VOTERS.
IT IS A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE VOTERS SAYING, HERE IS A PLAN FOR CHANGE,
BUT WE HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THIS PLAN AND WE THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR
THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COUNTY.
GOING BACK AGAIN TO MY 1990 THOUGHT, I STILL AGREE WITH ALL THESE POINTS
TODAY, I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL CHANGES THAT HAVE TO BE MADE AT ONCE.
ONE IS YOU HAVE YOUR ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE BUT TWO, YOU HAVE AN
EXECUTIVE THAT THE ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE HIRE PROFESSIONAL MANAGER,
CHIEF OF STAFF, TO ASSIST IN THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION OF THE COUNTY.
THIS WOULD HELP ALLAY THE FEAR THAT THE COUNTY MAY GO WITHOUT
PROFESSIONAL GUIDANCE.
IN FACT THE CHARTER COULD BE WRITTEN TO WRITE FOR CERTAIN PROFESSIONAL
QUALIFICATIONS FOR KEY ASSISTANTS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS.
THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL.
MOST MAYORS HAVE A CHIEF OF STAFF.
BUT YOU COULD CODIFY THIS, YOU COULD PUT IN THE CHARTER THAT AN ELECTED
COUNTY EXECUTIVE MUST HIRE A PROFESSIONAL MANAGER.
AND ALSO, I THINK YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER IF YOU MOVE TOWARDS THIS,
THE ELIMINATION OF THE THREE AT-LARGE COMMISSIONERS AND INSTEAD MOVE TO
SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, WHERE YOU COULD HAVE GREATER
NEIGHBORHOOD REPRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, EVEN AT THE TIME THAT I REPRESENTED A DISTRICT ON THE COUNTY
COMMISSION, IT WAS A VERY LARGE DISTRICT.
THOSE FOUR DISTRICTS ARE LARGE AND GETTING LARGER ALL THE TIME IN
POPULATION.
I KNOW IN SOUTH COUNTY, THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN SMALLER SINGLE
DISTRICTS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO SHARE THEIR ONE REPRESENTATIVE WITH SUCH
A LARGE GEOGRAPHIC EXPANSE.
I THINK YOU SHOULD VERY CAREFUL LOOK AT THAT SO IF YOU HAVE AN OVERALL
COUNTY EXECUTIVE YOU CAN HAVE SEVEN SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I HAVE THAT COULD GO ALONG WITH
THE PROPOSAL THAT I THOUGHT TEN YEARS AGO AND STILL BELIEVE TODAY WOULD
MAKE FOR A VERY SOUND PROPOSAL.
>> JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION.
WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SUBMIT THOSE REMARKS TO US FOR OUR RECORD?
>> YES.
THOSE ARE NOTES THAT ARE WRITTEN ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT I WILL PUT THEM
TOGETHER, STEVE, IN TYPED FORM.
THEY MAY NOT BE EXACTLY AS I PRESENTED THEM TONIGHT.
>> AND YOU CAN ADD TO THEM AS WELL BUT I THINK WE WOULD APPRECIATE THEM.
>> SURE.
>>HENRY BELTRAN: I HAVE BEEN WONDERING.
THE COMMISSIONERS ARE SUPPOSED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND.
I HAVE NOTICED THAT WE DID NOT INCREASE THE REPRESENTATION WHILE WE
INCREASED THE POPULATION, TREMENDOUSLY.
IN OTHER WORDS, I FEEL THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE REPRESENTATION OF THE
PEOPLE AND THE GOVERNMENT.
WE DON'T HAVE IT.
BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO SOMEBODY THAT IS IN BRANDON, SOUTH TAMPA, OR
NORTH TAMPA, WHEREVER IT MAY BE, TO HAVE SOMEBODY REPRESENTING THEIR
AREA.
THAT IS ONE PROBLEM.
PLANT CITY, FOR EXAMPLE, REPRESENTATION FROM THE COUNTY, DO SOMETHING
BIT.
BUT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT COMMISSIONER HAS A CHANCE TO REPRESENT
THE PEOPLE.
HE'S REPRESENTING A PIECE OF LAND, AND WHO KNOWS WHAT?
THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE REPRESENTATION.
SO INTO WE CAN WORK FOR -- SO THAT WE CAN WORK FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT, OR
AT LEAST TO HAVE NINE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF SEVEN, OR SUBDIVIDE WHERE THE
NECESSITY IS, TO PROVIDE THE TYPE OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE NEED TO FUNCTION
PROPERLY.
I THINK THAT IS BADLY NEEDED IN THIS COUNTY.
>>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP.
>>JAN SMITH: GO AHEAD.
>>GERALD WHITE:  CAN YOU RESPOND TO PARTISAN VERSUS NON-PARTISAN FOR THE
COUNTY COMMISSION, BENEFITS VERSUS NO BENEFITS?
AND ALSO, SHOULD THIS COUNTY MAYOR POSITION YOU SPEAK ABOUT BE PARTISAN?
>> YOU KNOW, THIS ISSUE OF NON-PARTISANSHIP HAS COME UP, AND CERTAINLY I
CAN SEE A PLACE FOR NON-PARTISANSHIP.
LET ME JUST SAY WHEN I WAS ON THE COMMISSION, PARTISANSHIP WAS NOT AN
ISSUE.
IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE TODAY AND I WAS NOT, BACK FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.
LET ME SAY THIS.
I THINK IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE A CHANGE OF THE CHARTER AND ONLY
ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PARTISANSHIP BY ITSELF WITHOUT CHANGING THE
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT, THEN YOU REALLY HAVEN'T ACCOMPLISHED
ANYTHING.
BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS NOT THAT
PEOPLE ARE ELECTED ON A PARTISAN BASIS, SO PUTTING THAT BEFORE THE VOTERS
AS A SOLITARY PIECE OF REFORM WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING.
IF, WHILE YOU ARE MAKING ALL THESE OTHER CHANGES AND PUTTING AN ENTIRE
PACKAGE BEFORE THE VOTE IF YOU ALSO WANT TO MAKE AS PART OF IT THAT THIS
NEW COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS ELECTED ON A NON-PARTISAN BASIS AS ARE THESE NEW
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND EVERYONE RUNS, UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS THE
NEW SYSTEM THAT THEY ARE RUNNING UNDERSTAND, AND IT IS ALL PART OF A
LARGER, SWEEPING REFORM, THEN I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE A
NEGATIVE.
BUT IN AND OF ITSELF, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE QUITE WORTH THE
REFERENDUMING.
>> THIS IS A QUICK COMMENT, NOT A PARTISAN COMMENT.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, ONE REASON PARTISANSHIP WAS NOT AN ISSUE WAS THAT
OVERWHELMINGLY THIS COUNTY WAS ONE PARTY AND THE PEOPLE VOTED IN
OFFICE WERE OF THE SAME PARTY.
NOW WE ARE A DYNAMIC COUNTY, WITH MULTIPLE INTEREST IN OUR PARTY SYSTEM
AND INDIVIDUAL PARTIES HAVE CHANGED SO I THINK WE ARE SEEING SOME OF THE
RESTLESS NECESSARY OF WHAT THAT BRINGS.
BUT FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, WHEN YOU FIRST RAN, THERE WAS A DOMINANT ONE
PARTY, AND THAT WAS IT.
>> THAT IS A REALLY GOOD POINT.
ALTHOUGH, AT THE TIME WHEN I WAS ON THE BOARD, WE HAD A -- COMMISSIONER
SELVEY WAS A REPUBLICAN.
I HAVE TO SAY, WE NEVER APPROACHED ANY OF OUR ISSUES IN A PARTISAN WAY.
WHETHER YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SLUDGE PLANTS, SEWER LINES, ROADS, SO
FORTH, THESE ARE NOT HEAVY DUTY PARTISAN ISSUES.
COMMISSIONERS AND GOVERNMENT TODAY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DELIVERY OF
INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE.
IT IS A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD PROPOSITION.
YOU COLLECT TAX MONEY AND YOU PUT IT BACK OUT TO THE PEOPLE IN TERMS OF
SERVICES, AND HOW DO YOU EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY DO THAT?
I THINK TIME WASTED ON PARTISAN HAGGLING I THINK IS DISSERVICE TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WITH THESE ISSUES.
IT SHOULDN'T EVEN MATTER ON THE LARGE STATE AND NATIONAL ISSUES AS MUCH
AS IT DOES.
BUT IT DOTE DOES.
THAT'S A REALITY AND IT'S BEEN PART OF OUR COUNTRY FOR A LONG TIME.
EVEN FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, WHEN WE ROTATED CHAIRMANSHIP, IT DIDN'T REALLY
MATTER TO US IF THE CHAIRMAN WAS A REPUBLICAN AND THE NEXT ONE WAS A
DEMOCRAT.
>> ONE FOLLOW-UP RELATED TO HER OFFICE.
>>JAN SMITH: OKAY.
>>GERALD WHITE:  IT WAS A TAX COLLECTOR WE HAD HERE AND WE TALKED ABOUT
ACCOUNTABILITY.
MR. KLEMAN AND HIS STATE OF THE COUNTY, WE FOUND OUT ABOUT WHAT WAS
GOING ON WITH THE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS IN THE COUNTY BUT WE DON'T GET AN
ANNUAL REPORT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE CONSTITUTIONALS.
DO YOU THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO GIVE AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE
PEOPLE, HOW THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I DO THINK THAT -- YOU KNOW, I HAD A GREAT PERSPECTIVE,
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, I WAS COMMISSIONER, THEN COMMISSIONERS ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT CONSTITUTION ALWAYS, A THEN I BECAME A CONSTITUTIONAL.
I HAVE TO SAY CONSTITUTIONALS PERFORM THAT VERY WELL.
I LIKE CONSTITUTION ALWAYS WHERE THE VOTERS DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT YOU
ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
THE VOTERS KICK YOU OUT IF YOU ARE NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.
IF A COMMISSIONER COMES HERE AND TALKS ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL BUDGETS
BEING A TOTALLY AUTONOMOUS SCENARIO, THAT'S INCORRECT.
CONSTITUTIONALS WORK WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND FIRST PRESENT
AND WORK WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR PRIVATELY, BEFORE THE BUDGETS
ARE PRESENTED PUBLICLY.
SO THERE IS NO SIMPLE -- NO CONSTITUTIONAL IS GOING TO WALTZ IN BEFORE THE
COUNTY COMMISSION AND SAY HERE IS MY BUDGET.
THAT IS NOT THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS.
I IS A REAL PARTNERSHIP.
YOU WILL HAVE ALL THE CONSTITUTIONALS SPEAK BEFORE YOU.
I WOULD SUSPECT THE SHERIFF DOES PRODUCE A REPORT.
HIS IS EXTREMELY LARGE.
MINE IS THE SMALLEST OF ALL THE CONSTITUTION ALWAYS I THINK THE KEY TO
SUCCESS OF A CONSTITUTIONAL FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS THAT WE EACH HAVE AN
AREA OF EXPERTISE, AND WE HAVE TO DO IT WELL OR WE WON'T REMAIN IN OFFICE
AND WE ARE COMPLETELY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC EVERY FOUR YEARS.
I THINK THAT SYSTEM WORKS WELL.
AND IT'S THAT LINK BETWEEN PERFORMANCE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE VOTERS
-- THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, THAT LINK WITH
ACCOUNTABILITY IN PERFORMANCE IN THE VOTERS.
BUT IT'S QUITE PRESENT WITH THE CONSTITUTIONALS AND I THINK IT WORKS VERY
WELL.
>>JAN SMITH: I ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> I HAVE ONE.
THE WORDING IN OUR CHARTER IS TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, AND SUPPOSE
YOU HAD PROPOSED AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE.
