CHARTER REVIEW BOARD
OCTOBER 12, 2000

**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.

>>JAN SMITH:  GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE OCTOBER 12th MEETING OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
AND ASK THAT YOU ALL TAKE YOUR SEATS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE'LL HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS HERE.
MS. TUTTLE, WILL YOU LEAD US IN A PLEDGE TO THE FLAG.
[ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. WEST, COULD WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
[ ROLL CALL TAKEN ]
>>RECORDING SECRETARY:  YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
JUST A MOMENT, BOARD MEMBERS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR PURSUING THE INTEREST OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD SO DILIGENTLY WHILE I WAS GONE.
MS. WALDRON, FOR CHAIRING THE COMMITTEE AND MR. HURLEY FOR MANAGING THIS MEETING AND ALL OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
I DON'T EXPECT TO BE ABSENT FROM ANY MORE MEETINGS.
WE HAVE NO MINUTES TO APPROVE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.
SO WE'LL HOLD THOSE UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THEM SOON ENOUGH IN ADVANCE THAT YOU CAN READ THEM BEFORE THE MEETING.
WE ARE PRIVILEGED THIS EVENING TO HAVE MAYOR DICK GRECO FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA WITH US.
I'VE GOT EIGHT PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO IF WE GAVE EVERYBODY THEIR FIVE MINUTES, WE'D KEEP OUR MAYOR SITTING HERE FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES PLUS OUR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
SO I WOULD LIKE YOUR INDULGENCE TO INVITE THE MAYOR TO SPEAK FIRST, AND THEN WE'LL ASK THE PUBLIC TO WAIT JUST A FEW MINUTES BECAUSE I KNOW HE'S GOING TO BE BRIEF.
HE DOESN'T WANT TO GIVE HIS SPEECH.
MR. GRECO, THANK YOU, SO MUCH, MAYOR FOR COMING THIS EVENING.
AND YOU MAY PROCEED.
>> YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK FOR 45 MINUTES?
>>JAN SMITH:  IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO TELL US IN 45 MINUTES, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO LISTEN.
>> JAN, REALLY, BEING MOST OF US KNOW EACH OTHER AND WE'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME, MAYBE YOU ALL MIGHT ASK ME A QUESTION AND I'LL ELABORATE ON WHAT YOU MIGHT ASK.
I HAD SOMEONE FROM THE CHAMBER COME AND ASK ME A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ABOUT MY THOUGHTS ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS.
I ASSUME THAT GETS BACK TO EVERYONE, BUT IT MIGHT BE BEST SO WE WOULDN'T RACE AROUND AND A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, IF YOU MIGHT ASK MY FEELINGS ON WHATEVER Y'ALL ARE DOING.
I WILL LIKE TO SAY BEFORE I START AND IN THE WAY OF A SPEECH, TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO, THAT YOU GIVE UP YOUR TIME TO TRY TO BETTER GOVERNMENT.
I APPRECIATE IT, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE DO.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN YOU COME UP WITH WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO DO POLITICALLY, IT MAY NOT WORK, AND YOU NEED TO GET IT DONE, AND YOU NEED TO MODIFY THINGS.
YOU KNOW HOW WE FEEL SOMETIMES.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE IN MIND OR IF YOU MIGHT HAVE A PARTICULAR VIEW ON IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  I'M CURIOUS, MAYOR GRECO, BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN MAYOR OF TAMPA PREVIOUSLY AND AGAIN, WHAT YOU SEE AS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE WAY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS IN ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA.
>> ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD RELATIONSHIP, I WOULD SAY; HOWEVER, THE GOVERNMENTS ARE DIFFERENT IN THE WAY THEY ARE STRUCTURED.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A PROPONENT, I'M NOT SURE IT WILL TAKE PLACE -- OF TRUE CONSOLIDATION.
I WOULD HAVE GOVERNMENT SIMILAR TO JACKSONVILLE WITH LESS COUNCIL OR NASHVILLE, DAVIS COUNTY.
WHEN I WAS MAYOR FOR THE FIRST TIME, I ADVOCATED THAT AND BROUGHT BOTH OF THOSE MAYORS TO DOWN.
MOST OF US PREDICTED WHAT YOU ARE SEEING TODAY.
SEWER COST AND THAT TYPE OF THING WOULD GO TO A PRICE TAG WHERE THE CITY AND COUNTY WOULD BE PAYING THE SAME AMOUNT OF TAXES.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROBLEMS WITH MAKING THAT HAPPEN.
A POLICE FORCE IS ONE.
WE HAVE A TOTAL UNIONIZED POLICE FORCE.
THE SHERIFF IS ELECTED.
THOSE THINGS WOULD HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT AND THEY HAVE DONE THAT IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES.
A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO DO POLITICALLY.
NOT PROBABLY, IF YOU WERE STARTING FROM SCRATCH TODAY, NO MATTER WHO YOU WERE, YOU WOULD SET UP A GOVERNMENT FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE CITY HAS, WITH AN EXECUTIVE HEAD, A LEGISLATIVE GROUP, AND THEN YOU HAVE SOME BALANCE.
THE COMMISSIONERS, THE COUNTY, THEY CATCH A LOT OF FLACK SOMETIMES, BUT I THINK THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT EACH OF THE SEVEN PEOPLE HAVE BASICALLY THE SAME POWER.
IF YOU WERE COMING TO TOWN AND YOU WANTED TO LEARN SOMETHING FROM THE COMMISSION, WHICH OF THE SEVEN WOULD YOU GO TO?
AND ALL SEVEN MAY THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT A SUBJECT.
WITH GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE, THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TOO.
YOU CAN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER IN ADVANCE.
TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
WHEN WE INKED THE DEAL WITH THE BUCCANEERS, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY WAS INVOLVED, THE COUNTY COMMISSION, THE CITY COUNCIL, MR. KLEMAN AND MYSELF, CITY ATTORNEY, COUNTY ATTORNEY, THAT WENT ON FOR MONTHS.
EVERY TIME YOU CHANGED ANYTHING THAT WAS THE LEAST BIT SIGNIFICANT, YOU HAD TO CALL, I THINK IT WAS LIKE, 23 PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY, EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT WENT ON AND ON AND ON.
THAT'S PRETTY CUMBERSOME.
YOU PROBABLY WOULDN'T DO THAT IN BUSINESS.
IT HAS SOME ADVANTAGES IN GOVERNMENT TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT IT'S HARD TO DO.
IMAGINE IF YOU WERE A COMMISSIONER, A COUNTY COMMISSIONER, AND YOU CAME IN HERE AND PERHAPS SOMEBODY HAD TALKED TO ONE OF YOU, THE OTHER SIX DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE OR HOW SMART YOU ARE, THAT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
MANY TIMES, PEOPLE WILL COME TO SEE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY BECAUSE AS A GOVERNMENT, THEY UNDERSTAND, AND MAYBE THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING IN THE COUNTY.
WE REFER THEM.
THAT TYPE OF THING.
THE MAYOR IS A TYPE OF GOVERNMENT THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE, AN EXECUTIVE HEAD.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WANT TO MOVE IN HERE WILL COME AND SEE ME, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.
IF WE THINK IT'S A GOOD THING, I ASSIGN THEM TO SOMEBODY.
THAT TYPE OF THING.
EACH COMMISSIONER WOULD HAVE DIFFICULTY DOING THAT.
SO THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT IS SET UP IS THE WAY THEY HAVE TO WORK, AND THEY DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB, I THINK.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, WE GET ALONG PRETTY WELL.
WE TRY TO KEEP EACH OTHER INFORMED.
OCCASIONALLY, THERE ARE GOING TO BE PROBLEMS.
WHEN I TOOK OVER AS MAYOR, THEY WERE HAVING A DIFFICULTY DECIDING WHICH SIDE OF THE STREET THE SHERIFF WOULD TAKE THE CALL ON, IF THE DIVIDING LINE WAS FOWLER AND HAVE BOTH THE SHERIFF AND POLICE TOGETHER AND SAID WHOEVER IS THE CLOSEST, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE, SO WHAT.
THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
FOR MANY YEARS, THE PREPONDERANCE MOVED INTO THE AREA.
THE COUNTY GREW BY A QUARTER OF A MILLION.
YOU ARE GOING TO SEE SOMEWHAT -- NOT A REVERSE OF THAT BECAUSE THE COUNTY HAS PLENTY OF LAND SOUTH AND SO FORTH WHERE IT IS VACANT AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO MOVE IN THERE.
PEOPLE ARE COMING TO FLORIDA WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE.
AND I WAS ASKED THE OTHER DAY JUST TO ELABORATE ON THE SAME THING YOU ASKED, WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT WOULD I SET UP THAT WOULD BE ANYTHING LESS THAN CONSOLIDATION IN THE COUNTY.
SHOULD WE HAVE A COUNTY MAYOR AND THAT TYPE OF THING?
IF YOU DID THAT, I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE ONE PERSON YOU WOULD GO TO AND EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD BE LEGISLATIVE.
AGAIN, DEPENDING ON WHO ALL THE PLAYERS WOULD BE AT THAT TIME, HOW IS THE COUNTY OR CITY MAYOR GOING TO GET ALONG?
IS THERE GOING TO BE EGO PROBLEMS OR ANIMOSITY WOULD DEPEND ON THE PERSON.
I WAS ALSO ASKED, BY ELABORATING ON THAT SUBJECT, WHETHER OR NOT I LIKED THE IDEA OF RUNNING AS A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT.
PERSONALLY, I DON'T.
I JUST HAVE NEVER BEEN BIG ON THAT SUBJECT.
I DO WHAT I THINK IS BEST OR RIGHT.
I DON'T TIE THAT TO A PARTY.
AND I THINK THAT JUST ADDS ANOTHER LITTLE CUMBERSOME SOMETHING TO IT.
AND I'M SURE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
I'M A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT, BUT I THINK IT'S TERRIBLY IMPORTANT AND I PICK OUT THE PERSON THAT I THINK WILL DO THE BEST JOB, AND SO BE IT.
THE OTHER IS SOMEWHAT TRIVIAL TO ME, BUT THAT'S A PERSONAL THING.
I WATCH SOME OF THE THINGS GOING ON IN WASHINGTON, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES SAY SOMETHING, HALF THE HOUSE CLAPS, THE OTHER DOESN'T.
THE ISSUE OUGHT TO BE AT OUR STAGE OF OUR LIVES, WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY.
I THINK THAT IS SOMEWHAT DEVISIVE TIMES, ESPECIALLY AT A LOCAL LEVEL.
SO TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, I WOULDN'T DO THAT EITHER.
I'M FOR TOTAL CONSOLIDATION.
I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN FOR 30 SOME YEARS, ALWAYS WILL BE.
WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S A POSSIBILITY, THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY HAVE.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. HURLEY HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  THE MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD HAVE DISCUSSED PUTTING AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN IN PLACE, AND THE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE THAT'S BEEN WORKED OUT BY OUR SUBCOMMITTEE IS A MAYOR THAT -- OR AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR THAT WOULD NOT HAVE VETO POWER.