WOULD YOU KEEP THE SAME WORDING FOR THE CHIEF OF STAFF, THE COUNTY
MANAGER, TO SAY THAT HE MUST HOLD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT, OR RELATED FIELD, AND HAVE THREE YEARS OF
EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE, OR WOULD YOU CHANGE THAT?
>> I THINK IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT TOO NARROW JUST TO SPEAK TO A MASTER'S
IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT EDUCATIONAL CRITERIA, BUT I THINK YOU ALSO HAVE TO
LOOK AT A SUBSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE, ECEO EXPERIENCE.
I THINK ONE OF OUR BEST ADMINISTRATORS WAS FRED KARL, WHO DID NOT HAVE A
MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION.
WHILE I DO BELIEVE YOU SHOULD HAVE A CHIEF OF STAFF OR MANAGEMENT TYPE
WHO HAS EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE CRITERIA, DON'T DEFINE IT SO NARROWLY
THAT YOU DON'T GIVE THE COUNTY MAYOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE
SOMEONE WHO'S EXTREMELY SKILLFUL, BUT NOT MEET A VERY NARROW
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENT.
>> THE OTHER QUESTION IS THAT WHEN SENATOR GRANT PROPOSED HIS CHARTER
CHANGE RECENTLY, THE ELECTED EXECUTIVE HAD VETO POWER OVER JUST
EVERYTHING.
I LIKE THE IDEA OF THE LEGISLATIVE BODY HAVING THE ABILITY TO MAKE THAT
DECISION SO THE PUBLIC CAN COME DOWN AND FACE THOSE PEOPLE AND SPEAK,
AND I WOULDN'T FAVOR HAVING VETO POWER OVER THAT.
WHAT ISSUES THAT COUNTY GOVERNMENT DEALS WITH DO YOU THINK AN ELECTED
EXECUTIVE SHOULD HAVE VETO POWER OVER?
>> LET ME ANSWER IT IN THE OPPOSITE WAY.
I THINK THAT THE ELECTED COUNTY MAYOR SHOULD NOT BE AT ALL INVOLVED IN
ZONING AND LAND USE DECISIONS, SHOULD NOT EVER MAKE A DECISION REGARDING
THEM AND SHOULD HAVE NO VETO POWER REGARDING THEM.
I THINK THAT SHOULD BE A STRICTLY LEGISLATIVE PREROGATIVE.
THAT IS THE WAY THE CITY OF TAMPA'S OPERATING.
HE DOESN'T HAVE THE POWER TO VETO THE CITY'S LAND USE DECISIONS.
THAT IS AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION TO MAKE.
WHILE THE COUNTY MAYOR COULD HAVE VETO POWER, YOU COULD HAVE TO HAVE
THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAVE THE ABILITY TO OVERRIDE THE VETO WITH A
NUMBER OF VOTES.
AFTER ALL, IF THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAS COME UP WITH AN ORDINANCE THEY
FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT, AND HAVE THE VOTES TO OVERRIDE A VETO, THAT VETO
SHOULDN'T GO INTO EFFECT.
SO YOU SHOULD HAVE CHECKS AND BALANCES BETWEEN THE TWO, AND I THINK
THAT COULD BE DEVISED WITHOUT TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM.
BUT VERY CLEARLY, TAKE THE ZONING AND WET ZONINGS, BORROW PITS,
PERMITTING-TYPE OF ISSUES, TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ANY COUNTY MAYOR.
>> THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH: BOARD MEMBERS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
MS. IORIO, WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMING.
I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO WAIT.
WE GOT OFF TO A SLOW PROGRAM.
FIRST WE DIDN'T HAVE A FLAG AND GOVERNMENT ACCESS WAS RUNNING A PROGRAM
THAT I THINK FILLED IN, SO WE WERE PUT OFF FOR A WHILE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMING.
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU WITH US THIS EVENING.
>> PLEASE CALL ME IF YOU FEEL I CAN OFFER ANY INFORMATION FROM MY VANTAGE
POINT AS SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, ALSO.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH: BOARD MEMBERS, IT IS QUARTER OF 8.
I THINK WE WILL TAKE A TEN-MINUTE BREAK AND COME BACK AND BE ENTERTAINED
BY MR. KLEMAN.

>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE STILL ON THE FIRST HALF OF OUR AGENDA AND WE ARE
GOING TO TALK WITH MR. DANIEL KLEMAN, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WHO HAS
HAD A LONGER CAREER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAN MOST OF OUR PREVIOUS
COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS.
WELL COME, MR. KLEMAN, THANKS FOR COMING THIS EVENING.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  THANK YOU, MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
YOU HAVE A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING JOB AHEAD OF YOU, BUT YOU KNOW
THAT ALREADY, I THINK.
SINCE I AM FAMILIAR WITH SOME OF YOU BUT MAYBE NOT WITH ALL OF YOU, I
THOUGHT I WOULD TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY BACKGROUND BECAUSE IT
HELPS FRAME SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT I MIGHT BE PRESENTING TO YOU.
I HOLD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE AND ECONOMICS AND I HAVE
THE INFAMOUS MASTER'S DEGREE IN GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION FROM THE
WHARTON GRADUATE SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
HAVE I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR
APPROXIMATELY 31 YEARS NOW, THE FIRST SIX YEARS IN A VARIETY OF POSITIONS
IN A MAJOR CITY IN THE MIDWEST.
TWENTY YEARS AFTER THAT, I WAS FOR THOSE TWENTY YEARS CITY MANAGER OF
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, AND FOR THE LAST FIVE AND A HALF YEARS HAVE SERVED
AS THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
DURING THE PERIOD I HAVE HAD TO SERVE, I HAVE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SERVE IN THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF BOTH THE
FLORIDA AND CITY COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL
CITY AND COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION; THE LATTER OF WHICH IS THE
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGERS REPRESENTING
8,000 INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
I HAVE ALSO HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR IN THE
GRADUATE SCHOOL AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE AREA OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, AND HAVE HAD AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE ASSISTING THREE
CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS IN THE CITY OF TALLAHASSEE, WRITING CITY CHARTERS.
ACTUALLY, THEY WERE ALL THREE CONSOLIDATION CHARTERS LOOKING AT
MERGING THE CITY OF TALLAHASSEE AND LEON COUNTY, SO I HAVE PARTICULAR
EMPATHY FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE UNDERWAY.
THE REMARKS I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY, I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT
WHILE THEY CENTER AROUND THE QUESTION OF THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT,
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT TENDS TO BE ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE
BEFORE YOU, I WANT TO MAKE VERY CLEAR THAT MY REMARKS ARE REALLY NOT
ABOUT DAN KLEMAN.
THEY ARE ABOUT HOW TO STRUCTURE THIS BOARD'S ORGANIZATION.
IF THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD DECIDES TO ELIMINATE THE POSITION OF COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR, I BELIEVE I WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT SOMEWHERE
IN MY POSITION.
THAT'S MY FIRST CHOICE BUT BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO LOVE THIS COMMUNITY.
BUT THIS ISN'T ABOUT ME.
IT IS ABOUT HOW BEST TO SERVE THE CITIZENS.
IT IS WITH GREAT RISK -- GOING BACK TO SOME OF THOSE DAYS WHEN I WAS DOING
SOME COLLEGE TEACHING -- THAT I AM GOING TO TAKE THE RISK OF APPEARING A
BIT TOO TO RECALL AT THE START OF MY COMMENTS, (TUTORIAL)
SO I WOULD LIKE TO PASS OUT A DOCUMENT TO YOU.
I WILL BE MAKING REFERENCES TO THE THREE CHARTS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS
HANDOUT.
I WOULD LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THE CHART ON THE TOP, WHICH IS A VERY SIMPLE
REPRESENTATION OF THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT IS PRESENTLY FOUND IN
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THERE REALLY ARE TWO PRIMARY FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.
THE ONE ON THE TOP PAGE IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS THE COMMISSION MANAGER
FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
SOMETIMES IT'S CALLED COUNTY MANAGER OR COUNCIL MANAGER.
SOMETIMES IT'S CALLED APPOINTED ADMINISTRATOR.
BUT IT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU SEE ON THE TOP PAGE OF THE HOUSE.
SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS DEFINE THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
FIRST, THE FORM IS BASED ON BUSINESS PRINCIPLES.
THE FORM IS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE PROGRESSIVE REFORM MOVEMENT AFTER THE
TURN OF THE CENTURY.
THAT PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT FOCUSED ON ELIMINATING CORRUPTION IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, WHICH WAS FOUND IN MANY AMERICAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS,
PARTICULARLY CITIES, AND IT IS UNFORTUNATELY A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT
UNKNOWN ALSO IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS BASED ON HAVING WHAT IS COMPARABLE TO A
BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHO ARE ELECTED BY CITIZENS TO ESTABLISH POLICY FOR
THE GOVERNMENT, AND THAT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, KNOWN AS A COMMISSION,
HIRES A PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED MANAGER TO SERVE AS CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER, WHOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF
THE GOVERNMENT.
THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS NOT A SEPARATION OF POWERS GOVERNMENT.
IT'S A SUBTLE, BEST OF YOUR RECOLLECTION I WOULD ARGUE, VERY IMPORTANT
DISTINCTION, BECAUSE THAT MAKES A VERY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT.
I SAY IT IS NOT A SEPARATION OF POWERS GOVERNMENT BECAUSE BOTH
LEGISLATIVE AND EXECUTIVE POWER REST WITH THE COMMISSION.
IT'S A FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT EMPHASIZES TEAMWORK AND FOCUSES ON
SERVICE DELIVERY ISSUES BY RECOGNIZING THAT MANY OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED
BY THE GOVERNMENT ARE COMPARABLE TO SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED BY
BUSINESSES.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE IN AREAS SUCH AS UTILITIES, WHERE A COUNTY WATER
AND SEWER UTILITY IS IN MANY RESPECTS VERY SIMILAR TO A PRIVATELY OWNED
ELECTRIC OR NATURAL GAS UTILITY SUCH AS TECO.
IN A COMMISSION MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT THERE IS ROUTINELY A SMALL
MEMBERSHIP, FIVE TO NINE.
THE MANAGER IN THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND A COMMITMENT TO PROFESSIONAL ETHICS.
AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY REMARKS, I WILL PASS OUT A CODE OF ETHICS WHICH
ARE THOSE THAT ARE FOLLOWED BY MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CITY AND
COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION.
THE MANAGER OR ADMINISTRATOR IN THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT HAS TWO
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES, BOTH VERY IMPORTANT, SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.
THE ADMINISTRATOR OR MANAGER SERVES AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF
THE INSTITUTION, BUT ALSO SERVES IN MANY RESPECTS AS STAFF DIRECTOR TO AN
ELECTED BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, IN TERMS OF PROVIDING RESEARCH,
PROVIDING POLICY SUPPORT, PROVIDING OPTIONS ABOUT ISSUES THAT ARE UNDER
CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS FOUND IN THREE OF THE FOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
FOUND IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
IT'S THE SAME FORM OF GOVERNMENT FOUND IN PLANT CITY AND TEMPLE TERRACE
AS WELL AS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE OTHER PRIMARY FORM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS USUALLY KNOWN AS AN
ELECTED EXECUTIVE.
ELECTED EXECUTIVE COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENT, SOMETIMES IDENTIFIED
AS MAYOR COUNCIL, SOMETIMES IDENTIFIED AS STRONG MAYOR, DEPENDING UPON
THE POWERS OF THE MAYOR, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH
MAYOR.
THE SECOND PAGE IS A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF THIS PARTICULAR FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.
IN THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE A CLASSIC SEPARATION OF POWERS
GOVERNMENT.
IT IS SIMILAR TO THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, SIMILAR TO THE STATE
GOVERNMENT, IN THAT YOU ELECT AN EXECUTIVE AND THERE ARE DISTINCT AND
SEPARATE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES AND CHECKS AND BALANCES
BETWEEN THOSE TWO BRANCHES WHICH DIFFUSE THE POWER.
EXAMPLES OF SUCH CHECKS AND BALANCES ARE SOME THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT
EARLIER THIS EVENING.
FOR EXAMPLE, TYPICALLY THE EXECUTIVE HAS THE RIGHT TO VETO LEGISLATION
PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE BODY AND THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, BY SOME TYPE OF
SUPERMAJORITY VOTE, GENERALLY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO OVERRIDE THAT
VETO, AS I SAY WITH SOME TYPE OF SUPERMAJORITY VOTE.
LEGISLATIVE BODIES IN THESE FORMS OF GOVERNMENT TEND TO BE LARGER.
FOR EXAMPLE, JACKSONVILLE,  DUVAL COUNTY, WHICH IS A COUNTY FORM OF
GOVERNMENT, HAS A 19-MEMBER CITY/COUNTY COUNCIL, SINCE IT'S A
CONSOLIDATED CITY AND COUNTY.
TYPICALLY THE SALARIES OF CITY COUNCIL ARE LESS THAN YOU MIGHT FIND IN A
COMMISSION MANAGER OR COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
THE OTHER MAJOR DIFFERENCE IN THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS THAT THE
MANAGER OR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER IS SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF POPULAR
VOTE.
THERE IS AN ELECTION TO ELECT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.
WITH A REVIEW OF THOSE TWO FORMS OF GOVERNMENT AS A BACKGROUND, I'D LIKE
TO SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER THE QUESTION AS I KNOW YOU HAVE ALREADY,
WHETHER THERE ARE PROBLEMS FOUND IN OUR CURRENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
SINCE THE CHARGE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD IS TO STUDY THE
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND PROPOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ITS
IMPROVEMENT, ONE SHOULD REVIEW FIRST WHAT, IF ANYTHING, YOU CONSIDER IN
NEED OF IMPROVEMENT.
OR, STATED DIFFERENTLY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CURRENT ARRANGEMENT?
IT'S OBVIOUSLY A VALUABLE EXERCISE, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT
THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE FORM OF
GOVERNMENT TO THE ELECTED EXECUTIVE FORM.
SOME CITIZENS THAT I KNOW HAVE DESCRIBED THAT EFFORT OR THAT OFFER AS A
SOLUTION IN SEARCH OF A PROBLEM.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD UNDERTAKE THAT
THOROUGH, COMPREHENSIVE STUDY, THAT TRIES TO GET AT THE QUESTION ABOUT 
WHETHER THERE IS A PROBLEM, OR IF THERE IS, WHAT IT IS.
AS I HAVE LISTENED TO CITIZENS TALK ABOUT THE FORM OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT,
I REALLY HEAR VERY LITTLE ABOUT INTEREST IN CHANGING THE PROFESSIONALISM
IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
I HEAR LITTLE RELATED TO MANAGEMENT.
I HEAR MUCH OF WHAT I THINK YOU ALSO HEARD EARLIER FROM THE SUPERVISOR
OF ELECTIONS, THAT FOR SOME THERE IS A DESIRE FOR MORE FOCUSED POLITICAL
LEADERSHIP, OR THAT THERE ARE CITIZENS WHO BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE
AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT A SINGLE LEADER OR A LEADER WHO IS MORE THAN ONE
OF A LARGE GROUP WHO PROVIDES A VISION FOR THEIR GOVERNMENT, WHO
PROVIDES A VISION FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, AND WHO CHARTS A COURSE OF ACTION
TO ACCOMPLISH THAT VISION.
I WOULD POINT OUT THAT IT IS INTERESTING FOR ME TO NOTE THAT WHAT I HAVE
OBSERVED IN THIS DISCUSSION PARALLELS WHAT HAS BEEN RAISED IN MANY
COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
SOME OF MY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION EXPERIENCE HAS ALLOWED ME THE
OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MUCH ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN OTHER
COMMUNITIES.
AND I'M AWARE OF A NUMBER OF COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE MODIFIED A
TRADITIONAL COMMISSION MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT THROUGH
STRENGTHENING MECHANISMS FOR POLITICAL LEADERSHIP PARTICULARLY.
AND DOING SO IN WAYS THAT DON'T REQUIRE THE ABANDONMENT OF PROFESSIONAL
MANAGEMENT.
FOR EXAMPLE, 62 PERCENT OF COMMISSION MANAGER GOVERNMENTS TODAY HAVE
THEIR PRESIDING OFFICER DIRECTLY ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS RATHER THAN
CHOSEN BY THEIR BOARD OR BY THEIR CITY COUNCIL.
IF, AS YOU STUDY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT YOU FIND THAT THIS
QUESTION OF FOCUSED POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IS ONE OF YOUR CONCERNS, I WOULD
SUGGEST TO YOU THAT THERE ARE SOME RELATIVELY SIMPLE BUT VERY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WHICH YOU MIGHT CONSIDER TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION OF
LEADERSHIP, WITHOUT ABANDONING PROFESSIONALISM IN YOUR LOCAL
GOVERNMENT IF, AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR COMPREHENSIVE STUDY, YOU FIND
CHANGE IS NECESSARY, I WOULD OFFER THREE CHANGES YOU MIGHT CONSIDER.
FIRST, ESTABLISH THE PRESIDING OFFICER AS AN ELECTED MAYOR WITH A
FOUR-YEAR TERM.
EACH COMPONENT OF THAT PHRASE IS IMPORTANT.
PRESIDING OFFICER DIRECTLY ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS RATHER THAN MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD.
IN DOING, SO CITIZENS SELECT THE DIRECT POLICY-MAKING MEMBER OF THE
GOVERNMENT.
IN MY VIEW, IT IS ALSO APPROPRIATE TO TITLE THIS INDIVIDUAL AS MAYOR, BECAUSE
I BELIEVE THAT TERM IS MORE UNDERSTANDABLE BY THE PUBLIC AS THE MAJOR
POLITICAL LEADER OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
IT MAY ALSO BE PARTICULARLY APPROPRIATE IN A COUNTY SUCH AS
HILLSBOROUGH, WHERE, IF YOU REMEMBER IN SOME OTHER COMMENTS AND OTHER
INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE BEEN PROVIDED, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS A
PROVIDER OF URBAN SERVICES TO THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, A CITY, IF YOU WILL,
THAT IS ROUGHLY, WHILE IT DOESN'T HAVE A CITY TITLE, IT IS AN URBAN AREA WITH
ROUGHLY 600,000 PEOPLE.
THE TERM OF FOUR YEARS IS SUGGESTED AS AN ADEQUATE TIME TO PROVIDE FOR A
CONTINUITY OF POLICY DEVELOPMENT.
I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT THAT SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH THE ELECTED
CHAIRMAN FORM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE CHOICES THAT IS IN THE STATE LAW
RELATED TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
THAT WOULD BE ONE CHANGE YOU COULD CONSIDER.
IF, AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR COMPREHENSIVE STUDY EFFORT, AND YOU BELIEVE
CHANGE IS NECESSARY, A SECOND CHANGE WHICH YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IS THAT
THE ELECTED MAYOR POSITION COULD BE MADE FULL-TIME, WITH AN INCREASE IN
SALARY COMMENSURATE WITH THE TIME COMMITMENT NECESSARY TO CARRY OUT
THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FULL-TIME POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FOR A
LOCAL GOVERNMENT WITH 1 MILLION CITIZENS.
THE SALARY COULD BE SET AT SOME PERCENTAGE BY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION OR BY SOME OTHER OFFICIAL PARALLEL TO SOME
MEMBER OF THE CITY OF TAMPA.
IF AFTER YOU COMPLETE YOUR COMPREHENSIVE STUDY EFFORT AND YOU BELIEVE
CHANGE IS NECESSARY, A THIRD POSSIBLE CHANGE YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IS THAT
THE DUTIES OF THIS PRESIDING OFFICER OR MAYOR COULD BE ALSO EXPANDED.
THAT EXPANSION OF DUTIES COULD COME BY TRANSFERRING SOME DUTIES THAT
ARE CURRENTLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SUCH AS THE PREPARATION OF THE STATE OF THE COUNTY REPORT.
A REPORT WHICH MIGHT MORE APPROPRIATELY COME FROM THE CHIEF ELECTED
LEADER OF THE GOVERNMENT RATHER THAN THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OR CHIEF
APPOINTED OFFICER OF THE GOVERNMENT.
IT MIGHT ALSO SERVE AS A VEHICLE TO OUTLINE A VISION FOR THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.
A SETTING OF THE AGENDA, IF YOU WILL, FOR THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND FOR
A 1-MILLION-PERSON COMMUNITY.
OTHER CHANGES COULD CLUE CLEAR DESIGNATION THAT THAT PRESIDING OFFICER
ELECTED DIRECTLY BY THE PEOPLE WOULD BE THE PRIMARY LOCAL GOVERNMENT
OFFICIAL RESPONSIBLE FOR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE GOVERNMENT, WITH
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, WITH OTHER POLITICAL LEADERS, WITH OTHER
COMMUNITY LEADERS.
OTHER CHANGES AND DUTIES COULD ALSO CONSIDER SUCH THINGS AS THE
APPOINTMENT OF FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO COMMITTEES, COMMITTEE CHAIRS,
OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO THE INTERNAL WORKINGS OF THE BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WHAT THAT ELECTED PARTNER PRESIDING OFFICER WOULD STILL BE A MEMBER OF
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED TO YOU IN TERMS OF FORMAT, YOU CAN FIND ON THE THIRD
PAGE OF THE HANDOUT, AND IT IS, IN FACT, A FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT YOU DO
FIND IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
IT IS BASICALLY THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT USED IN THE CITY OF TEMPLE TERRACE,
WHERE THE MAYOR OF TEMPLE TERRACE IS DIRECTLY ELECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF
TEMPLE TERRACE, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW THE CURRENT MAYOR, OR
THE MAYOR WHO SERVED FOR MANY, MANY YEARS WHO PRECEDED HER, THEY WERE
CERTAINLY IN THEIR OWN RIGHT, LEADERS OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A POLITICAL
VISION FOR THEIR COMMUNITY.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED IN THIS THIRD PAGE THAT IT WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY
STILL OF THE FULL BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE
THE ELECTED MAYOR, WHO WOULD APPOINT OR WHO WOULD FIRE THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR.
IF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD BELIEVES THAT CHANGE IS NECESSARY -- AND I
THINK THAT'S A BIG IF, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH THAT
QUESTION -- BUT IF YOU BELIEVE THAT CHANGE IS NECESSARY, AND IF YOU BELIEVE
CHANGE IS NECESSARY PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO FORM OF GOVERNMENT,
WHY WOULD I SUGGEST THAT THE FORM THAT'S OUTLINED ON THE THIRD PAGE IS
BETTER THAN THE ELECTED EXECUTIVE THAT YOU HAVE HEARD DESCRIBED AS
SOMETHING IS THAT THAT IS PROPOSED TO CHANGE FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
GOVERNMENT?
I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THERE ARE SIX REASONS.
I WILL RUN THROUGH THEM QUICKLY.
I CAN EXPAND ON THEM IF YOU LIKE.
I WILL LEAVE YOU A COPY OF MY REMARKS AT THE END OF MY PRESENTATION THIS
EVENING SO YOU CAN CONSIDER THEM IN MORE DETAIL IF YOU CARE TO.