HE WOULD ACTUALLY BE THE NINTH MEMBER OF THE BOARD, THE LAST -- AN EXTRA MEMBER ON THE BOARD THAT WOULD VOTE AS THE SAME AS THE COMMISSIONERS.
SORT OF A WEAK MAYOR TYPE POSITION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT?
>> WELL, I THINK AS LONG AS SOMEONE IS IN CHARGE, THERE'S A PLACE YOU CAN GO, THAT'S FINE.
I HAVE VETO POWER THE WAY WE'RE SET UP.
I WAS MAYOR SIX AND A HALF YEARS BEFORE.
I NEVER USED IT NOR DO I INTEND TO.
IF I PROPOSED ANYTHING THAT FOUR PEOPLE WERE AGAINST ON THE COUNCIL, I WOULD LOOK AT IT FOUR OR FIVE TIMES.
I THINK CONSENSUS IS SOMETHING YOU MUST BRING ABOUT IN POLITICS.
AND WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
AND I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE IT.
I NEVER HAVE COME CLOSE.
I NEVER EVEN HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
THE SAME TOKEN THAT YOU HAVE IT SEPARATES THE EXECUTIVE HEAD FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
IF YOU DESIGNATE SOMEONE AS MAYOR AND EVERYONE HAS EXACTLY THE SAME VOTE AND THE OTHERS ARE NOT LEGISLATIVE, YOU'VE GOT BASICALLY THE SAME THING.
ANY MORE THAN SOME CITIES THAT HAVE A WEAK MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT THAT'S BASICALLY ONE OF THE COUNCIL PEOPLE.
I DON'T IT'S THE VETO THAT DOES IT, YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND A LEGISLATIVE BRANCH TO SEPARATE THE TWO.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. BELTRAN.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  MAYOR, IN REFERENCE TO TIME LIMIT -- IN REFERENCE TO TIME LIMIT, WHAT IS YOUR SUGGESTION AND REFERENCE TO THAT?
BECAUSE I THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE ELECT AN OFFICIAL IS WHAT WE LIKE TO HAVE IN THAT POSITION.
AND IF IT DOESN'T DO THE JOB, THE PEOPLE WILL REMOVE IT.
BUT PUT IN THE TIME LIMIT, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU HAVE BEEN THE MAYOR FOR SIX YEARS NOW AND SIX YEARS BEFORE.
YOU HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB, I FEEL WHY NOT KEEP YOU ANY LONGER?
>> WELL, SOMEBODY THE OTHER DAY AT CITY HALL SAID, WELL, MAYBE WE CAN DO THIS ANOTHER FOUR YEARS IF THAT PASSES.
I SAID WE CAN SET UP A COUPLE OF FLOORS LIKE CANTEBURY TOWERS AND COME DOWN ON OUR BREAK AND RUN GOVERNMENT.
WE ALL GET OLDER AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A VERY STRONG STAND ON TERM LIMITS BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN THEM.
BELIEVE ME, IT'S NOT SELF-SERVING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAT ME DOWN AND SAID WILL YOU RUN IF THIS PASSES?
THE ANSWER IS, I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S THE HONEST ANSWER.
AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
IF I FEEL GOOD, MAYBE I WILL WANT TO.
BUT FORGETTING THAT.
MAYBE THAT VOTE SHOULD BE BASED ON RIGHT AND WRONG AND NOT INDIVIDUAL, NOT PEOPLE, NOT ME AND ANYBODY ELSE.
TERM LIMITS, I THINK ARE STUPID.
I REALLY DO.
DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL ANY MORE THAN ANY OF YOU, WHATEVER YOU DO, THAT YOU SHOULD DO IT FOR EIGHT YEARS AND QUIT, WHETHER YOU BE AN EDITORIAL WRITER FOR A NEWSPAPER.
WHY?
SUPPOSE RIGHT NOW I WAS 40 YEARS OLD WHEN I RAN FOR MAYOR THE FIRST TIME AND I KNEW I HAD A FIRE IN MY BELLY TO DO THIS AGAIN AND I HAD DONE A WONDERFUL JOB.
NOBODY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT YOU REGARDLESS OF THE JOB YOU DID.
WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SAYING IS I'M GIVING UP THAT RIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY REALIZES OR NOT BUT IN TAMPA, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THE MAYOR IS THE ONLY POSITION THAT'S IN THAT POSITION.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CAN RUN FROM DISTRICT TO AT-LARGE AND VICE VERSA, SO CAN THE CITY COUNCIL, SO CAN ALL THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS DON'T HAVE TERM LIMITS.
SO CITY AND COUNTY OFFICES THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS IT IS THE MAYOR HERE.
SOME CITIES HAVE IT; SOME DON'T.
ORLANDO'S MAYOR GOT ELECTED TO HER THIRD TERM AND A HECK OF A CAMPAIGN.
I THINK THE OPPOSITION OUTSPENT HER.
THE PEOPLE SHOULD MAKE THAT CHOICE.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S KIND OF WRONG WITH THAT POLITICALLY AND MOST OF YOU WILL UNDERSTAND IT IS THE LAME DUCK SITUATION.
THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
IT REALLY ISN'T.
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
JUST TAKE HUMAN NATURE.
I'VE BEEN IN A LONG TIME AND I'M GOING TO DO WHATEVER I'M GOING TO DO REGARDLESS.
BUT ASSUMING I KNOW I'VE GOT A YEAR TO GO AND SOMETHING CONTROVERSIAL COMES UP THAT I SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT.
WOULD YOU MAYBE HAVE THE TENDENCY IF YOU KNOW YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO RUN AGAIN TO SAY, I'LL JUST LEAVE THAT ALONE AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE HANDLE IT.
WHY WOULD I MAR MY RECORD OR VICE VERSA AND SAY I'LL DO WHATEVER I WANT BECAUSE I'M LEAVING.
SOME OF THE LEGISLATORS MAY HAVE DONE THAT LAST TIME.
IT'S JUST NOT -- IF A PERSON DOES A GOOD JOB, THE PEOPLE OUGHT TO ELECT THEM AGAIN, IF THEY'RE DONE.
IF THEY DON'T, PEOPLE SHOULD GET RID OF THEM, ONE TERM, TEN, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
UNFORTUNATELY WE TREAT POLITICS IN THIS COUNTRY MUCH DIFFERENTLY THAN WE DO ANYTHING ELSE.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER JOB WHERE YOU STAY THERE EIGHT YEARS AND IT'S GONE.
IT'S LIKE GET THE RASCALS OUT AND ALL OF THAT WHICH SOUNDS FUNNY, BUT REALLY ISN'T.
YOU ARE GIVING UP SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE FOUGHT AND DIED TO GIVE US.
YOU SHOULDN'T DO ANYTHING TO DIMINISH THAT.
I THINK IT IS TERRIBLE WHEN 17% OF PEOPLE THE OTHER DAY VOTE IN A PRIMARY AND 75 TO 80% IS A WONDERFUL VOTE, I SAY WHERE ARE THE OTHER 15% AND THOSE WHO DIDN'T REGISTER IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA PRECINCT OUT THERE HAD 1200 REGISTERED VOTERS AT ONE TIME AND 12 VOTED IN THE GOVERNOR'S RACE.
THE TERM LIMIT THING AND PEOPLE BELITTLING WHAT POLITICIANS ARE AND SO FORTH, ADDING TO THAT TYPE OF PROBLEM.
SOME PEOPLE SAY, YOU CAN'T FIGHT CITY HALL.
YES, YOU CAN.
YOU CAN FIGHT ANYTHING YOU WANT.
IF YOU GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TOGETHER AND YOU MAKE A CHANGE.
THAT'S WHAT WAS INTENDED TO BEGIN WITH.
WHEN I TALK ABOUT NOT LIKING TERM LIMITS; IT HAS NOTHING DO WITH ME.
I CANNOT HONESTLY SAY THAT TWO AND A HALF YEARS FROM NOW, WHENEVER IT IS I'M GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN AT 69 YEARS OLD.
MAYBE.
MY MOTHER IS 94.
BUT WHO KNOWS.
YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT IF YOU ARE 35 FOR THAT MATTER.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S WRONG TO MAKE ANY PERSON A LAME DUCK.
FOUR OR FIVE COUNCIL PEOPLE OR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT DECIDES THEY ARE GOING TO RUN FOR MAYOR AND THE PERSON THAT'S THERE AT THAT TIME BETTER -- THERE WILL BE PANDEMONIUM FOR A YEAR OR TWO.
IT'S OBVIOUS.
ANYBODY OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THIS IF THEY KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT POLITICS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.
SOMETIMES IT'S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SAY BECAUSE THEY SAY YOU WANT TO RUN AGAIN.
I'M NOT SURE I WANT TO DO THAT.
I WOULD NEVER DO THIS UNLESS I REALLY, REALLY FELT I WANTED TO DO IT LIKE I DID FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
TO ME IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE -- I WAS BORN HERE AND THIS IS MY CITY -- TO SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON NOW JUST MAKES ME FEEL BETTER THAN ANYTHING ELSE I COULD POSSIBLY DO IN THE WORLD.
BUT, AGAIN, I CANNOT HONESTLY SAY TO ANYONE THAT TWO AND A HALF YEARS FROM NOW THAT I'LL BE A CANDIDATE AGAIN.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY TO EVERYONE, TERM LIMITS ARE WRONG.
AND I'M NOT SO SURE THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT I SAY OR ANYBODY SAYS THAT WILL PASS, BECAUSE IT'S ALMOST POPULAR TO GET THOSE RASCALS OUT WITHOUT THINKING.
AND THAT'S NOT -- TO ME, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. LaBOUR.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN.
MR. MAYOR, I KNOW -- WE'VE TALKED ACTUALLY ABOUT THE CONSOLIDATION ISSUE.
AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE A SUPPORTER OF FOR SOME TIME.
UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TOO DRASTIC OF A STEP TO HAVE IT ALL HAPPEN ALL AT ONCE UNLESS IT WAS A VERY WELL-DONE CAMPAIGN OF INFORMING THE VOTERS OF THE BENEFIT AND THE CITIZENS OF BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE CITY.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, MAYBE WE CAN START IT INCREMENTALLY IF WE TOOK SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS OR SERVICES THAT ARE PRESENTLY BEING PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY AND THE CITY THAT MAYBE WE CAN CONSOLIDATE SOME OF THOSE SERVICES, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THAT IS SOMETHING YOU THINK WE MAY BE ABLE TO GO TOWARDS.
WHAT DEPARTMENTS AND SERVICES WE MAY BE ABLE TO CONSOLIDATE?
>> THAT'S BEEN BANTERED AROUND FOR A LONG TIME AND A DIFFICULT THING TO DO ALSO.
THAT'S PART OF THE REASON CONSOLIDATION IS A DIFFICULT THING TO DO.
BUT YOU HAVE TO TEMPER THAT WITH WHAT IF I DO IT AND NOTHING HAPPENS, WHICH DIDN'T TWICE WHEN WE VOTED ON APPROXIMATE.