SIX REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, WHAT I PROPOSED I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU MAXIMIZES WHAT
CITIZENS DO BEST: CITIZENS SELECT GOOD POLITICAL LEADERS.
AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT ELECTING SOMEONE WHO WOULD BE THE POLITICAL
LEADER OF A LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THE CONVERSE OF THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS SO
TRUE.
IT IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE THAT THE CITIZENS ELECT THE BEST MANAGERS.
AND I WOULD DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THAT.
REASON NUMBER TWO: THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT RETAINS A COMMITMENT TO
PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT.
NUMBER THREE, I BELIEVE THE PROPOSED FORM OF GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGES THE
ATTRACTION OF THE MOST QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL MANAGERS TO SERVE IN
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
ONE OF THE HANDOUTS THAT I WILL GIVE YOU IS A LIST OF THE CRITERIA FOR
RECOGNITION OF A COMMISSION MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
THE TYPE OF DESIGNATION THAT IS GIVEN TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
GOVERNMENT.
IF, IN FACT, THERE IS AN INTEREST IN ATTRACTING AS COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR
COUNTY MANAGER OR WHATEVER YOU CALL THIS PERSON, SOMEONE WHO MIGHT
BE CONSIDERED THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS, THEN I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT
YOU SHOULD FOLLOW GUIDELINES THAT THE PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION
SUGGESTS WILL LEAD YOU TO THAT COURSE OF ACTION.
REASON NUMBER FOUR, I THINK WHAT I HAVE SUGGESTED AVOIDS THE CONFLICT
THAT WOULD BE INHERENT IN AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE AND A BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS, EACH WITH ITS OWN AGENDA, EACH WITH ITS OWN STAFF, EACH
WITH ITS OWN POLITICAL VISION.
I THINK YOU HEARD SOMETHING EARLIER TONIGHT THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT IN
THIS CONTEXT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, IF YOU MAKE A MAJOR
CHANGE, THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT CHANGING.
IF WHAT YOU CONSIDER DOING IN AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT
IS TO ADOPT THE CITY OF TAMPA FORM OF GOVERNMENT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU
TO LOOK CLOSELY AT WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL DOES OR DOESN'T DO, HOW THEY
FUNCTION, WHAT THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE, WHAT THEY'RE PAID, THE WHOLE
RANGE OF ISSUES THAT DEFINE HOW THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORKS, BECAUSE
THAT IS INHERENTLY A PART OF SWITCHING TO A DIFFERENT FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.
THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ALL THOSE ISSUES.
IT IS NOT JUST A QUESTION OF CHANGING A SECTION IN THE CHARTER AND SAYING,
LET'S TAKE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND HAVE HIM ELECTED INSTEAD,
BECAUSE THERE ARE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS IN HOW THAT ALL
WORKS.
REASON NUMBER FIVE, THIS THIRD FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT I HAVE SUGGESTED
WOULD REQUIRE THAT PUBLIC POLICY BE DEBATED AND DECIDED IN THE SUNSHINE,
NOT IN THE BACK ROOM.
BECAUSE IT WOULD PLACE THE MAJOR POLITICAL LEADER AS A MEMBER OF THE
SAME BODY THAT WOULD REQUIRE ACTION TO BE TAKEN TO ESTABLISH THE MAJOR
DIRECTION ON MAJOR ISSUES FOR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
AND I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT THE PUBLIC DESERVES NO LESS THAN THAT
COMMITMENT.
REASON NUMBER SIX, I THINK IT IS SIMPLY SOMETHING THAT IF YOU DECIDE
SOMETHING IS BROKE THAT NEEDS FIXING, IF YOU REACH THAT CONCLUSION AFTER
YOUR STUDY, IT REPRESENTS A LESS RADICAL CHANGE THAN WOULD BE PROPOSED
TO GO TO AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE.
PRESUMABLY, IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING, I WOULD BELIEVE
AFTER MONTHS AND MONTHS OF STUDY, YOU WOULD PROBABLY HOPE THAT IT
WOULD STAND A CHANCE OF PASSING.
I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING RADICALLY
WRONG IN ORDER TO LEAD YOU TO WANT TO MAKE RADICAL CHANGE.
FINALLY, I WOULD OFFER YOU TWO OBSERVATIONS ABOUT YOUR PROCESS.
THESE ARE SIMPLY OBSERVATIONS, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THEY HAVE COME FROM
LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS IN OTHER
CONTEXTS, IN AN EXPECTATION RELATED TO THE PRODUCT.
OBSERVATION NUMBER ONE RELATES TO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER YOU SHOULD
VOTE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT THAT YOU ARE PERSONALLY OPPOSED TO,
BUT YOU BELIEVE PEOPLE OUGHT TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON.
I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT I HOLD A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT VIEW ON THAT
QUESTION THAN YOU HEARD EARLIER.
BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL LOOK TO YOU TO BELIEVE THAT AS THE CHARTER SAYS, YOU
HAVE CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF THE CHARTER, AND YOU HAVE
REACHED A CONCLUSION THAT TEN OF YOU BELIEVE THAT WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS
THAT YOU PUT ON THE BALLOT, REPRESENTS AN IMPROVEMENT IN COUNTY
GOVERNMENT.
THERE WILL WILL ALWAYS BE debate ABOUT FORM, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DEBATE
ABOUT PERSONALITY, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DEBATE ABOUT PROCESS.
BUT LET ME STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU, BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL LOOK TO YOU,
THAT WHATEVER YOU PUT ON THE BALLOT IS SOMETHING YOU BELIEVE IT ; BECAUSE
FRANKLY, MOST CITIZENS ARE BUSY WITH AN AWFUL LOT OF OTHER STUFF IN THEIR
LIVES.
IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO GET PEOPLE AWAY FROM MONDAY-NIGHT FOOTBALL TO COME
TO A PUBLIC HEARING, OR TO GET PEOPLE AWAY FROM GIVING THE KIDS A BATH, OR
DEALING WITH ALL OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT ALL OF US IN BUSY LIVES HAVE TO
CONFRONT.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, IF YOU DECIDE THAT AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE IS THE
RIGHT ANSWER, AND TEN OF YOU BELIEVE IT IS THE RIGHT ANSWER, I WOULD
SUGGEST TO YOU THAT YOU PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT TERM LIMITS FOR THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS IS
SOMETHING THAT TEN OF YOU BELIEVE IS AN IMPROVEMENT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO
PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
BUT LIKEWISE, I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT YOU ARE BEING EQUALLY
RESPONSIBLE IN YOUR CHARGE IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE
BALLOT, IF TEN OF YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT REPRESENTS AN IMPROVEMENT,
BECAUSE YOU HAVE A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY THAT CITIZENS WILL LOOK TO YOU
TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU BELIEVE IT IS BETTER.
OBSERVATION NUMBER TWO, SECOND OBSERVATION IS REALLY RELATED TO THE
QUESTION THAT I HAVE HEARD YOU AND WATCHED YOU DISCUSS ON A COUPLE OF
OCCASIONS.
YOU ARE IN THIS VERY AWKWARD SITUATION TIME-WISE, OF HAVING A A CHARTER
REVIEW BOARD AT WORK, A GENERAL ELECTION TIME SCHEDULE BEARING DOWN ON
YOU, LOOKING AT THE QUESTION OF WHETHER TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT
THIS NOVEMBER AND MAYBE PUT SOME OTHER THINGS ON THE BALLOT AT A LATER
ELECTION.
LET ME SIMPLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY, IF YOU DECIDE TO DO
THAT, TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT THE INTERRELATIONSHIP OF ALL OF THE
ISSUES.
WHETHER THE QUESTION YOU LOOK AT IS NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS,
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
WHATEVER THE ISSUE MIGHT BE, FOUR MONTHS LATER IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS,
YOU MAY HAVE REACHED A CONCLUSION TO CHANGE SOMETHING ELSE IN THE
CHARTER THAT'S DIRECTLY RELATED TO THAT, AND YOU WILL BE ENGAGED IN A
PROCESS OF EXPLAINING TO THE ELECTORATE WHAT THE ISSUE THAT'S ON THE
BALLOT THIS FALL MEANS IN TERMS OF THE DELIBERATIONS THAT YOU ARE HAVING
IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S NOT TO SUGGEST THAT YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT.
BUT I WOULD SIMPLY SUGGEST TO YOU THAT YOU THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT
THOSE INTERRELATIONSHIPS.
LET ME CLOSE MY REMARKS BY THANKING ALL OF YOU AGAIN FOR THE HARD WORK
AND THE DIFFICULT TASKS THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU.
I HAVE ATTENDED SOME OF YOUR MEETINGS.
I HAVE WATCHED OTHERS ON TELEVISION.
I KNOW HOW HARD YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING.
I APPRECIATE THE TOUGH TASK THAT YOU HAVE, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
YOUR DEDICATED SERVICE TO CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TRY TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE,
EITHER ABOUT ANY OF THE MATERIAL THAT I HAVE PRESENTED, OR ABOUT ANY
OTHER ISSUES THAT YOU MAY WISH TO PURSUE.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
MR. WILKES HAS THE FIRST QUESTION.
>>DANNY WILKES:  MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK TWO QUESTIONS.
MR. KLEMAN, THANKS FOR THE EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK TWO QUESTIONS, AND THIS IS ASKING YOU AS AN EXPERIENCED
ADMINISTRATOR.
WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE, IF ANYTHING, WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE COUNTY
COMMISSION?
(LAUGHTER)
>>AND IT TAKES HOW MANY TO FIRE HIM?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  NON-PARTISAN ELECTIONS?
NON-PARTISANSHIP ELECTION PROCESS -- NON-PARTISANSHIP.
>> SECOND QUESTION, DO YOU THINK THE CURRENT STRUCTURE WITH THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATION AND COUNTY ATTORNEY IS EFFECTIVE?
>> I THINK IT WORKS.
MS. ACTON AND I HAVE A VERY GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
THE CHARTER PROVISION THAT'S IN THIS CHARTER IS ONE THAT IS DIFFERENT FROM
MANY, BUT I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT IT IS NOT ONE THAT HAS REPRESENTED
A PROBLEM.
IF YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THAT AS AN ISSUE, IF YOU DECIDE THAT THAT IS SOMETHING
THAT YOU WISH TO PURSUE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADEQUATE
TESTIMONY FROM PEOPLE WHO USE THE LEGAL SERVICES TO MAKE A JUDGMENT
ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE PRESENT ARRANGEMENT.
I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THERE'S NOT.
>> THANK YOU.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  YOU MENTIONED IN THE THIRD PAGE THE ELECTED COUNTY
MAYOR THAT WOULD SERVE ON THE COMMISSION.
DOES THAT BECOME AN 8TH COMMISSIONER?
>> TYPICALLY IT IS THE PRESIDING OFFICER, THE 8TH COMMISSIONER IN THE
PRESENT ARRANGEMENT IT COULD BE ONE OF THE COUNTY-WIDE SEATS.
I THINK CLEARLY IT SHOULD BE A COUNTY-WIDE THING.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  IT HAS TO BE COUNTY-WIDE, ABSOLUTELY.
BUT YOU ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT WE ADD ANOTHER COMMISSIONER?
>> NO, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE THE LONG VIEW ABOUT LOOKING AT
THAT.
IF YOU HAVE CHANGES OF GREATER SIGNIFICANCE, IMPLEMENT THEM FAR ENOUGH
IN ADVANCE OR PROPOSE THEIR IMPLEMENTATION FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE THAT
THE WORLD CAN ADJUSTED TO IT.
I WOULD SUBMITTED TO YOU THAT THERE IS NOTHING I KNOW OF IN LOCAL
GOVERNMENT, THAT IS THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THAT IS SO BROKE THAT
REQUIRES A CRISIS THAT REQUIRES YOU TO IMMEDIATELY RUSH OUT AND FIX
SOMETHING.