INCIDENTALLY, I THINK THE FIRST TIME WE VOTED ABOUT 13% BOTHERED TO VOTE ON CHANGING THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
MANY YEARS AGO.
WE KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE A SHOT, BUT WE FELT IT WAS RIGHT.
WHEN YOU START -- THE PROBLEM IS THE CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT ARE INHERENT IN THE WAY WE ARE AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS -- OUR BUDGET IS MUCH SMALLER.
WE HAVE NEARLY 300,000 PEOPLE TO THE COUNTY WITH US HAS ABOUT A MILLION TODAY, AND YOU KNOW THAT.
MOST OF THEM SPEND THEIR TIME IN THE CITY DURING THE DAY.
MOST OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, MOST OF OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT COME IN FROM THE SUBURBS EVERY DAY.
THEY USE OUR STREETS.
THEY USE OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY DUMP THE TRASH.
THEY FLUSH THE TOILETS.
THEY DRINK THE WATER, AND WE DON'T GET ONE DIME OF AD VALOREM TAX IN THE COUNTY.
NOTHING.
ZERO.
THERE'S BEEN SOME MISCONCEPTIONS OF WHY CONSOLIDATION.
WE'RE NOT BEGGING PEOPLE TO CONSOLIDATE, BUT IF THEY COME ALONG, CERTAINLY WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW IT, AND THAT PROBABLY WON'T GO BEYOND NEW TAMPA NORTH, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CONTIGUOUS TO ANYTHING ELSE THAT THE CITY WOULD PROBABLY CONSOLIDATE.
BUT IF ALL THAT NEW BUILDING GOES ON AND IT DOESN'T BECOME PART OF THE CITY, THEN WE DON'T GROW AT ALL.
WE DON'T EVEN GET THE 25%.
WE FURNISH SEWER AND WATER FOR MANY PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY, AS YOU KNOW.
SO, WHAT DEPARTMENTS DO YOU MERGE AND HOW DO YOU REALLY DO THAT WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE LITTLE PROBLEMS ABOUT WHO OWNS WHAT AND ALL THAT TYPE OF THING.
I TRY TO IGNORE IT FOR THE MOST PART AS MUCH AS I CAN.
I THINK THE COUNTY HAS 55 MILES OF COUNTY ROADS IN THE CITY.
AND THEY PAY THE CITY $400,000 TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW BAYSHORE IS A COUNTY ROAD, PART OF HIMES, ARMENIA.
IT'S A WONDER THE CITY CONTINUES TO SURVIVE WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT.
THE C.I.T. TAX HAS HELPED THIS ENTIRE COUNTY.
UNFORTUNATELY, IT TOOK A FOOTBALL STADIUM TO PASS THAT, WHICH IS PRETTY SAD COMMENTARY IF YOU STOP TO THINK ABOUT IT, BUT IT DID ACHIEVE THAT.
THIS PLACE IS EXPLODING, AND WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE A LITTLE FAR BEHIND EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE COMING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T TAX THE PEOPLE ON THE SYSTEM UNTIL THEY GET THERE TO ANY GREAT EXTENT THAT MAKES FOR A PROBLEM.
I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL THE OTHER DAY, I KNEW WE HAD A BUNCH, BUT WE HAD -- OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS 162,000 KIDS IN IT.
LAST YEAR IT GREW BY 5,000 YOUNG PEOPLE.
THAT WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND BE.
WHY WOULDN'T YOU WANT TO LIVE HERE?
WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE SOME PLACE 20 BELOW ZERO.
IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
WHICH PUTS A BIG BURDEN ON GOVERNMENT.
IT'S HARD TO MERGE DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S HARD TO MERGE ANYTHING, BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN LITTLE KINGDOM.
KIND OF LIKE TRYING TO CONSOLIDATE PINELLAS COUNTY WITH 20-SOME CITIES.
NOT A MATTER OF WOULDN'T BE RIGHT OR WRONG; YOU ARE JUST NOT GOING TO DO IT.
20-SOME MAYORS AND COUNCILMEN AND THIS IS MINE AND THIS IS YOURS.
THAT'S A SHAME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE KEPT US FROM LOOKING BEYOND WHAT WE GOVERNED.
WE ARE FINALLY CALLING OURSELVES "TAMPA BAY."
AND THAT'S GOOD.
WE DON'T HAVE THE BEACHES PINELLAS COUNTY HAS AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
WE GET TOGETHER AS A REGION HERE, WE CAN DO ANYTHING.
THIS OLYMPIC EFFORT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, I KNOW PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT WAS KIND OF CRAZY.
IT'S NOT CRAZY.
THAT CAN HAPPEN.
YOU GET ORLANDO INVOLVED EVERYBODY THIS WAY ALL THE WAY TO THE BEACHES, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING TO OFFER THAT EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD HAS GOT.
ORLANDO IS DRAWING 27 MILLION PEOPLE A YEAR.
IF THEY WERE THERE ALL AT ONE TIME, THE BIGGEST CITY IN THE WORLD.
WE ARE AN HOUR AWAY, AN HOUR 15 MINUTES.
IT'S A GREAT PLACE AND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW.
YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE, NO MATTER WHO IT IS -- SOMEBODY SAID THIS IS MINE AND THAT'S YOURS AND THOSE PROBLEMS ARE GOING TO EXIST, AND NO ONE IN POLITICS SHOULD LET THAT GET TO THEM TO THE PLACE THAT IT INTERFERES WITH WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE DOING.
WHAT YOU ARE REALLY SAYING HERE, YOU CAN'T FIX GOVERNMENT THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IT.
THE COMMISSIONERS CAN'T.
I CAN'T.
NO ONE CAN'T.
THE CHANCES ARE IF YOU PUT CONSOLIDATION OUT THERE AND IF I WERE IDEALLY WRITING AND SAY, 10, 11 COUNCIL, NOT 20 LIKE THEY HAVE OUT THERE.
A MAYOR ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE.
AN EXECUTIVE BRANCH AND MERGE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER.
EVERYONE WOULD WANT TO HAVE TO DO THAT.
ALL THE POLICE OFFICERS WOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR JOBS.
THAT'S NOT REALISTIC AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, STEVE, IF WE CAN'T GET THERE, WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO.
TO MERGE DEPARTMENT AFTER DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU CAN'T DO THAT, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO THE OTHER.
IT'S ALMOST AS HARD IF YOU ARE GOING TO MERGE THE SEWER DEPARTMENT, THE WATER DEPARTMENT.
COUNTY REALLY DOESN'T HAVE A HUGE ONE; WE DO.
WE'VE GOT MILLIONS INVESTED.
HOW DO YOU SEPARATE WHAT THE CITY PAYS, THE COUNTY PAYS.
ALL OF THAT HAS TO PLAY INTO IT.
THE COUNTY HAS, I THINK, 10 OR 11 UTILITY COMPANIES BASICALLY SET UP.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE HIGH RATES IN CLAIR MEL CITY.
THOSE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE WE CHARGE, I THINK, 25% MORE TO HOOK ONTO OUR SYSTEM.
IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT, YOU COULDN'T IMPROVE THE PLANT.
WE PUT ALL OUR WATER TOGETHER, EVERYBODY DID RECENTLY.
WE ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY GOVERNMENT THAT THOUGHT WE HAD EVERYTHING WE NEEDED UNTIL THIS LAST DROUGHT.
THANK GOODNESS EVERYBODY IS TOGETHER, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A DIFFICULT THING TO BRING ABOUT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN SOMETIMES WHEN EVERYTHING IS HORRIBLE.
AND THAT ISN'T THE CASE HERE.
SURE, OCCASIONALLY, POLITICIANS WILL BICKER AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
BUT IT ISN'T HORRIBLE.
IT'S GREAT.
WONDERFUL THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE COUNTY.
WONDERFUL THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY.
IT'S LIKE WE'VE BEEN DISCOVERED.
PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE.
HIGH-TECH INDUSTRIES ARE STARTING TO LOOK AT US AND COMING IN HERE.
PEOPLE BUILDING BEAUTIFUL HOMES, NICE SUBDIVISIONS.
MUCH OF THAT IS COMPROMISED.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE -- A YOUNG LADY CALLED ME THE OTHER DAY AND SAID YOU GRANT CUTTING DOWN TREES FOR EVERYBODY IN NEW TAMPA.
I SAID, NO, MA'AM.
YOU'VE COMPROMISED ALMOST EVERY ONE OF THOSE BASED ON WHAT THE LAW SAYS; YOU HAVE TO.
YOU CAN'T COMPARE A LOT IN NEW TAMPA TO A LOT IN CITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE A TREE ON IT WHERE SOME PLACES HAVE A TREE ON EVERY INCH.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
MAKE IT A FOREST.
THAT'S GREAT AS LONG AS YOU DON'T OWN IT OR WANT TO BUY IT.
ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE TO BE WEIGHED IN ORDER TO PRESERVE WHAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE ENVIRONMENTALISTS INTO BEING.
THERE'S PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT GO WAY OVERBOARD.
BUT IF THEY DIDN'T, PROBABLY NO ONE WILL HIT A HAPPY MEDIUM AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I DON'T HAVE AN ARGUMENT WITH THEM.
YOU TRY TO DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE ALL DOING I THINK HERE.
THE COMMISSIONERS, BELIEVE ME, WITH THAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN.
I BELIEVE THAT, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
YES, THEY ARE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES, BUT AREN'T WE ARE.
YOU WOULDN'T WANT SEVEN CITY COUNCILMEN ALL PHI BETA KAPPA.
THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN AND OTHER POINTS OF VIEW AND OTHER PEOPLE.
IT'S DIFFICULT WHEN YOU'RE DOING AS WELL AS YOU'RE DOING AS A TOTAL COMMUNITY TO SAY, WELL, LET'S CHANGE EVERYTHING.
WOULD IT BE BETTER IF YOU HAD CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT OVER THE LONG RUN?
ABSOLUTELY.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION ABOUT IT.
YOU ARE NOT LOOKING AT LINES AND THIS IS MINE AND THIS IS YOURS.
HOW YOU GET THERE?
I DON'T KNOW.
I REALLY DON'T.
IF THERE'S SOME AREAS OF GOVERNMENT THAT WE CAN PUT TOGETHER, I WILL BE WILLING TO DO THAT.
THE BIGGER DEPARTMENTS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO BECAUSE OF HOW THE MONEY IS DIVIDED.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  MAYOR GRECO, THANK YOU FOR COMING.
I CONSIDER THIS A TREMENDOUS HONOR TO HAVE YOU COME TO THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED YOUR ABILITIES.
YOU'VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA AND FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND I WANT TO GO ON RECORD, THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, THANKING YOU FOR THE OUTSTANDING WORK YOU HAVE DONE ON BEHALF OF THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANKS, GERALD.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I HAVE A DECISION TO MAKE TONIGHT RELATED TO THIS DRAFT PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE DRAFTED IN COMMITTEE.
I SIT ON THE COMMITTEE THAT DRAFTED THIS PROPOSAL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A FIRST STEP RELATED TO AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, DO YOU SUPPORT THIS FIRST STEP?
>> WELL, I THINK EVERYBODY IS VIEWING IT AS A FIRST STEP.
I THINK WHAT YOU ARE REALLY SAYING IS, IF WE HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY MAYOR, WOULD THAT AT SOME POINT PRECIPITATE EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER?
YOU ONLY HAVE THREE MUNICIPALITIES HERE.
AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THAT.
BUT POSSIBLY IF YOU TALKED ABOUT TOTAL CONSOLIDATION, YOU WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO LEAVE OUT TEMPLE TERRACE AND PLANT CITY TO BEGIN WITH.
WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE.
THEY ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT WE HAVE -- THEY'VE GOT.
THIS IS MINE.
AT LEAST IT IS ONLY THREE OF YOU.
SOME DAY, EVERYONE MIGHT SEE WHAT WOULD BE BEST.
I THINK A FIRST STEP WOULD BE EXACTLY THAT.
IT WOULD MAYBE HELP IN SOME WAY.
AGAIN, THE COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS ONE PERSON YOU WENT TO SEE, AND THE REST OF THEM WERE LEGISLATIVE, IT WOULD WORK JUST LIKE THE CITY.
HOPEFULLY, WE'D HAVE A CITY MAYOR AND A COUNTY MAYOR THAT GOT ALONG AND UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU MUST GET ALONG FOR EVERYBODY TO THRIVE.
YOU CAN'T ACT ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN THAT.
AGAIN, IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO COME INTO A MEETING.
NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE OTHER PERSON IS GOING TO BRING UP.
SEE, MY COUNCIL, FOR INSTANCE.
IF I HAVE A PROPOSAL THAT I WANT TO PUT FORTH, I CALL EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM IN.
I HAVE SOMEONE TALK TO THEM.
IF THEY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO THEY DON'T GO INTO A MEETING NOT KNOWING WHAT IN THE WORLD THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE ON.
IMAGINE DOING THAT YOURSELVES?
YOU ARE VOTING ON SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IN THIS COUNTY THAT AFFECT PEOPLE, AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU IS THINKING.
OR SHOULDN'T.
IT'S MADE TO WORK THAT WAY.
THAT'S A LITTLE UNWIELDY.
AND THEN EVERYBODY CRITICIZES YOU WHEN YOU ARGUE ABOUT IT.
YOU LET ME KNOW ANY SEVEN PERSONS THAT COULD VOTE ON SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION THAT THEY HAVE NOT TALKED ABOUT, HAVE NO IDEA HOW THE OTHER ONE FEELS, AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS, SOMETIMES, PERHAPS, YOU GET A LITTLE -- YOUR NOSE OUT OF JOINT OF WHAT SOMEBODY MIGHT SAY TO YOU.
THE NEXT TIME YOU MIGHT SAY I'LL MAKE THEM LOOK FUNNY.
IT'S SET UP FOR THOSE TYPE OF THINGS TO HAPPEN UNFORTUNATELY.
AND IT'S NO REFLECTION ON ANY OF THE PEOPLE.
IT'S JUST A HARD JOB TO MAKE THE DECISIONS YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE WHEN THERE'S NO SPLIT BETWEEN EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE.
EVERYBODY IS EXACTLY -- YOU'VE GOT SEVEN MAYORS.
SO I WOULDN'T BE TOO HARD ON THE FOLKS THAT ARE COMMISSIONERS.
I THINK IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PLACE TO BE.
AND THEY'VE GOT MORE TO SAY GRACE OVER THAN WE HAVE.
A MILLION PEOPLE.
ALL KIND OF ROADS, ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS.
DAN KLEMAN, I THINK HE'S A GREAT INDIVIDUAL.
I THINK HE DOES AN EXCELLENT JOB.
THINK OF HOW HARD THAT IS, GANG.
HE'S GOT TO PLEASE EVERYBODY ON HIS BOARD TO THE BEST OF HIS ABILITY, AND YET DO A JOB.
AND HE HAS NO VOTE TO MAKING ANYTHING HAPPEN.
JUST MERELY, THIS IS WHAT I THINK.
SO, IT'S HARD.
IF YOU WERE STARTING FROM SCRATCH TODAY, NO ONE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WOULD SET UP THAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT.
IT WAS SET UP FOR A MORE RURAL SETTING.
UP UNTIL RECENT YEARS, ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE PLACES WERE CALLED BARNS.
IT WAS DIFFERENT.
IT'S WHEN EVERYBODY HAD A LITTLE FARM OR SOMETHING OUT THERE.
THE COUNTY IS NO FARM.
IT'S JUST AS URBAN AS THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
CARROLLWOOD, BRANDON.
WHO COULD HAVE DREAMED THAT, WHEN THAT GOVERNMENT WAS SET UP?
NOBODY.
IF WE HAD KNOWN IT, WE WOULD HAD BOUGHT MORE LAND.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US CAN EVEN IMAGINE WHAT 20 YEARS FROM NOW IS GOING TO BRING TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I HAVE A FOLLOW-UP RELATED TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
WE'VE HAD DR. HORTON WITH THE NAACP, JOANNA TOKELY WITH THE URBAN LEAGUE, SENATOR HARGRETT AND REPRESENTATIVE BRADLEY.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH REPRESENTATIVE LES MILLER AND SOME OF THE OTHER AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERS AND MOST OF THEM, MOST OF THE LEADERS ARE OUTRIGHT AFRAID OF THIS ELECTED CHAIR.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY, IN THIS COUNTY AND THE RECENT NEWS REPORTS THAT ECONOMICALLY, YOU LOOK AT ALL THE CATEGORIES, WE'RE JUST NOT WHERE WE NEED TO BE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
AND WILL THIS CHANGE, A CHAIR WITH A $2 BILLION COUNTY BUDGET AND CITY OF TAMPA HAS A BUDGET, FINANCIALLY HELP THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY?
I'M LOOKING FOR SOMETHING NEW THAT CAN LIFT THE BLACK COMMUNITY UP IN THE 21st CENTURY.
>> GERALD, LET ME ANSWER THAT THIS WAY.
ANYTHING THAT MAKES FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT, MAKES FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT FOR EVERYBODY.
DOESN'T MATTER.
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT GO ON THAT PERHAPS WE CAN NEVER HELP.
WE'VE COME A LONG, LONG WAY.
TO HAVE DISTRICTS AND SO FORTH HAVE BROUGHT A LOT OF BLACKS TO GOVERNMENT WHO HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB.
WHO WOULD HAVE IF THEY HAD THE DISTRICT OR NOT, IF YOU CAN GET ELECTED.
I PERHAPS SHOULDN'T BRING THIS UP, BUT I WILL.
I STUDY ELECTIONS SOMETIMES.
AND SOMETIMES NAMES OR RACES MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COUNTY.
99% OF THE PEOPLE DO NOT FEEL THAT WAY INDIVIDUALLY.
IT'S JUST SOME STRANGE SORT OF A THING.
IN CERTAIN RACES, A CATCHY WOMAN'S NAME WILL WIN ALL THE TIME OVER SOMETHING SOMEBODY CAN'T PRONOUNCE IN THE COUNTY.
IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, I'LL SHOW YOU IN PAPER WHERE SOMETHING YOU CAN'T PRONOUNCE LOSES EVERY SINGLE COUNTY PRECINCT AND PERHAPS WILL WIN IN THE CITY.
THOSE THINGS EXIST EVERYWHERE.
MAYBE NOT BY DESIGN AND PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE MAYBE THEY'RE DOING IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CALL IT HUMAN NATURE OR WHATEVER IS FAMILIAR TO YOU OR THAT TYPE OF THING, BUT WHATEVER IS GOOD IN GOVERNMENT HAS GOT TO BE GOOD FOR ALL OF US.
I DO GO PLACES, WELL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR US?
WHETHER THAT BE IN WEST TAMPA OR IN A BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN NEW TAMPA.
PEOPLE THINK THAT WAY.
WHEN YOU REDUCE CRIME TO A 1984 LEVEL, YOU DO IT FOR US NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.
WHEN YOU ADD POLICE OFFICERS AND YOU MAKE THEM HAPPY, AND THEY HAVE A GOOD MORALE, YOU ARE DOING IT FOR EVERYBODY, BLACK, WHITE, HISPANIC, EVERYBODY YOU CAN IMAGINE, CHILDREN.
WE, AS PEOPLE, HAVE TO START THINKING "ME."
THAT'S HARD TO DO AND IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
WE'VE COME A LONG, LONG WAY, THANK GOD.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY EVERYBODY THINKS PURELY ABOUT EVERYTHING.
THEY DON'T.
AND ALL OF US THINK, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT THIS JOB AND THAT'S MY JOB TO DO.
SOME HAVE MORE -- MORE OF AN EGO ABOUT THAT THAN OTHERS.
IT'S HUMAN NATURE.
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK AS LONG AS YOU HAVE SOME DISTRICTS AND SO FORTH TO ENSURE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE REPRESENTATION AND THAT THE REPRESENTATION DOES A GOOD JOB, THAT MAKES IT EASIER FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT A LOT WHEN I GOT ELECTED MAYOR THE FIRST TIME.
I HAD AN ITALIAN NAME.
THINGS GOING ON IN THIS TOWN THAT I GOT KIDDED ABOUT ALL THROUGH SCHOOL.
I NEVER SAID ANYTHING.
BUT I WAS VERY CAREFUL, VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DO ANYTHING THAT WOULD REFLECT ON WHAT MY CHILDREN MIGHT GO THROUGH.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN SOMEONE ELSE.
WE JUST DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.
THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THAT THAT WILL ALWAYS BE AND THE ONLY WAY TO OVERCOME IT IS TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO A JOB.
AND I THINK EVERYBODY IS DOING THAT.
AND WE'RE DOING BETTER NOT ONLY AS A CITY BUT AS A COUNTRY IN THAT RESPECT.
SO THAT'S AS HONESTLY I CAN ANSWER THAT.
WHATEVER GOVERNMENT DOES THAT'S BETTER FOR THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE, BETTER FOR ALL PEOPLE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. AMBLER.
>>KEVIN AMBLER:  MAYOR GRECO, THANK YOU, ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS HAVE THANKED YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME OF COMING AND SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS AND TIME IN YOUR EXPERIENCES OF GOVERNMENT.
AS MR. WHITE EXPLAINED TO YOU, WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND VOTE TONIGHT ON AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS TAKING A BOLD STEP FOR FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE.
AND WHEN I THINK OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE AT A CONSTITUTIONAL LEVEL, I THINK, WELL, BEFORE YOU START TINKERING WITH THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO FROM BAD TO WORSE, YOU HAVE TO FIRST IDENTIFY WHAT'S BROKEN TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FIX IS THAT'S NECESSARY.