PROPOSE A CHANGE BECAUSE YOU THINK IT IS AN IMPROVEMENT, IMPLEMENT IT IN
A WAY THAT IS RATIONAL, AND YOU MAY IN FACT HAVE SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, MR. HURLEY?
>>DAVID HURLEY:  ACTUALLY, THE ANSWER TO THAT ONE NECESSITATED THE NEED
FOR ANOTHER ONE.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  A QUESTION QUICK QUESTION.
FIRST OF ALL, I ALSO APPRECIATE THE VERY WELL THOUGHT-OUT PRESENTATION
YOU HAVE MADE TO US.
IT'S BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO ME.
YOU WERE PRESIDENT OF THE PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION, AND I APOLOGIZE, I
FORGOT THE NAME OF THAT.
>> THE INTERNATIONAL CITY AND COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION.
>> WOULD THEY BE AVAILABLE TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE COME AND SPEAK TO
US OR DO THEY HAVE MATERIALS THAT WOULD HELP US DEAL WITH SOME OF THE
ISSUES WE MIGHT DISCUSS?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  THEY DO. IN FACT, I WILL TELL THAT YOU THE STATISTIC THAT I
GOT, THE 62% NUMBER, I GOT BY CALLING ICMA THIS AFTERNOON.
I WASN'T SURE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS.
THEY HAVE LOTS OF MATERIAL THAT COULD BE HELPFUL TO YOU.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  WHY DO YOU SEE PARTISANSHIP ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION AS
SUCH A PROBLEM?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO DRIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
I WAS LISTENING CAREFULLY TO WHAT SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS WAS SAYING
ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE HUNKY DORY AT A TIME WHEN THERE WERE SIX
DEMOCRATS AND ONE REPUBLICAN.
I SUPPOSE THE SAME WOULD BE TRUE IF THERE WERE SEVEN REPUBLICANS OR SIX
REPUBLICANS AND ONE DEMOCRAT.
I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE OBSERVED -- BOY, I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO
GET INTO THIS ONE; I WONDER IF I WILL STILL BE EMPLOYED -- SOMETHING I HAVE
OBSERVED THAT HAS GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF PUBLIC POLICY DISCUSSION ABOUT AN
ISSUE.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  GOTTEN IN THE WAY OF WHAT?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  SOMETHING IN THE WAY OF WHAT YOU HEARD JAN PLATT SAY
TONIGHT ABOUT THAT QUESTION.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  THANK YOU.
THAT'S ALL.
>>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
MR. WHITE?
I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD GET BY WITHOUT YOU ASKING A QUESTION.
>>GERALD WHITE: FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK CHAIRMAN SMITH FOR
SUGGESTING EARLIER IN OUR EARLIER MEETINGS THAT WE DO THIS DELIBERATE
AND THOROUGH STUDY, AND CALM DOWN A LITTLE, BECAUSE THE KNOWLEDGE
THAT YOU HAVE BROUGHT TO OUR GROUP TONIGHT HAS BEEN EXTREMELY
VALUABLE.
MY ONLY CONCERN, QUESTION, IS: YOU HAVE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS AT THIS
PRESENT TIME, AND THE WAY YOU OUTLINE IT, ONE COULD BE THE COUNTY MAYOR,
AS A PART OF THE BODY.
ARE YOU SUGGESTING WE HAVE ONE COUNTY-WIDE RACE AND ANOTHER, SIXTH
SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT?
>> I DIDN'T SAY THAT, BUT YOU COULD DO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, IN THAT ARRANGEMENT, YOU WOULD HAVE THE CHOICE OF KEEPING
THREE AT-LARGE AND FOUR FROM DISTRICTS, OR HAVING ONE OR TWO AT-LARGE,
AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
>> THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW -- I JUST START HEARING ABOUT THE
COUNTY ATTORNEY WHEN I BECAME A PART OF THIS GROUP.
YOU ARE SAYING THERE IS NOTHING WRONG.
YOU DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ARRANGEMENT AT THIS
PRESENT TIME?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  IT AIN'T BROKE.
>>GERALD WHITE: THANK YOU.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  I HAD A QUICK QUESTION THAT JUST CAME TO MIND.
ON OUR HANDOUT, THE THIRD PAGE OF FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE ELECTED
COMMISSION MANAGER FORM, UNDER THAT FORMAT, THEN, WOULD YOU SUGGEST
THAT THERE BE CERTAIN POWERS GIVEN ONLY TO THE MAYOR, OR THAT BOTH THE
COMMISSION AND THE MAYOR WOULD DEAL WITH ISSUES LIKE ZONING , LAND USE
CHANGES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, OR WOULD THERE BE SEPARATE POWERS THAT
THE MAYOR WOULD HAVE FROM THEIR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  YES AND NO.
IN LARGE PART, THE PERSON WOULD BE SIMPLY THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF A
SEVEN-MEMBER BOARD, MUCH AS THE CHAIR IS TODAY.
I THINK IN A LOT OF PLACES, YOU WILL FIND THE CHAIR HAS MORE AUTHORITY THAN
THE CHAIR OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION HAS HERE.
BUT THOSE ARE POWERS OR RESPONSIBILITIES THAT ARE RELATED TO THE
FUNCTIONING OF THE COMMISSION, NOT SO MUCH QUESTIONS THAT THEY ARE
DIFFERENT AND OUTSIDE OF THE COMMISSION'S RESPONSIBILITIES.
JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, AN ELECTED CHAIR OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION COULD, IF
THERE WERE COMMITTEES ON THE COMMISSION, APPOINT MEMBERS OF THE
COMMISSION TO SERVE ON THOSE COMMITTEES.
THAT IS NOT UNUSUAL IN A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
CERTAINLY, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, WOULD
DO THAT IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE.
OTHER SIMILAR KINDS OF ISSUES THAT ARE INTERNAL TO THE OPERATION OF THE
COUNTY COMMISSION.
I WOULD NOT SUGGEST THAT SOMEHOW OR OTHER THAT ELECTED MAYOR GET
INVOLVED IN THE HIRING OF THE FIRE CHIEF OR ANY OF THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES.
>> OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH: MR. BALES?
>>JOHN BALES: IT'S OBVIOUS THAT YOU HAVE HAD MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
FROM THIS BUSINESS SO LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE TO BE MORE CONTENTIOUS
THAN OTHERS IN ITS DELIBERATIONS WITH EACH OTHER, THAN YOU HAVE SEEN OF
OTHERS?
>> IT'S A SIMPLE QUESTION AND WE WON'T TELL THEM WHAT YOU SAY.
>>JOHN BALES: I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION.
WHATEVER WAY YOU ANSWER, I ASK YOU, WHY IS THAT SO?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  I THINK THE CURRENT COMMISSION IS SPIRITED.
I THINK THE CURRENT COMMISSION HAS SOME VERY TOUGH ISSUES THAT IT'S BEEN
DEALING WITH.
COMMISSIONS SOMETIMES GO THROUGH CYCLES, AS NEW MEMBERS GET
ACCLIMATED INTO A CULTURE, INTO AN INSTITUTION.
I EXPECT THAT THIS BOARD WILL FUNCTION DIFFERENTLY IN OCTOBER THAN IT HAS
IN MARCH, BECAUSE THERE'S A PROCESS THAT A GROUP GOES THROUGH.
I THINK SOME OF THAT IS STILL GOING ON.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I CAN PINPOINT REASONS FOR SOME OF WHAT YOU SUGGEST,
ALTHOUGH I THINK I WOULD ENCOURAGE EACH OF YOU TO THINK THROUGH THE
QUESTION, BECAUSE TO ME, IT'S A PART OF ASSESSING, IF THERE'S BROKE WITH THE
CURRENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT, WHY DO PEOPLE RUN?
WHAT MOTIVATES THEM?
WHY DO THEY WANT TO STAY IN OFFICE?
WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO BE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR?
WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES OR DISINCENTIVES THAT LEAD TO BEHAVIOR THAT YOU
EXHIBIT?
IF YOU CAN SORT THROUGH THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS, THEN YOU ARE MUCH
BETTER THAN I AT THAT, BECAUSE YOU ARE CITIZENS AND WATCHERS.
SOMETIMES WE ARE A LITTLE TOO CLOSE TO ALL OF THAT.
I THINK YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT WHETHER YOU THINK SOMETHING IS BROKE.
WILL.
>>JOHN BALES: THIS QUESTION MAY NOT BE REASONABLE BUT I WILL ASK IT
ANYWAY.
TRY, TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES, TO SEPARATE YOURSELF FROM YOUR
CURRENT POSITION, AND TRY TO LOOK DOWN AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR COUNTY
AT THIS TIME, AND WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THE BEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT WE
SHOULD HAVE UNDER THE THREE MODELS THAT YOU HAVE SUGGESTED, OR SOME
OTHER?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU EITHER THE FIRST OR THE THIRD, THE
FIRST PAGE OR THE THIRD PAGE.
THE FIRST PAGE CAN WORK.
WHAT YOU FIND ON THE THIRD PAGE IS A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORM OF
GOVERNMENT THAT FOCUSES ON GREATER POLITICAL LEADERSHIP, COULD BE AN
IMPROVEMENT, BUT IT MAY NOT BE.
I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT EITHER OF THOSE IS BETTER THAN WHAT YOU FIND
ON THE SECOND PAGE.
>>JOHN BALES: COULD YOU BE MORE DEFINITE?
COULD YOU CHOOSE BETWEEN ONE OF THE TWO?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  I COULD, BUT I WON'T.
>>JOHN BALES: I THINK THAT IS THE ANSWER.
>>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. KLEMAN?
I HAVE A COUPLE, MR. KLEMAN.
THERE HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION HERE AT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD THAT
THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH SUNSHINE AS IT RELATES TO THE COUNTY STAFF DEALING
WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ENTIRE
BOARD VERSUS ONE OR TWO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY POLICIES OR ANYTHING IN PLACE?
DOES THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE, OTHER
THAN THE GENERAL SUNSHINE LAW, AS TO HOW YOU PROCEED WHEN YOU MEET
WITH COMMISSIONERS, WHEN YOUR STAFF MEETS WITH COMMISSIONERS, THAT CAN
ALLAY THOSE CONCERNS?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING OTHER THAN A VERY CLEAR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE STATE LAW, AND A STRONG COMMITMENT TO ADHERENCE
TO IT IN BOTH PRACTICE AND PRINCIPLE.
>>JAN SMITH: IN THE OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU'VE WORKED, BASED ON YOUR
STUDIES, AND YOUR SERVICE ON THE INTERNATIONAL MANAGERS ORGANIZATION,
WHAT'S AN IDEAL?
IS THERE AN IDEAL NUMBER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND IS IT BASED ON
POPULATION?
OR IS IT A NUMBER THAT WORKS BETTER TOGETHER?
AND THEN ALSO, IF YOU WOULD GIVE ME YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE 4/3 SPLIT.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THERE'S A PARTICULAR NUMBER THAT
WORKS.
TYPICALLY, THE SMALLER THE BOARD, THE EASIER IT IS TO REACH CONSENSUS ON
QUESTIONS.
IN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT THAT'S ATTEMPTING TO SERVE A MILLION PEOPLE IN A
VERY, VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY, A LARGER NUMBER MAY IN FACT MAKE SOME
MORE SENSE.
A LARGER NUMBER, PARTICULARLY IF IT DEALS WITH SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS,
MAY ADDRESS QUESTIONS OF GUARANTEEING MINORITY REPRESENTATION.