AND I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK I PICKED UP A LITTLE BIT THROUGH YOUR LAST COMMENTS, BUT I WONDER IF YOU CAN FOCUS A LITTLE MORE PRECISELY OF WHAT YOU PERCEIVE EXACTLY IS BROKEN WITHIN EXISTING FRAMEWORK OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT IS SOMEHOW NOT RESPONSIVE TO PROVIDING ADEQUATE REPRESENTATION TO THE RESIDENTS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
>> SEE, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS, I DON'T THINK THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THINK MUCH OF ANYTHING IS BROKEN.
I MEAN, THEY'LL CRITICIZE, TALKING ABOUT THE GENERAL PUBLIC, EVEN THE ONES THAT DON'T VOTE EVEN MORE THAN THOSE THAT DO, BUT EVERYBODY IS LIVING PRETTY GOOD, AND WE'VE COME A LONG WAY.
ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT, WE'RE DOING A BETTER JOB THAN WAS DONE LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE, IN EVERY AREA.
I MEAN, THAT'S A FACT.
SO Y'ALL ARE GETTING INTO FUNDAMENTALS THAT THE AVERAGE PERSON PROBABLY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT.
AND, AGAIN, YOU'RE TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT COUNTY GOVERNMENT SIMPLY BECAUSE IT'S DIFFERENT THAN CITY GOVERNMENT.
AND YOU KNOW WHO THE HEAD OF CITY GOVERNMENT IS AND WHO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH IS.
AGAIN, I THINK ALL OF YOU, IF YOU WANTED TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND THOUGHT IT COULD PASS, EVERY ONE OF YOU WOULD PROBABLY VOTE FOR A CONSOLIDATED FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING LESS THAN THAT AS A STEP, MAYBE, AND YOU ARE DOING AS LITTLE AS YOU CAN, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND ONE THING.
WHATEVER YOU DO, GOOD, BAD, OR INDIFFERENT, HOW LITTLE OR HOW MUCH YOU DO, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO VOTE, WHETHER THEY WANT IT OR NOT.
MUCH OF THOSE VOTES WILL BE BASED ON WHAT THE INDIVIDUAL FEELS IS GOING TO DO FOR HIM OR HER, DEPENDING ON WHAT JOB THEY'VE GOT.
WHETHER THEY WORK FOR THE COUNTY OR CITY, WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
AS OPPOSED TO WHAT'S BEST.
YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO BE AS PURE ABOUT IT AS YOU CAN.
AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
I WOULD DO, IF I WERE YOU, WHAT I FELT WAS THE MOST YOU CAN GET BY WITH THE BEST AND LET'S TRY TO SELL IT TO PEOPLE.
AGAIN, DO I SAY WHAT'S BROKEN?
I -- EVERYBODY IS DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB.
LET ME BE MORE SPECIFIC.
COUNTY COMMISSION GETS A BUM RAP CONSTANTLY BECAUSE THEY DO BICKER MORE THAN OTHER GOVERNMENTS, BUT IT'S THE WAY IT'S SET UP.
AS I EXPLAINED TO YOU BEFORE.
I THINK -- TAKE ANY OF YOU HERE, ANY SEVEN YOU WANT AND GIVE THEM THE DUTIES THAT THEY'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF A MILLION PEOPLE AND ALL THE PROBLEMS AND EACH AND EVERY TIME YOU COME TO A MEETING YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU IS GOING TO DO, AND THERE'S NO ONE PERSON IN CHARGE.
EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME IDENTICAL POWER.
THAT'S A PROBLEM POLITICALLY FOR THEM.
NOW, WHATEVER COMES OUT OF IT, THE CITIZEN COULD EITHER MAKE FUN, BE HAPPY OR BE SAD, AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
MOST OF THEM ARE NOT GOING TO DELVE INTO EVERYTHING YOU ALL HAVE LOOKED INTO.
YOU ARE GOING TO COME OUT KNOWING A LOT MORE ABOUT GOVERNMENT, AND MAY BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU PUT SOMETHING ON THE BALLOT AFTER ALL THAT WORK AND NOBODY CARES ABOUT OR DOESN'T VOTE FOR.
IT'S HARD TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE AVERAGE PERSON ON THE STREET GOES AROUND THINKING, WELL, WHAT'S BROKEN.
WHAT THEY ARE THINKING IS, HOW DO I LIVE.
YOU KNOW, AM I PRETTY WELL OFF.
DO THE STREETS LOOK PRETTY GOOD.
SOMETHING NEW OPENED IN YBOR CITY THAT I CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH.
THE PROJECTS ARE TORN DOWN AT 22nd AND LAKE AND THEY ARE GOING TO BUILD THOSE AFTER 50 YEARS.
400 NEW PLACES GOING UP IN TAMPA HEIGHTS.
THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A LOT THAT'S BROKEN.
HOWEVER, I THINK MOST OF THE CONCENTRATION IS ON THE GOVERNMENT THAT MEETS IN THIS ROOM.
IT'S TOUGH FOR THEM.
I WANT TO TELL YOU, IT'S TOUGH FOR DAN KLEMAN AND FOR EACH AND EVERY PERSON THAT SITS ON THAT BOARD.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, I DON'T KNOW.
MAYBE SOMEONE WOULD TAKE THAT AS A THREAT MAYBE I WON'T BE HERE THREE YEARS FROM NOW OR FOUR YEARS FROM NOW.
MAYBE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN WHEN EVERYBODY'S TERM NEARLY RUNS OUT AND SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE SO YOU DON'T HAVE THAT FACTOR IN THERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU'LL POLL THE COMMISSIONERS TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK WILL BE BEST.
ALL I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, AGAIN, IS THAT IF I WERE A COUNTY COMMISSIONER, AND AS MUCH AS I TRY TO RESPECT EVERYBODY'S POINT OF VIEW AND WAS SITTING THERE WITH SIX OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAD EXACTLY THE SAME POWER I GOT, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE SOME CONFLICTS.
JUST NO WAY OUT OF THAT.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE.
WHAT HAPPENS IS THEY ARE RIDICULED BY SOME FOLKS, AND NO ONE THINKS, WELL, WHAT IF I WERE THERE, WHAT WOULD I DO.
LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU WOULD DO, SAME AS ANYBODY ELSE WOULD DO.
YOU WOULD DO WHATEVER FOUR OF THE SEVEN DECIDED AFTER MUCH BICKERING.
>>KEVIN AMBLER:  DO YOU THINK GOING TO THE PROPOSED NINE MEMBERS, THIS PROPOSAL WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US TONIGHT, HAS INCORPORATED INTO IT, REDUCES OR INCREASES THAT LEVEL OF CONFLICT.
>> IF ONE PERSON ISN'T IN CHARGE, YOU HAVE NINE BICKERING INSTEAD OF SEVEN.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
YOU STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.
>>KEVIN AMBLER:  AND THE FINAL PART TO THAT QUESTION IS, IF YOU'RE FAVORING OVERALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF CONSOLIDATION BEING A HEALTHY THING FOR A COUNTY, MORE CENTRALIZED FORM OF GOVERNMENT, I THINK I PICKED THAT UP AS A THEME, THEN WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON IN ORDER TO BE REALLY EFFECTIVE, THE COMMISSION HAVING THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS UNDER THE CHARTER SO THAT THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY ARE REALLY ON BEHALF OF THE FULL COUNTY GOVERNMENT?
>> WELL, I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SOME RUN FROM DISTRICTS, COMMISSIONERS.
AND MAYBE SOME AT-LARGE, THAT TYPE OF THING, LIKE WE DO CITY COUNCIL NOW AND SOME OF YOU DO HERE.
SO YOU DRAW LINES AND THE FACT THAT EVERYONE IS REPRESENTED.
THE MORE PEOPLE YOU HAVE, YOU MIGHT LOOK AT IT ONE WAY AND SAY THAT'S MORE PEOPLE MAKING A DECISION.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IN YOUR BUSINESS?
YOU'D GET SEVEN OR EIGHT OR NINE OF THE BEST MINDS YOU COULD PUT TOGETHER, MAKE SURE THEY WERE DIVERSE SO THAT YOU ARE GETTING DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
CHANCES ARE YOU WOULDN'T BRING IN 20, 30 PEOPLE, THAT KIND OF THING, BECAUSE IT MAKES IT A LITTLE UNWIELDY.
AND IT IS A BUSINESS.
IT'S A BIG BUSINESS THAT NO ONE REALIZES.
I HAVE HEARD PEOPLE IN TOWN THAT RUN BIG BUSINESS CRITICIZE THOSE IN GOVERNMENT, BUT THEY DON'T -- THEY ARE NOT ENCUMBERED BY THE THINGS THAT WE ARE.
I MEAN, NO ONE RUN AS BUSINESS, IF YOU HAVE GOVERNMENT IN THE SUNSHINE, YOU CAN'T TALK TO YOUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, YOU CAN'T TALK TO ANYBODY WHERE YOU JUST WALK IN ONE DAY AND NOT ONLY SOLVE A PROBLEM OF A SINGLE BUSINESS, BUT THE BUSINESS OF EVERYONE THAT YOU REPRESENT, A MILLION PEOPLE.
THAT'S -- THINK ABOUT IT.
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
NOBODY THINKS ABOUT IT.
THEY ARE QUICK TO CRITICIZE AND THROW DARTS AT EVERYBODY WHO CHOOSES TO DO ONE OF THESE TYPES OF THINGS AND NEVER STOPS TO THINK, WHAT IF THAT WERE ME MAKING THAT DECISION WITH SIX OTHER PEOPLE OR NINE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO.
IT'S EASIER IF ONE PERSON IS IN CHARGE AS AN EXECUTIVE HEAD, LIKE MINE.
AGAIN, I HAVE VETO POWER.
I HAVE NEVER USED IT.
I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT USING IT.
I FORGET I'VE GOT IT.
BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TRY TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK AND TRY TO MAKE EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT I PUT FORTH IS IN THE BEST INTEREST.
AND WE DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE MOST OF THE TIME BECAUSE WE EXPLAIN EVERY SINGLE THING, AND I VALUE ANYBODY'S INPUT.
BUT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, DEPENDS ON WHO YOU HAVE THERE.
THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT THEY'VE GOT IS SUBJECT TO THE PROBLEMS THEY ARE HAVING.
AND IT'S ALSO SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC BEING CRITICAL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING VERY HARD.
I KNOW EVERY COMMISSIONER.
I DON'T AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THEY DO OR SAY, BUT BY AND LARGE, THEY ARE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING THEIR BEST TO DO A GOOD JOB.
IT'S JUST DIFFICULT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY HAVE TO WORK ON.
IT'S EASIER FOR ME, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.
IT'S A LOT EASIER.
I MAKE THE DECISIONS.
THEY SAY YES OR NO.
SEVEN PEOPLE TO CONVINCE.
AND THEN THE PUBLIC ULTIMATELY.
THAT'S MUCH EASIER THAN SEVEN OF ME WERE MAKING A DECISION ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT, WHICH WE ARE NO MATTER WHAT SEVEN YOU PICK, OR NINE OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
IF YOU DON'T SEPARATE THAT.
SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO BE IN CHARGE.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. BELTRAN.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
DO YOU FEEL THAT INCREASING THE NUMBER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WOULDN'T CHANGE THE PICTURE AT ALL.
IT WOULD BE MORE EXPENSIVE BUT REMAIN MOST OF LESS --
>> IF YOU LEFT EVERYTHING EXACTLY LIKE IT IS, INSTEAD OF HAVING SEVEN PEOPLE TO CONTEND WITH, YOU'VE GOT 9 OR 11 OR 12, THAT MUCH MORE OF A PROBLEM.
STILL HAVE THE SAME SITUATION.
AND AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THAT THE ULTIMATE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE ARE BAD ONES.
IT'S JUST YOU GET BEAT UP WHILE YOU ARE MAKING THEM.
AND, AGAIN, YOU READ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
PEOPLE CRITICIZING, MAKING FUN.
NO ONE EVER THINKS, WHAT IF I WERE THERE, WHAT WOULD I DO?
THEY DON'T PUT THEMSELVES IN THAT POSITION.
IT'S EASY TO SIT BACK AND THROW DARTS.
LET ME TELL YOU, AGAIN, IT'S EASIER FOR ME UNDER THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT WE HAVE THAN IT IS FOR ANY COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MAYOR GRECO, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR SCHEDULE.
>> THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOU MAKING AN EFFORT TO DO SOMETHING.
IF EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTY FELT THEY HAD TO GIVE BACK JUST A LITTLE BIT OR THINK JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT, COPS, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO NAME THAT HAS A JOB TO DO, WE WOULD BE A LOT BETTER OFF.
THE TOUGH THING IS THAT MOST OF YOU ON THE ASSET SIDE OF THE LEDGER DO IT ALL.
AND MANY, MANY PEOPLE JUST REAP ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF THE PAIN THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL TO SERVE ON A COUNTY COMMISSION AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
IT'S -- IT'S NOT EASY TO BE IN POLITICS.
I'VE DONE IT TWICE, 21 YEARS APART, AND IT'S MORE DIFFICULT TODAY WHEN WE LIVE BETTER AND HAVE EVERYTHING AT OUR DISPOSAL THAN MANY YEARS AGO.
DIFFERENT ATTITUDES ABOUT PEOPLE.
LOYALTIES THAT AREN'T THERE.
PEOPLE THAT WANT TO GET AHEAD SO BADLY THEY WOULD STEP ON THEIR NEIGHBOR, THOSE KIND OF THINGS, THAT I DIDN'T SEE YEARS AGO.
I DIDN'T SEE -- WE'RE LIVING IN A SOCIETY WHERE EVERYBODY DOESN'T SAY, MY GOD, WE'RE BLESSED AND WE OUGHT TO THANK PEOPLE.
THEY DON'T DO THAT MUCH EITHER.
I GET A GROUP OF COPS TOGETHER, I THANK THEM EVERY TIME I SEE THEM.
BECAUSE THEY ARE SOMETHING FOR US NIGHT AND DAY.
IT'S TOUGH.
THEY ARE DISRESPECTED BY SOME FOLKS.
THAT TYPE OF THING.
AND UNFORTUNATELY -- I'M NOT SAYING THIS FOR ME BECAUSE I AM AT THE END OF MY TERM, I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE YOUNG PEOPLE GET INTERESTED IN POLITICS AND WANT TO DO IT AND HAVE A REAL DESIRE TO DO IT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THEY DON'T, IS IT'S TREATED SO BADLY, LIKE IT'S A JOKE.
READ THE VENOM IN SOME OF THE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
PICK THEM UP AND READ IT, AND YOU WONDER, WHY ARE PEOPLE THAT MAD, AND HALF THE TIME THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND DON'T VOTE, BECAUSE I LOOK IT UP.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR GRECO.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  BOARD MEMBERS, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE BACK TO PUBLIC COMMENT NOW.
THE FIRST PERSON ON OUR LIST IS MR. MARK SCHOENBRUN AND SECOND IS MR. BART SIEGEL.
IF YOU CAN ALL MOVE FORWARD SO WE CAN MOVE AHEAD.
DO YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
IF YOU CAN MAKE YOUR COMMENTS MORE BRIEF, I'LL APPRECIATE IT THIS EVENING.
>> MARK SCHOENBRUN.
THREE WEEKS AGO, BART SIEGEL INFORMED YOU OF AN ISSUE THAT NEEDED TO BE DEALT WITH, THAT CAMPAIGN FUNDS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY MR. AKE BY HIS EMPLOYEES AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED.
IT IS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST, AND IT OPENS THE DOOR TO EMPLOYEE COERCION AND ABUSE.
I DON'T THINK YOU THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT IT WHEN HE FIRST INTRODUCED IT.
I KNOW THAT I DIDN'T.
IT'S NOT AGAINST ANY OF THE POLICIES IN THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS HANDBOOK.
I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IN POOR TASTE, AND I KNOW THAT OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS LIKE THE PROPERTY APPRAISER, THE TAX COLLECTOR, AND OTHERS WHO MAKE IT A PRACTICE NOT TO RECEIVE CAMPAIGN FUNDS FROM EMPLOYEES OR THEIR FAMILIES.
BUT MR. SIEGEL FEELS SO STRONGLY ABOUT THE ISSUE THAT HE KEEPS BRINGING IT UP EVERY TIME WE MEET.
TWO MEETINGS AGO, THIS BOARD DEFERRED THE ISSUE TO YOUR ATTORNEY, AND AT THAT LAST MEETING I ATTENDED, SHE REPORTED TO US, QUOTE, THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS PROTECTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES THAT DO NOT WISH TO SUPPORT AN INCUMBENT OR EVEN SUPPORT THE INCUMBENT'S OPPOSITION.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THESE PROTECTIONS ARE INADEQUATE AND INOPERATIVE.
I'M SUPPORTING BART SIEGEL IN HIS BID FOR CLERK OF THE COURT.
TWO PLAINTIFF ACHE'S EMPLOYEES HAVE ALSO CHOSEN TO SUPPORT MR. SIEGEL.
BOTH OF THEM ARE NOW FACING DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.
IS THIS A COINCIDENCE?
WHO KNOWS?
WHAT DO I KNOW IS THAT THE EMPLOYEES HAVE TO FACE AN EXTREMELY COMPLICATED AND INTIMIDATING PROCESS.
THE RESOURCES AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE CLERK'S OFFICE ARE VAST.
THE CLERK HAS YET TO SIGN A DOCUMENT OR ATTEND A MEETING.
MULTITUDES OF MIDDLE AND LOWER MANAGEMENT, AS WELL AS A STAFF ATTORNEY HAVE SIGNED DOCUMENTS, ATTENDED MEETINGS, AND FAILED TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION RELATED TO THESE DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS.
ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES HAS BEEN PLACED ON UNPAID LEAVE PENDING DISMISSAL.
THE EMPLOYEE ADVOCATE HAS PROVIDED MINIMAL GUIDANCE.
WOULDN'T IT BE A LOT SIMPLER TO BAN ELECTED OFFICIALS FROM ACCEPTING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THEIR SUBORDINATES?
I SEE IT AS THE ONLY WORKABLE SOLUTION.
THE PROTECTIONS ATTESTED BY OUR ATTORNEY, ALTHOUGH THEY LOOK GOOD ON PAPER, AS A "PRACTICAL MATTER" PROVIDE LITTLE COMFORT FOR THOSE THEY WERE INTENDED TO PROTECT.
I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS GOING TO BLOW UP IN OUR FACE, AND THIS BOARD HAS A CHOICE TO PROBABLE ACTIVE AND DEAL WITH IT NOW, OR WAIT UNTIL THE PRESS GETS IT.
YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PLEAD IGNORANCE EITHER WAY.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  COME UP TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE ISSUE BECOMING A POLITICAL CAMPAIGN AND NOT ISSUES BEFORE THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD THIS EVENING.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A STATE LAW THAT HAS ANY AFFECT ON WHAT THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT.
THE COMMENTS THAT WERE JUST MADE.
IS THERE STATE LAW THAT ADDRESSES IT?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  FOR THE RECORD, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR AT ALL WITH THE FACTS THAT -- OR THE STATEMENTS THAT HE MADE CONCERNING THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER'S OFFICE OR EMPLOYEES OR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE AND HAVE NOT DONE.
AGAIN, I HAVE INFORMED THE BOARD OF THE LAWS THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE SHOULD THEY FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG.
THERE'S ALSO CIVIL SERVICE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT HE WAS EXPRESSING TO THE BOARD.
>>JAN SMITH:  THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. SIEGEL, BART SIEGEL.
>> GOOD EVENING, BART SIEGEL.
IN FULL DISCLOSURE, I AM THE CANDIDATE FOR THE CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT.
WELL, I WASN'T PLANNING ON IT, BUT IT WAS GREAT TO LISTEN TO THE MAYOR.
I ONLY KNOW OF ONE POLITICIAN MORE CHARMING THAN OUR MAYOR, AND I'M GLAD HE'S BEING TERM LIMITED OUT THIS FALL.
AND IF YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT GETTING MORE YOUNG PEOPLE INVOLVED IN POLITICS, I THINK TERM LIMITS ARE VERY, VERY HEALTHY.
I RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION AS FAR AS I THINK THAT THE REFERENCE -- THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING A REFERENDUM TO PUT ALL CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS UNDER THE CHARTER SO THAT ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS AS, I THINK THE PEOPLE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WANT, WILL BE UNDER THE SAME TERM LIMIT GUIDELINE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ALSO COMMENTED ON WHETHER TERM LIMITS CAN BE IMPOSED ON APPOINTED COUNTY OFFICIALS SUCH AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR THE HEADS OF THE NUMEROUS COUNTY AUTHORITIES.
TERM LIMITS WITHOUT LIMITS INHERENTLY HAVE AN ENTRENCHED, NONRESPONSIVE, SELF-SERVING ADMINISTRATION OVER WHICH THE VOTERS LOSE CONTROL.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HEALTHY IF -- IF PEOPLE SERVE AND GO HOME.
AND I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE MUCH HEALTHIER THAN WHAT WE'VE GOT.
AS CHARMING AND AS MANY PEOPLE LIKE OUR MAYOR, I'M VERY GLAD THERE ARE THINGS THAT I HAVE PROFOUND DISAGREEMENTS WITH HIM, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE OVERWHELMINGLY REELECTED.
AND THAT WOULD NOT, YOU KNOW -- I THINK THAT WOULD BE JUST TOO MUCH POWER CONCENTRATED IN ONE INDIVIDUAL, IN ADDITION TO WHICH, THERE'S NO DENYING, YOU CAN'T DENY THE INCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE.
THE TAX COLLECTOR, EVERYTHING THAT HE COMES OUT OF HIS OFFICE HAS HIS NAME ON IT.
THE SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF HER OFFICE HAS HER NAME ALL OVER IT.
THE CLERK OF THE COURT, EVERY TIME YOU SEND HIM A CHECK HAS HIS NAME ON IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE INCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE CANNOT BE DENIED.