THERE IS, FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY, WITH FOUR DISTRICTS, THERE IS NO DISTRICT THAT
IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAJORITY ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
THERE HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ELECTED TO THE BOARD
OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
SO I GUESS MY SENSE IS, WHILE I WOULDN'T PICK A PARTICULAR NUMBER, IN A
COMMUNITY WITH A MILLION PEOPLE AND A LOT OF DIVERSITY, A LARGER NUMBER,
OR A NUMBER AT THE LARGER END OF THE SCALE, OF WHAT WOULD BE WORKABLE,
MAY BE BETTER THAN A SMALLER NUMBER.
19, AS IN JACKSONVILLE?
OR YOU WOULD BE THINKING MORE LIKE 7 OR 9?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  I WOULD SAY 19 WAS NOT WHAT I WAS THINKING OF!
NOT SO LARGE THAT YOU NEED NAMETAGS.
>>JAN SMITH: I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION AND IT HAS JUST LEFT MY BRAIN.
A CONCERN THAT I HAVE UNDER CHANGING THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND THUS
CHANGING FROM THE 4/3 KIND OF A SPLIT, IS THAT I HAVE HEARD EXPRESSED MANY
TIMES THAT IF YOU GO FROM HAVING THE ABILITY TO RIGHT NOW VOTE FOR 4
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO BE ABLE TO VOTE FOR 2, YOUR ABILITY TO HAVE
INFLUENCE WITH THE BOARD IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED.
I'M ALSO COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC POPULATION IS,
NEEDLESS TO SAY, CONSIDERED MINORITIES SO THERE IS LESS NUMBER OF PEOPLE
IN COMPARISON TO THE WHITE POPULATION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WONDERFUL WHEN WE HAD SYLVIA KIMBELL ON THE BOARD THE
FIRST TIME.
I THOUGHT ELECTING A BLACK WAS REALLY A SENSE OF PRIDE FOR THAT
COMMUNITY.
I AM CONCERNED THAT IF YOU GO TO AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE OR THE FIRST, SECOND
-- OR THE SECOND OR THIRD FORMS, THAT YOU ALMOST PRECLUDE ELECTING A
BLACK PERSON AS COUNTY-WIDE MAYOR, AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND
I WONDER IF YOU COULD GIVE ME YOUR OPINION AS TO HOW YOU SEE THAT
AFFECTING THIS COMMUNITY.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY.
>>JAN SMITH: ABSOLUTELY DOESN'T HAVE TO BE.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  I DON'T KNOW THAT NEW YORK HAS A PREDOMINANT BLACK
THROUGHOUT NEW YORK CITY, BUT DAVID DINKINS WAS THE MAYOR SO I AM A
LITTLE SHOCKED THAT THAT -- YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT AS A POINT.
I THINK THERE ARE PEOPLE, THERE ARE WHITE PEOPLE HERE, THAT WOULD NOT
VOTE FOR A MAN BECAUSE HE'S BLACK AND A WHITE BLACK MAN WON'T VOTE FOR
A WHITE MAN BECAUSE HE'S WHITE: I HOPE THAT'S NOT THE PREDOMINANT
THINKING IN THIS COUNTY, ON EITHER SIDE.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  IF I COULD OFFER ONE OTHER OBSERVATION ABOUT THAT SUBJECT.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE PURSUING IN DETAIL THE QUESTION ABOUT SINGLE
MEMBER DISTRICTS OR THE SIZE OF THE COMMISSION, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO
TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE MODEL CHARTER DOCUMENT THAT I THINK I HANDED
OUT AT THE FIRST MEETING.
THERE'S A FAIRLY GOOD DISCUSSION OF THE PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT SIZES.
IT WILL AT LEAST GIVE YOU THE KINDS OF ARGUMENTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
AND SEE HOW THEY TEST AGAINST YOUR OWN PERSONAL BELIEFS.
SEE HOW THEY TEST AGAINST YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE AND YOUR
OBSERVATION OF THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT WORKS.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  I JUST WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ON YOUR COMMENT
AND MR. HURLEY'S.
WHILE I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS OPEN AND WE'D LIKE TO
SAY HOW WE CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY, THAT ANY ONE OF A MINORITY STATUS
COULD BE ELECTED COUNTY-WIDE, THE REALITY IS THAT WE ARE A COMMUNITY
THAT HAS BEEN EMBROILED IN BOTH THE CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN
TRIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS AT LEAST A SENSE OF FAIRNESS TO THE
CITIZENS OF THOSE MINORITY COMMUNITIES AND WE CAN'T FORGET THE FACT THAT
WE ARE ALSO UNDER FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS THAT EVERYTHING WE DO HAS TO BE
OKAYED, WHICH STATES LIKE NEW YORK AND OTHERS DON'T HAVE THAT BURDEN.
SO I THINK WE WOULD BE FOOLISH NOT TO BE LOOKING AT THE ISSUE TO SEE
WHETHER OR NOT THERE WOULD BE CONCERNS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT CHANGE THE
STRUCTURE, AND THE NUMBER, AND JUST SIMPLY, FOR THIS GROUP TO IGNORE THE
FACT THAT, WELL, WE DON'T THINK IT IS FAIR TO LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF WHETHER
OR NOT A MINORITY COULD BE ELECTED COUNTY-WIDE, I THINK THAT IS WHAT THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO DO.
MY POINT IS, I DON'T WANT THIS BOARD -- I'M FEARFUL WE ARE GOING TO SAY WE
DON'T THINK IT'S AN ISSUE, WE WON'T LET IT ENTER INTO OUR DEBATE, AND I THINK
THAT WOULD BE FOOLISH.
I THINK WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
>>JAN SMITH: OR JUSTICE WILL ADDRESS IT FOR US.
MR. WHITE?
>>GERALD WHITE: THAT IS WHY I TOLD -- I WANT JO ANN CLING AND A
REPRESENTATIVE FROM NAACP TO COME BEFORE OUR GROUP.
THEY WILL BRING PERSPECTIVE.
I RAN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE ONCE AND I WON A COUNTY-WIDE PRIMARY.
SO IN MY HEART, HOPE IS THERE.
WHATEVER ACTION WE TAKE, DEFINITELY IT DESERVES A THOROUGH STUDY AND
TOTAL COMMUNITY INPUT BEFORE WE REACH A CONCLUSION -- DESERVES A STUDY.
>>HENRY BELTRAN: I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT, I REMEMBER COMMISSIONER
NUCCIO WHO SERVED FOR SEVERAL TERMS, AND HE WAS LATIN.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, MANY -- DICK GRECO WAS ELECTED BY A GREAT MAJORITY
AND HE IS ALSO LATIN.
WE DON'T ENCOUNTER THE PROBLEM.
MS. KIMBELL WAS ALSO ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND SHE WAS
BLACK.
AND I FEEL THAT IF WE SELECT THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO RUN, I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT,
MINORITY OR NOT.
>>JAN SMITH: JOE CHILLURA WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR RUNNING
AND BEING ELECTED AS A SICILIAN.
IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS OF MR. KLEMAN, WE WILL LET HIM GO HOME.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
THERE WAS A PUBLICATION THAT LARRY BLICK, PREVIOUS PERSON IN COUNTY
GOVERNMENT PROVIDED FOR ME, AND IT WAS A PUBLICATION FROM THE COUNTY
MANAGERS, THE INTERNATIONAL, THE NATIONAL WHATEVER ASSOCIATION, AND
THERE WERE MANY ARTICLES IN THERE THAT WERE JUST INTERESTING READING,
AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU HAVE A LIBRARY OF THOSE OR ACCESS TO THAT
PARTICULAR PUBLICATION, BUT WHETHER THERE ARE ARTICLES IN THAT THAT
WOULD GIVE PROS AND CONS TO THIS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTING FOR BOARD
MEMBERS TO READ?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  I WILL SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO THAT
REQUEST.
>>JAN SMITH: JUST ONE MOMENT, MS. WALDRON?
>>ARLENE WALDRON: THE LAST DOCUMENT YOU REFERENCED ABOUT THE SINGLE
DISTRICT, CAN YOU GIVE ME A DATE ON THAT?
REFRESH MY MEMORY?
WE HAVE GOTTEN SO MANY HANDOUTS.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  A HANDOUT I GAVE YOU AT THE FIRST MEETING.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  FROM THE NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE?
>>DAN KLEMAN:  YES, PUBLICATION FROM THE NATIONAL CIVIC LEAGUE.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  I WANT TO THANK MR. KLEMAN SINCE HE'S HERE FOR THE
COURTESIES HE HAS GIVEN MS. MERRITT AND US FOR HELPING SET UP OUR OFFICE,
MAKING THE WEB PAGES AVAILABLE IN A QUICK MANNER.
THANK YOU.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  WE HAVE BEEN GLAD TO DO THAT. WE HAVE AN APPRECIATION FOR
THE JOB YOU HAVE AHEAD OF YOU, AND WE WANT TO HELP YOU AS WE CAN FOR THE
VERY DIFFICULT QUESTIONS.
IF THERE ARE ISSUES THAT COME UP IN THE FUTURE THAT YOU THINK I MIGHT BE OF
HELP IN OFFERING AN OPINION OR PROVIDING INFORMATION TO YOU, PLEASE FEEL
FREE TO CONTACT US.
>>JAN SMITH: I WILL GIVE YOU A HINT OF SOME THINGS TO COME.
AT OUR FIRST MEETING IN JUNE, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE -- AND BOARD MEMBERS,
I HOPE YOU WILL PERMIT ME THIS LIBERTY OF WHAT I TELLING YOU WHAT I HAVE
PLANNED FOR US -- THE THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE, WE ARE SENDING A LETTER TO
ALL CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
THE CIVIC GROUPS ARE GOING TO COME.
AND AT THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE, I INTEND TO HAVE THIS BOARD BE VISITED
BY THE BUSINESS, LEGAL, BUILDING, WHATEVER, BUSINESS COMMUNITIES.
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CALL-INS ON
THOSE TWO NIGHTS, SO THAT PEOPLE THAT MAYBE LIVE IN SOUTH COUNTY OR
NORTHWEST HILLSBOROUGH OR THONOTOSASSA A THAT DON'T WANT TO DRIVE ALL
THE WAY DOWN HERE, IF THERE IS A OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU, MS. LEVINE, AND YOUR
STAFF, COULD LOOK INTO WHETHER OR NOT FOR THOSE TWO MEETINGS IN
PARTICULAR, WE COULD HAVE A PHONE LINE.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP WITH THAT.
THAT IS A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING NOW AT THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS
THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HOLD.
IF YOU WANT TELEPHONE ACCESS, OR BE ABLE TO ACCESS ON THE INTERNET WHILE
YOU ARE MEETING, WE CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
>>JAN SMITH: THANKS.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING THAT OUT WITH YOU.
I KNOW BARBARA IS HOT ON THE TRAIL WITH THOSE ISSUES AS WELL.
>>DAN KLEMAN:  ON MY WAY OUT THE DOOR, ALLOW ME TO LIGHTEN MY LOAD A
LITTLE BIT MORE.
THANK YOU AGAIN.
>> AND BURDEN US SOME MORE.
>>JAN SMITH: MS. WALDRON, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>>ARLENE WALDRON: YES, CAN WE GET A LIST OF THE INVITES TO THESE TWO
MEETINGS?
>>JAN SMITH: YES.
MS. MERRITT, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, ANYBODY YOU CAN FAX OR E-MAIL THAT LIST
TO, SO IF PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTIONS OF PEOPLE THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ADDED?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  I'M SORRY, IN MY EXECUTIVE REPORT, I HAVE ALREADY SENT
OUT 676 LETTERS, SO THE LIST IS ABOUT THIS THICK.
I AM GLAD TO SEND IT TO YOU.