EVEN THOUGH I HAVE VERY LIBERTARIAN TENDENCIES AND DON'T LIKE ADDITIONAL LAWS THAT ARE GUMMING UP THE WORKS, I THINK TO IGNORE THE INCUMBENCY ADVANTAGE IS UNREALISTIC AND THE ONLY WAY YOU ARE GOING TO GET TURNOVER OF THE KIND WE WANT, FRESH BLOOD COMING IN, NEW IDEAS, A DYNAMIC POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IS TO INSTITUTE TERM LIMITS.
NOT TO GET SPECIFIC, BUT THE PROHIBITION OF ACCEPTING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SUBORDINATES, YOU KNOW, MARK SCHOENBRUN JUST COMMENTED ON IT, AND THE PRESENT RULES, THEY DO NOT PROTECT THE EMPLOYEES.
IT'S A LABYRINTH OF RULES, AND BASICALLY, IT'S -- IT'S INTIMIDATION TECHNIQUES THAT ARE USED.
IT'S JUST NOT -- IT'S JUST NOT A FAIR PLAYING FIELD.
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT FAIRER, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS PUT A POT OF MONEY SOMEWHERE SO IF SOMEONE HAS COMPLAINT, THEY CAN GET AN ATTORNEY APPOINTED TO THEM AND PAID FOR BY THE COUNTY SO THAT THE OFFICE THAT'S CHALLENGING THEM THAT ALSO HAS A PAID ATTORNEY, IT'S KIND OF -- IT'S MORE FAIR, YOU KNOW.
BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY UNEVEN.
AND ALSO, TO THE OBJECTION TO THE -- I HAVE AN OBJECTION TO THE BALLOT INITIATIVE FOR THE INTERNAL PERFORMANCE AUDITOR.
I DON'T SEE ANY RULES HERE THAT YOU CAN'T REVISIT THE ISSUE.
I JUST THINK THAT TO -- WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE CLERK OF THE COURT EXPLAIN HIS REASONS FOR ABANDONING HIS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES OF PROVIDING THE COUNTY OF INDEPENDENT AUDIT OVERSIGHT.
I HAVEN'T SEEN HIM REPORT TO THE REVIEW BOARD, OTHER THAN TO NOT OBJECT TO IT, AND I WHAT REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HIS PERCEPTION IS AS FAR AS WHY HE'S NOT ABLE TO FULFILL THIS RESPONSIBILITY OR WHY IT'S NOT PRESENTLY ADEQUATE THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CAN HIRE ANYBODY THEY WANT TO DO ANY TYPE OF AUDIT OR PERFORMANCE AUDIT ON THEMSELVES, AND WHY WE NEED TO CREATE ANOTHER REDUNDANT BUREAUCRACY.
LASTLY, THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE, IF I WERE GOING TO CHANGE THINGS, I WOULD MAKE A COMPTROLLER OFFICE THAT WOULD BE IN CHARGE OF THE FINANCES OF THE COUNTY.
AND THEN I WOULD HAVE THE CLERK OF THE COURTS, WHICH WOULD HANDLE COURT RECORDS.
I THINK IT MAKES FOR A VERY INTELLIGENT, OBVIOUS DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND THIS HAS WORKED IN NUMEROUS COUNTIES THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY PRACTICAL SOLUTION TO OUR PROBLEM.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. SIEGEL.
MR. DAVE HECKMAN AND THEN DENISE LAYNE.
>> GOOD EVENING.
AND I WANT TO COMMEND THIS BOARD FOR THEIR UNSELFISH DEDICATION TO THIS MAYOR ISSUE THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
I THINK IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW, AND I -- I DON'T ENVY YOU.
MARLENE FOX HAS YIELDED TWO MINUTES TO ME, AND I'LL TRY TO KEEP IT EVEN UNDER THAT --
>>JAN SMITH:  I DON'T HAVE A MS. FOX ON MY LIST TO SPEAK.
>> SHE PUT ON NO BECAUSE SHE WAS YIELDING AND DID NOT UNDERSTAND.
>>JAN SMITH:  I THINK WE ARE JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU THE FIVE MINUTES.
PLEASE TRY TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS IN THAT TIME FRAME.
WE'RE GOING -- WE'VE GOT OVER AN HOUR OF PUBLIC COMMENTS THIS EVENING, SO I WOULD LIKE YOU TO TRY TO ABIDE BY THE COMMISSION'S DIRECTIVE.
PLEASE GO AHEAD.
>> I THOUGHT THE PROTOCOL IF SHE --
>>JAN SMITH:  WE NEVER HAD A POLICY OF DOING THAT ON THIS BOARD.
>> I'LL TRY TO GET IT ALL IN BECAUSE --
>>JAN SMITH:  WOULD YOU PLEASE START HIS TIME OVER.
>> THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE TO ME.
THANK YOU.
THE REASON I'M HERE IS MY CONCERN HAS TO DO WITH FAIR AND EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION INCLUDING UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR ALL OF THE COUNTY.
THE MAYOR, WHO I'VE KNOWN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS MADE A FEW COMMENTS THAT -- AND CROSSFIRE, BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE INCORPORATED AREA THAT COULD SIT DOWN AND DO A GREAT POINT-COUNTERPOINT TO STATEMENTS WHERE HE SAID TERM LIMITS, LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE.
WELL, HE'S TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALLY.
THE PEOPLE HAVE DECIDED IN MANY AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES AND IN FLORIDA AT THE BALLOT BOX ALREADY.
THEY HAVE SAID TERM LIMITS IS WHAT THEY WANT.
AND I JUST REMIND YOU OF THAT.
THE CONSOLIDATION ISSUE DID NOT -- I DID NOT EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS GOING TO BE DISCUSSED TONIGHT, BUT I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GIVE EXTREME AND CAREFUL THOUGHT TO THAT ONE.
AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE A MAJOR POINT-COUNTER POINT.
NOW, I ONLY HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THIS DRAFT AS I WALKED IN, AND I PERUSED SOME THINGS ON IT VERY QUICKLY.
I REALLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT A CONCENTRATION OF POWER THAT WOULD BE GIVEN TO -- YOU CALL IT THE "ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN."
IT SEEMS VERY HIGHLY UNUSUAL THAT YOU WOULD HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR -- I PREFER THE WORD "COUNTY MANAGER," BUT EITHER WAY, THAT HAS THE EXECUTIVE POWER, BUT ALSO HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE IN A LEGISLATIVE SENSE.
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THAT.
THERE MAY BE SOME INSTANCES OF THAT, BUT BASICALLY, YOU KEEP THE EXECUTIVE AND THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES SEPARATE.
I PARTICULARLY AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE DRAFT THAT RECOMMENDS THAT THE CHAIR, THE ELECTED CHAIR, THE ELECTED COUNTY MANAGER, MAKES ALL THE APPOINTMENTS.
I THINK THAT REALLY GOES TO THE ISSUE OF NOT BEING FAIR AND EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION, AND ALSO GOES TO THE ISSUE OF CONCENTRATION OF POWER IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE ELECTED COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPOINT, AS THEY PRESENTLY DO.
I GUESS I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME I HAVE LEFT, SO I'LL LOOK FOR YOUR SIGNAL.
I WANT TO STRESS, AND I REALLY ASK THAT YOU ALL CONSIDER THE PART ABOUT FAIR AND EQUAL REPRESENTATION.
THIS IS A DIVERSE COUNTY.
IT'S A LARGE COUNTY.
IF YOU HAVE A COUNTYWIDE ELECTED CHAIRMAN OR A DISTRICT, YOU WILL HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTING OVER A MILLION PEOPLE.
THERE'S NOBODY ELSE IN THE STATE WITH THAT KIND OF POWER EXCEPT THE GOVERNOR AND OSTENSIBLY CONNIE MACK AND BOB GRAHAM.
THAT, TO ME, IS SOMETHING YOU REALLY NEED TO GIVE THOUGHT TO.
THAT BOTHERS ME GREATLY.
WE NEED TO KEEP A BALANCE.
JUST LIKE OUR FOUNDING FATHERS IN THE CONSTITUTION AND THE WAY THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS SET UP.
WE HAVE A SEPARATION OF POWERS.
WHAT YOU ARE PROPOSING HERE TO ME, I SEE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH SEPARATION OF POWER.
I SEE ALMOST A DICTATORIAL-TYPE SITUATION OCCURRING, AND I'M CERTAINLY OPPOSED TO THAT, AND I KNOW MANY IN UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE ALSO OPPOSED TO THAT -- IN UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE ALSO OPPOSED TO THAT, AND THEY WILL BE SPEAKING TO YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE TO YOU, MS. CHAIRMAN, OTHER PRESENTATIONS THEY HAVE YIELDED, EVEN AT THE COMMISSION.
SO YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
I'LL LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID AND WATCH ST. LOUIS BEAT ATLANTA OR VICE VERSA, THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. HECKMAN.
MS. LAYNE.
>> GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD.
I'M DENISE LAYNE, CITIZEN OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND I SPEAK ONLY FOR MYSELF TONIGHT.
BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO THROW SOME IDEAS OUT THERE.
IT'S NOT BEEN DISCUSSED WITH MY BOARD.
IT'S NOT BEEN DISCUSSED WITH MY COMMUNITY.
SO SOMETIMES, I LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY.
I'VE READ YOUR PROPOSAL.
ON THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING TONIGHT.
I JUST WANT YOU TO REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M NOT OFFERING ANY SUGGESTIONS OR PUSH, BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE SELECTED CHAIR IS THE FIRST STEP TO A COUNTY MAYOR.
IT IS A COUNTY MAYOR.
IT MIGHT BE A WEAK FORM OF IT, BUT IT IS THE COUNTY MAYOR.
IF THIS IS WHAT YOU TRULY WANT THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTY TO BE BECAUSE WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN FUTURE BOARDS IS THEY WILL SEE THE PROBLEMS, OF COURSE, AND THAT'S PROBABLY YOUR INTENTION OF HOW THIS IS SET UP NOW.
YOU'RE GOING TO NEED MORE OF THIS OR LESS THAN THAT.
OR THEY NEED MORE OF THIS OR THIS.
YOU ARE STARTING THE EVOLUTION OF COUNTY MAYOR IN THE COUNTY.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE RAMIFICATION OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE HAVE A CHAIR NOW, NOT ELECTED, BUT WE DO HAVE SOMEONE THAT THEY -- THAT SOMEONE CAN GO TO.
IF YOU WANT A STRONGER CHAIR THAN WHAT YOU'VE GOT NOW, GO TO YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.
PUT SOME THINGS IN THE CODE.
GIVE THEM SOME DUTIES IN THE CODE.
THESE DUTIES THAT YOU'RE GIVING IN THE CHARTER TO THIS CHAIR IS PRESENTLY IN THE CODE.
YOU ARE TAKING THEM OUT OF THE CODE AND PUTTING THEM INTO THE CHARTER.
JUST A SUGGESTION.
BECAUSE I THINK YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
THE OTHER CAUTION I'VE GOT IS YOU ELECT A CHAIR FOR FOUR YEARS.