E-MAIL IT TO YOU?
OKAY.
>>JAN SMITH: ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS ON THE FIRST
ONE?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  THE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW IS COMPILE THE LIST.
WHAT I DID LAST WEEK, WHICH I WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WAS THE ARGUE
CULTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL IS MEETING THIS WEEK SO I PREPARED
A LETTER AND IT'S IN YOUR FOLDER.
I WANTED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO COME ON THE 22ND OF JUNE.
I TALKED TO JEAN GRAY AND STEVEN GANT AND WE HAVE SOME GOOD RESPONSES
THERE.
THE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY WAS EXCITED BECAUSE I TOLD THEM THEY WERE
FIRST THIS TIME.
I FELT THAT WAY BECAUSE I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MEETING.
THEIR NEXT MEETING WILL BE IN JULY AT THE FARM BUREAU AND IT'S THE SECOND
TUESDAY OF THE MONTH, AND I WAS WONDERING, I WAS GOING TO ASK MR.
BALLARD IF HE WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE GO TO THE MEETING FOR US.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF SOMEBODY WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND.
I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS TO GO AND
SHOW -- I CAN JUST TELL YOU TODAY, WHETHER I WAS IN SUN CITY CENTER, DEE
WILLIAMS WAS THERE AND GERALD WHITE AND PEOPLE IN SUN CITY WERE SO
EXCITED THAT WE HAD ACTUAL BOARD MEMBERS THERE BESIDES THE LADY THAT
WAS HANDING OUT PAPERS, WHICH WAS ME.
I THOUGHT WE GOT A GOOD RESPONSE THIS MORNING.
I'M SORRY, THE PEOPLE OF SUN CITY CENTER CLEANED ME OUT, THEY THANK YOU.
NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK TO COPYING.
IT WAS SO GLAD TO HEAR, OH, WE ARE INTERESTED IN THAT, GIVE ME THAT.
THE PEOPLE WERE REALLY EXCITED THERE.
COMMISSIONER HART ALSO GAVE US A PLUG ON THE MEETING TODAY.
HE THANKED US FOR BEING PART OF WHAT IS GOING ON, AND THAT I WAS OUT
THERE, AND THERE WERE SOME BOARD MEMBERS, SO I WAS EXCITED THAT THE
COMMISSIONERS NOTICED WE WERE THERE.
>>JAN SMITH: WHAT IS THE DATE OF THE AGRICULTURAL MEETING AGAIN?
>>BARBARA MERRITT: IT WILL BE JULY 11TH AT 2 O'CLOCK, BUT ANYONE THAT
WOULD LIKE TO GO, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE A COPY OF THAT AND YOU WILL
HAVE IT IN THE BOARD PACKET NEXT TIME.
OUR BOARD MEETING NEXT TIME, WE'LL HAVE RICHARD AKE, ROB TURNER, BOB
HUNTER, AND ROGER STEWART.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT ROGER BECAUSE THIS WILL BE HIS LAST OFFICIAL FUNCTION
BECAUSE HE IS RETIRING -- MR. STEWART, I'M SORRY.
HE WILL HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE HE CAN IMPART, PRO AND CON.
DR. HORTON HAS ALSO ACCEPTED OUR INVITATION.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET JO ANNA TOKELY BUT I WILL KEEP ON TRYING UNTIL
I GET HER, GERALD, I PROMISE.
IT WILL BE DR. HORTON, COMMISSIONER WACKSMAN AND DR. McMANUS HAS AGREED
TO COME THAT DAY SO I THINK IT WILL BE THE VERY GOOD MEETING.
JUNE 1ST WILL BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING FORUM.
JUNE 22ND WILL BE THE AGRICULTURAL, BUSINESS ISSUES FORUM.
I DO HAVE A LIST THAT I STARTED PUTTING TOGETHER FROM THE COUNTY MAILINGS
THAT I WILL SEND ALL OF YOU FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF I BROUGHT IT.
THOSE OF YOU WHO RECEIVE COUNTY WATER BILLS, THEY HAVE A MONTHLY
NEWSLETTER, CALLED THE COMMUNICATOR.
ALL THROUGH JUNE AND JULY, OUR QUESTIONNAIRE IS GOING TO GO OUT TO PEOPLE
IN THIS COMMUNICATOR AND OUR LIST OF MEETINGS WHEN WE ARE MEETING, SO I
THOUGHT THAT WAS ANOTHER WAY TO GET IT RIGHT INTO PEOPLE'S HANDS.
>> CAN YOU GET THE CITY TO DO THAT AS WELL?
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTY HAVE CITY WATER SERVICE,
AND THE CITY IN THE COUNTY, TOO.
>> I WILL ASK, BUT I DON'T THINK THEY WILL BE AS GRACIOUS. I WILL ASK CITY OF
TEMPLE TERRACE AND PLANT CITY AS WELL.
ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES.
>> I HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT THE CITY DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT AND
THEY WILL BE WILLING TO HELP, STARTING WITH JULIE HARRIS, YES.
>> I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN
WONDERFUL.
CINDY JONES AND STACY WILLIAMS, EVERY TIME, WHEN WE HAVE A CHANGE ON THE
WEB, TWO OR THREE DAYS, EVERYTHING IS UP AND IT'S RUNNING, AND I'M SO
EXCITED BECAUSE I AM LEARNING A LOT OF THINGS.
MAYBE WE WILL TRY AN ANIMATED, SOMETHING ANIMATED NEXT TIME.
I'M UP TO THAT.
I HAVE BEEN PUTTING BETWEEN 25 AND 30 HOURS IN.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH YOU WANT.
AM I GIVING YOU TOO MANY PAPERS?
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE?
I NEED TO FIND OUT, NOW, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO
HAVE -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT A PREPARED AGENDA, DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO
JUST BE ABLE TO SPEAK?
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE AT THE HANDLE THAT MEETING?
I NEED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, A LITTLE MORE GUIDANCE, I
GUESS, SO WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS START CALLING IN TO MAKE THEIR
RESERVATIONS AND THE BUSINESSES, DO YOU WANT THEM TO SPEAK ON CERTAIN
ISSUES, TO BE FREE --
>>JAN SMITH: I WANT IT TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD, ANY ISSUE THEY WANT TO
DISCUSS, AND WE TALKED ABOUT A TIME FRAME TO 5 TO 7 MINUTES, AS OPPOSED TO
5, THAT THEY COULD COME DOWN AND EXPLAIN THAT.
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY IF NOT SO MANY COME, WE CAN EXTEND THE TIME, BUT I
EXPECT IT TO TAKE ABOUT TWO HOURS OF THE THREE-HOUR MEETING.
>> IN THE LETTER, I HAVE ASKED ANY OF THEM IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT
THEIR PRESENTATIONS AHEAD OF TIME, IF THEY COULDN'T BE HERE, WHATEVER, I
WOULD BE GLAD TO PUT THEM IN YOUR BOARD PACKET.
DEPENDING ON HOW MANY OF THEM, IT DOES GET EXPENSIVE TO MAIL THEM OUT IF
THEY ARE BIG HEAVY PACKETS.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW YOU WANTED ME TO HANDLE THAT ALSO SO THAT IS A
QUESTION I HAD.
>>JAN SMITH: MR. LABOUR YOU HAD A QUESTION?
>>STEVE LABOUR:  NOT ABOUT THAT.
>>TERRY BALLARD: I WOULD BE GLAD TOO ATTEND THE AG MEETING WITH YOU
THERE. I'M ALSO A FARMER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW THAT.
I OWN A FARM.
>>I WASN'T SURE, BUT I HAD THAT FEELING.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. BALLARD.
>> DID OTHER THING, IN AUGUST, COMMISSIONER SCOTT HAS AGREED TO SPEAK ON
AUGUST 10.
I HAVE SOME OPENINGS.
THE LAST MEETING IN JULY, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME SPEAKERS
IN FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
>>JAN SMITH: YES, WE NEED SOME TIME TO TALK.
I ALSO THAT YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING IF WE COULD GET A COUNTY
REPRESENTATIVE FROM A COUNTY THAT LAST THE ELECTED MAYOR, THAT
FUNCTIONS IN THAT SYSTEM, AND HAVE THEM COME HERE.
ALSO, I THINK LINDA CHAPIN FROM ORLANDO, UNDER THE ORANGE COUNTY
CHARTER, SHE HAS BEEN IN THAT OFFICE, SHE IS NO LONGER IN THAT OFFICE, AND
SHE COULD EXPLAIN, I THINK, HAVING FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE, IF WE COULD GET
TWO OF THEM ON ONE EVENING, IT MIGHT REALLY BRING DISCUSSION TO THE FORE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT.
>> MS. CHAPIN IS CURRENTLY THE CLERK OF THE COURT IN ORANGE COUNTY?
>>JAN SMITH: YES, AND SHE SERVED AS THE FIRST COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN
OVER THERE.
>> WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DRAFT A LETTER?
>>JAN SMITH: YES, SEE IF SHE COULD COME.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  I HAVE A COUPLE ISSUES DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR BUT I THOUGHT WE MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A FREE DISCUSSION OF WHO
WE MIGHT WANT TO BRING IN AND WHEN, IS MY SENSE.
>>JAN SMITH: FINE.
>>STEVE LABOUR:  TO FINISH HER REPORT, A QUICK QUESTION.
HAS THE PRESS RELEASE IN OUR PACKET DATED MAY 9TH GONE OUT?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  YES.
>>ARLENE WALDRON: MADAM CHAIRMAN, I WOULD LIKE TO RESCIND THE REQUEST
FOR THE LIST OF 576 NAMES.
>>JAN SMITH: BARBARA AND I HAVE SPENT HOURS TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE COULD
DO BETTER, BETWEEN US BRAINSTORMING ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION WE CAN
COME UP TO GIVE YOU TO READ, THE BETTER YOU CAN MAKE DECISIONS AT THAT
POINT.
BARBARA HAS BEEN DILIGENT ABOUT DIGGING THIS UP.
WE DON'T HAVE A REPORT BACK YET FROM THE INFORMATION THAT MR. HUNZEKER
WAS GOING TO GET WITH YOU.
>> NO.
>>JAN SMITH: I WILL LET HER FINISH WITH HER REPORT BECAUSE SHE HAS SOME
MORE INFORMATION FOR US.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  I MET WITH TONY -- I CAN NEVER SAY IT RIGHT -- MR.
MOREJON.
HE'S THE HISPANIC AFFAIRS LIAISON.
WE DISCUSSED THE QUESTIONNAIRE, AND HE SAID HE WOULD BE WILLING TO
TRANSLATE IT INTO SPANISH, SO AFTER WE GOT TO TALKING , HE SAID, WELL, I REFER
TO MY OLD SPANISH TEACHER.
I SAID OLD SPANISH TEACHER?
AND IT DIDN'T DAWN ON ME THAT IT WAS MR. BELTRAN.
MR. BELTRAN HAS AGREED TO HELP US THERE, SO I AM EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I HAVE GIVEN YOU A LIST OF WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE DONE OR HOW YOU WOULD LIKE IT
DONE SO THAT'S WHY I AM GOING THROUGH A LEARNING CURVE HERE.
>>JAN SMITH: YOU HAD SOME OTHER THINGS TO PASS OUT THIS EVENING?
>> I DID, BUT THEY CLEANED ME OUT IN SUN CITY TODAY, I MEAN EVERYTHING THAT
WAS THERE.
>>JAN SMITH: HOW ABOUT THE RESOLUTION THAT WE ARE SENDING TO THE BOARD?
OKAY, MS. CAMPBELL HAS THAT.
WE ARE A BIT OUT OF ORDER HERE.
I'M SORRY, MS. CAMPBELL, TO KEEP YOU HERE LATER.
ANYTHING ELSE?
>> MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  THAT WILL BE IT.
I'M SORRY, I DID THINK OF ONE OTHER THING, BECAUSE I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS
WHEN WE WERE TALKING.
THAT SENATE BILL THAT DID COME BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION WHEN
THEY WANTED TO CHANGE TO THE MAYOR ISSUE, I CAN GET COPIES FOR YOU ALL
BECAUSE I DID A VERY GOOD ANALYSIS OF WHAT AN ELECTED MAYOR WOULD DO --
SOMETHING ELSE TO LOOK AT.
>>JAN SMITH: WASN'T THAT SENT OUT INITIALLY?
I THINK THAT CAME TO US AT THE VERY BEGINNING, ONE OF THE FIRST MAILINGS,
SO I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  OKAY.  I DIDN'T REMEMBER.
>>GERALD WHITE: THE CARDS THAT YOU PASSED OUT AT SUN CITY, THEY ARE
GREAT, AND OF COURSE THE E-MAIL IS GREAT.
IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN HAVE, EVERY TIME WE MAY GET A REPORT, EXACTLY
WHAT THE CITIZENS ARE ASKING FOR?
>>JAN SMITH: THAT WAS OUR INTENT.
SHE'S GOING TO COLLATE THOSE FOR US.
>> BARBARA MERRITT:I HAVE A FEW CARDS LEFT.
THIS IS WHAT THE CARDS LOOK LIKE.
I DID NOT ANTICIPATE THAT MANY TO BE TAKEN TODAY, BECAUSE I HAD JUST THEM
ON PAPER BUT PEOPLE LIKE THE IDEA BECAUSE I HAD IT ADDRESSED ON THE BACK,
SO THEY SAID, I JUST HAVE TO PUT A STAMP ON IT AND SEND IT BACK?
THEY SAID YEAH.
>>JAN SMITH: WE WILL SAY THAT AN AD HOC MEMBER OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW
BOARD SAID THAT AT SUN CITY, IF YOU FEED THEM OR GIVE THEM SOMETHING, THEY
WILL COME TO THE MEETING.
HE'S A WISE MAN.
>>BARBARA MERRITT: IT WAS A REAL GOOD EXPERIENCE.
>>JAN SMITH: OKAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF MS. MERRITT?
MR. WHITE?
>>GERALD WHITE: I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, WHEN YOU GO OUT AND MEET WITH THE
PUBLIC, A BROCHURE OF THIS BOARD, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THE WAY THE
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE THEIR BROCHURE, SOMETHING SMALL, NOTHING
FANCY, SO THAT THE PUBLIC WOULD KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GO ABOUT DOING THAT, BUT THEY NEED TO HAVE
SOMETHING.
>>JAN SMITH: ON THE CARD, I HAD BARBARA TAKE IT RIGHT OUT OF THE CHARTER,
THE REASONS FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
AND THAT IS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CARD, SO THAT THEY DO, IF THEY
WANT TO READ IT AS TO WHY WE ARE HERE, IT'S VERBATIM OUT OF THE CHARTER,
AND IT'S ON THAT QUESTIONNAIRE.
>>GERALD WHITE: OKAY.
I WAS SPEAKING MORE LIKE MS. WILLIAMS FROM BEAUTIFUL SUN CITY, YOU KNOW,
IT NEEDS TO HAVE HER PICTURE OR SOMETHING FROM SUN CITY, OR
GERALD WHITE FROM TAMPA, SO THE COMMUNITY CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHO WE ARE, WHO THESE CITIZENS, WHO THESE 14 CITIZENS ARE WHO IS, YOU KNOW,
WORKING ON THEIR CHARTER.
>>JAN SMITH: WE DO HAVE BIOGRAPHIES OF EVERYBODY AT THIS POINT?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  NOT EVERYBODY'S BUT THAT'S THE NEXT THING I AM
WORKING ON.
IT'S SOON TO GO ON THE WEBSITE.
I DID HAVE ALL COPIES OF THE WEBSITE AND PEOPLE WERE REAL EXCITED ABOUT
THAT BUT THAT EVEN GOT TAKEN TODAY.
>>JAN SMITH: REMEMBER TO GET PICTURES IN SOMETIME BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN
WE CLOSE OUT SUNNY DIE SO YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR PICTURE THAT GOES INTO THE
FINAL REPORT BECAUSE THERE WILL BE A REPORT THAT GOES OUT, WITH PICTURES.
UNLESS YOU GIVE A LITTLE BLACK SQUARE?
>> A HAPPY FACE?
>> HOW ABOUT THE "NO PHOTO AVAILABLE" OPTION?
>>JAN SMITH: I DO BELIEVE I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT ONE TIME.
DID YOU DO THAT TOO?
I DO WANT TO THANK DEE WILLIAMS FOR ALL OF HER WORK DOWN THERE IN SOUTH
COUNTY TO HELP GET THAT ORGANIZED AND FOR TAKING THE TIME AND MR. WHITE
FOR GOING DOWN.
I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE JOINING THEM AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
ALWAYS REMEMBER, CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS, AS LONG AS THE MEETING
IS PUBLICLY NOTICED, TWO OF YOU CAN BE IN THE MEETING AND ANSWER
QUESTIONS, ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN OPINIONS.
BUT IF THE MEETING IS NOT PUBLICLY NOTICED, YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF TO SAY
NOTHING OR LEAVE SO THAT YOU DON'T GET ACCUSED.
PERCEPTION, MANY TIMES, IS NOT WHAT IT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, BUT --
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  I HAVE TO SAY I WASN'T ASKED ANY QUESTIONS TODAY ABOUT
ANY CHARTER.
>>JAN SMITH: MS. MERRITT, ARE WE COMPLETE?
>>STEVE LABOUR:  AT THE NEXT MEETING I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME EXTRA
CARDS BECAUSE THOSE OF US WHO DO GO TO DIFFERENT MEETINGS, WE LIKE TO
LAND THEM OUT.
WHEN YOU PRINTED THE NEXT BATCH, KEEP SOME OUT FOR US.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  THAT WILL BE NEXT WEEK.
I INTENDED TO THIS WEEK.
>>JAN SMITH: PERHAPS YOU CAN GIVE MR. LABOUR WHAT YOU HAVE NOW AND THEN
WE CAN GET SOME MORE.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  OKAY.
THEY ARE IN THE PRINT SHOP AS WE SPEAK.
>>JAN SMITH: BARBARA IS DOING A HECK OF A JOB FOR US.
SHE IS ON THE PHONE TO ME DAY AND NIGHT, WHETHER I AM IN TOWN OR OUT OF
TOWN.
IF SHE'S NOT TALKING TO ME ON THE PHONE, I AM GETTING E-MAILS AND FAXES
FROM HER, SO WE ARE IN CONSTANT TOUCH, SO FEEL FREE TO CALL ON HER IF YOU
NEED HER ASSISTANCE.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  AND THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY STAFF HAS BEEN REALLY
GREAT.
EVEN TODAY THEY INVITED ME AT THE LAST MINUTE.
THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SLIGHT US OR ANYTHING, THEY SAID CAN YOU
COME?
I SAID WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
AND THEY SAID EVERYTHING THAT PERTAINS TO THE CHARTER.
SO I DID, I PACKED UP MY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE
I WAS GOING TO GIVE OUT EVERYTHING TODAY.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MS. MERRITT.
NOW TO BACK UP, MARRY HELEN CAMPBELL AND KEN, YOU HAVE SOME
INFORMATION ABOUT THE RESOLUTION?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: YES.
KEN IS PASSING AROUND THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU REQUESTED ME TO DRAFT.
I WILL JUST GO THROUGH IT QUICKLY.
IT IS SET UP IN THE SAME FORMAT THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
USES.
IT REFLECTS, FIRST OF ALL, THE VOTE.
MR. WHITE, MR. BALES SECONDING THE MOTION.
MS. WILLIAMS VOTING NO ON IT.
IT SETS OUT THROUGH THE WHEREAS CLAUSES THIS BOARD'S DESIRE THAT THE OATH
OF OFFICE FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION INCLUDE THE OATH TO PROTECT AND
DEFEND THE COUNTY CHARTER.
AND IN THE ACTUAL BODY OF THE RESOLUTION, IT ASKS THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS TO CONSIDER ADDING THIS OATH WHEN THEY GIVE IT AND SWEAR
IN THE COMMISSIONERS, AND THEN IT HAS THE NORMAL SIGNATURE LINES.
IT'S FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS, ALL I WOULD NEED NOW IS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE
WORDING OF THE RESOLUTION, AND WE CAN HAVE THE CHAIR SIGN IT AND WE WILL
MAKE SURE THAT IT GETS FORWARDED TO THE COMMISSIONERS WHILE THE WHITE
I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE WORDING OF THE RESOLUTION.
>>HENRY BELTRAN: SECOND.
>>JAN SMITH: WE HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND ON THE WORDING TO GO BEFORE
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS?
(MOTION CARRIED)
>>STEVE LABOUR:  WHEN WILL THIS RESOLUTION BE BEFORE THEM?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: AS SOON AS WE GET A RESOLUTION COPIED BY THE
CHAIR, WE'LL HAVE THE CLERK SIGN OFF ON IT AND IT WILL BE FORWARDED.
I WILL DRAFT UNLESS THE CHAIR WANTS TO DO IT, THE COVER LETTER THAT SIMPLY
EXPLAINS ALLOW THE VOTE WENT.
I CAN INCLUDE A BLOCK OF THE MINUTES WHERE THIS WAS DISCUSSED SO THEY CAN
GET A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE FLAVOR OF THE DISCUSSION THAT LED UP TO THE
ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION, AND TYPICALLY, WITH THINGS OF THIS NATURE, IT
IS AGENDAED AT A REGULAR BOARD MEETING AS INCOMING MATTER FOR THE
BOARD TO CONSIDER AS A WHOLE.
I WOULD EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN.
WHEN THAT MIGHT BE WOULD PROBABLY DEPEND ON THE CYCLE OF WHEN THE
CUT-OFF ON THE AGENDA COMES IN BUT IT WILL BE PRESENTED.
AND I WILL DEFINITELY BE AT THE MEETING AND I WILL LET THE MEMBERS KNOW
IF THEY WANT TO ATTEND THAT BOARD MEETING IN CASE THERE ARE QUESTIONS.
>>JAN SMITH: MS. CAMPBELL, IS THIS SOMETHING THE BOARD COULD POSSIBLY PUT
ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR IS THAT SOMETHING THEY WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: TYPICALLY WE HAVE A SPECIAL SECTION ON THE
REGULAR PART OF THE AGENDA, THAT WHEN THE BOARD GETS CORRESPONDENCE
THAT REQUIRES OR ASKS THE BOARD FOR SOME TYPE OF ACTION, IT'S PLACED ON A
CERTAIN SECTION OF THE AGENDA SO THAT THE BOARD -- SOMETIMES THEY RECEIVE
THE CORRESPONDENCE AND TAKE NO ACTION.
OTHER TIMES, THEY WILL TAKE ACTION OR DIRECT OUR OFFICE TO WORK FURTHER
ON WHATEVER WAS THE REQUEST.
>>JAN SMITH: WHEN YOU HAVE THE DATE AND TIME, IF YOU COULD LET MS. MERRITT
KNOW SO THAT SHE COULD LET THE BOARD MEMBERS KNOW IN CASE ANY OF THEM
WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND THAT.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: I WOULD BE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
>>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: ANOTHER THING IS THE ISSUE OF CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS.
I HAVE COPIES IN CASE ANYBODY WANTS THEM -- AND BARBARA HAS THEM -- OF
CHAPTER 106.08 THAT SETS OUT THE ACTUAL LA