IF YOU'VE GOT A CONSENSUS BUILDER, IF YOU'VE GOT A DYNAMO IN THERE, SOMEBODY WHO CAN REALLY KEEP PEOPLE ON TRACK AND ISSUES, YOU MIGHT END UP WITH A REALLY GREAT CHAIR, AND THIS COULD WORK GREAT.
WHAT IF YOU DON'T?
YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE WHO CAN'T RUN A MEETING.
WE'VE HAD THOSE A LOT OF THEM IN THE PAST.
BUT GUESS WHAT, WE ONLY HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THEM FOR A YEAR, AND IT CAN CHANGE.
THAT'S A DANGER.
I'M NOT SAYING YOUR IDEA IS BAD OR WRONG; I'M JUST SAYING THERE ARE SOME REAL DANGERS HERE AND PLEASE THINK ABOUT THEM.
AS FAR AS A NINE-MEMBER BOARD.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU'VE GOT GOOD -- IF THINGS ARE WORKING WELL, IT'S MORE PERSPECTIVE.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD STEP TOWARD BETTER REPRESENTATION AND MAYBE MORE EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION.
I DO LIKE THE IDEA PERSONALLY OF ALWAYS BEING ABLE, AS A CITIZEN, TO ELECT THE MAJORITY OF MY BOARD, WHETHER THERE ARE SEVEN OR NINE PEOPLE, THEY ARE MAKING A DECISION ON MY COMMUNITY AND ON MY LIFE, AND I LIKE BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE POWER OF ELECTING THE POWER MAJORITY OF THE BOARD.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS.
IT MIGHT SOLVE SOME OF THEM.
I THINK GOING HAND IN HAND WITH THAT THOUGH IS WE NEED CAMPAIGN REFORM OF SOME SORT.
THAT'S PROBABLY GOT TO BE DONE AT THE STATE LEVEL, BUT I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS LOCALLY WE CAN DO THROUGH OUR ELECTIONS OFFICE.
I'VE TALKED TO PAM IORIO ABOUT IT.
YEAH, WE COULD DO SOME MINOR CAMPAIGN REFORM.
IT IS NOT A SOLUTION BUT A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU, AS A BOARD, RECOMMEND TO OUR BOCC -- I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HEARD IT AT EVERY MEETING, I HAVE, FROM SOMEONE, IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.
WE HAVEN'T REVISITED THAT THING IN OVER TEN YEARS.
I THINK THIS BOARD, AS THE CHARTER REVIEW, AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE IMPLEMENTS THE CHARTER, I THINK THAT'S YOUR PLACE TO DO THAT, AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO AT LEAST DISCUSS WHETHER YOU WANT TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOCC TO LOOK AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.
I ALSO THINK YOU CAN MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE YOU INITIATED THE INTERNAL AUDITOR PROPOSAL.
YOU WANTED ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU WANTED AUDITING.
YOU WANTED SOME BALANCE THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THERE ANYMORE.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT'S NOT.
AN ORDINANCE HAS TAKEN THAT POWER AWAY FROM THE CLERK.
HAVE THEM RESCIND THE ORDINANCE.
ASK THEM TO RESCIND THE ORDINANCE AND PUT THE HEAD OF THE -- WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER BACK WITH THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT.
YOU HAVE NOW TAKEN THAT OUT OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAND THAT HAS THE POWER FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
YOUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IS THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE BUDGET.
THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM.
PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT STARTED.
ASK THEM TO RESCIND THEIR ORDINANCE.
THE VERY LAST THING I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT, JUST TO THROW OUT THERE, IS TERM LIMITS.
ONE OF THE POSITIVES I SEE ON TERM LIMITS IS THAT IT PUTS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AFTER EIGHT YEARS BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY FULL TIME.
NOT ALL OF THEM, SOME OF THEM END UP IN STATE OFFICES, AND IT JUST PUTS THEM BACK IN.
THEY GET ANOTHER FRESH PERSPECTIVE.
THEY CAN COME BACK TWO AND FOUR YEARS LATER.
YOU ARE GIVING THEM A WAY -- A PERSPECTIVE OF GETTING BACK IN TOUCH WITH REALITY.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MS. LAYNE.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE RICK ECKERD AND BETTY CRISLIP.
ECKERD AND BETTY CRISLIP.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE REVIEW -- AND THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
I'M HONORED TO BE HERE TONIGHT, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M RICK ECKERD, AND TOGETHER WITH JOE SMITH, WHO IS HERE THIS EVENING, AND MIKE SUAREZ, I'M A MEMBER OF THE CHARTER REVIEW TASK FORCE FOR THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER COMPRISES APPROXIMATELY 2400 MEMBERS.
THOSE MEMBERS EMPLOY OVER A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE, AND THAT REPRESENTS MORE THAN HALF OF THE EMPLOYEES OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
-- AND ITS MUNICIPALITIES.
AS YOU KNOW, THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE CHAMBER RECENTLY ADOPTED A MOTION, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO REPORT THE TEXT OF THAT MOTION TO YOU AND TO DISCUSS THE INTENT OF THE BOARD.
THE MOTION READS, THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SUPPORTS, IN CONCEPT, THE REVISION OF THE CHARTER FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO PROVIDE FOR THE POPULAR ELECTION OF A COUNTY CHAIR WITH A PREFERENCE OVER TIME FOR THE COUNTY CHAIR TO HAVE THE POWER AND AUTHORITY USUALLY ATTRIBUTED TO A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
IT GOES ON TO SAY, THIS IS PROVIDED -- IT GOES ON TO SAY, THIS IS PROVIDED THAT THE COUNTY CONTINUES ITS RELIANCE ON STRONG PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT, SUCH THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING PROVIDED BY THE EXISTING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS FURTHER URGES THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD TO TAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO PLACE A PROPOSED REVISION TO ACCOMPLISH THIS BEFORE THE VOTERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
SO THE MOTION BEGINS WITH THE CONCEPT OF AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR WITH LIMITED POWERS, AND IT ENDS WITH A CAVEAT, THE NEED TO MAINTAIN PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT.
THE MOTION ALSO STATES A PREFERENCE THAT OVER TIME, THE POPULAR ELECTED CHAIR BE GIVEN ADDITIONAL POWERS AND DUTIES TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG MAYOR, PROVIDED THAT THOSE POWERS AND DUTIES DO NOT DIMINISH THE RELIANCE ON PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT.
ASSUMING THAT THIS REVIEW BOARD DECIDES TO SEND A PROPOSAL OF AN ELECTED CHAIR TO BALLOT IN 2002, AND FURTHER INSISTING THAT THE CITIZENS SUPPORT REVISION TO THE CHARTER, THE CHAMBER BELIEVES THAT OVER TIME, THERE MAY BE NEED TO MODIFY THE POWERS OF THE ELECTED CHAIR THAT ARE EXPERIENCED -- OUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE WILL DICTATE TO THAT.
IN SUMMARY, THE CHAMBER STRONGLY BELIEVES THAT AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE POINT PERSON FOR BOTH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES AND CONSENSUS BUILDING.
SUCH A LEADER WILL FOCUS OUR COMMUNITY'S COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE TO EVERYBODY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
I THANK YOU AGAIN ON BEHALF OF THE CHAMBER.
>>JAN SMITH:  WE USUALLY DON'T.
AND WE'VE GOT 50 MINUTES MORE OF PUBLIC COMMENT.
IF MR. ECKERD HAS THE TIME AND WOULD LIKE TO STAY AT THE END.
[ INAUDIBLE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  THEY NEVER END UP SHORT.
[ INAUDIBLE ]
>> APPROXIMATELY 2400 MEMBERS.
AND THAT'S THE GREATER CHAMBER IS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND ITS MUNICIPALITIES.
[ NOT SPEAKING IN MICROPHONE ]
>> THIS IS A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS.
IT HAS A MANAGING GROUP, JUST AS THE COUNTY DOES.
[ MICROPHONE NOT ON ]
>> THIS DOES NOT AFFECT THE VOTE OF THE 2400 MEMBERS.
>>JAN SMITH:  IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STAY AS OUR DISCUSSION GOES ON THIS EVENING, THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO ASK YOU MORE QUESTIONS.
MS. BETTY CRISLIP.
>> I'M BETTY CRISLIP, 4405 WEST PLATT STREET, TAMPA.
AND MY REMARKS OF WHICH YOU HAVE A COPY OF, I WOULD ONLY LIKE TO STRESS BECAUSE OF MAYOR GRECO'S COMMENTS.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ELECTED CHAIR OR AN ELECTED MAYOR, WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT CONSOLIDATION, AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
AND LET'S KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO THESE ARE MY REMARKS.
POWERFUL INTERESTS, WHETHER THEY BE THE DAILY NEWSPAPER OR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, PREFER A STRONG MAYOR GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY HAVE ONLY ONE DECISION-MAKER TO DEAL WITH, HAVE ONLY TO INFLUENCE AND CONVINCE ONE INDIVIDUAL INSTEAD OF SEVEN.
BUT HOW TO CONVINCE THE ELECTORATE THAT DECISIONS BY ONE INDIVIDUAL IN CONCERT WITH POWER MAKE FOR BETTER GOVERNMENT?
WE HAVE SEEN A DELIBERATE RECENT CAMPAIGN BY THE TAMPA TRIBUNE AND THE CHAMBER TO CONVINCE CITIZENS THAT THEIR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AS PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED, IS NOT WORKING, THAT WE HAVE GRIDLOCK, AND THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS BEING SERIOUSLY DAMAGED BY THE COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THE PRESENT COMMISSION THAT REPRESENTS A RANGE OF POLITICAL VIEWS.
THIS FLIES IN THE FACE OF AMERICAN HISTORY.
OUR FOUNDERS KNEW THAT EVEN IN THE 1780s THE PROBLEMS FACING GOVERNMENT WERE ENORMOUSLY COMPLEX.
THEY KNEW IT WAS FOLLY TO ASSUME THAT ONCE A PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE PRESENT, THAT IT COULD BE EASILY AND QUICKLY SOLVED BY QUICK "SHOOT FROM THE HIP" POLICIES AND ORDINANCES.
GOVERNMENT IS NOT EXEMPT FROM MURPHY'S LAW AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES IS FREQUENT.
FURTHER, YOU CAN'T FORCE PEOPLE TO DO THINGS THEY DON'T WANT TO DO, NO MATTER EXPERTS YOU HAVE HIRED TO THINK BIG THOUGHTS AND TO MAKE BIG PLANS.
SO THE AMERICAN SYSTEM, FOR GOOD REASONS, HAS ALWAYS RELIED ON MAKING LAW-MAKING AND POLICY DECISIONS DIFFICULT THROUGH SUCH THINGS AS COMPETING LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT, PARTISAN ELECTIONS, SUPER MAJORITIES, REQUIRED REDUNDANCIES, AND MORE RECENTLY, WITH OPEN MEETINGS AND HEARINGS.
THESE SAFEGUARDS HAVE ALLOWED FOR MAJORITY RULE, BUT HAVE MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT.
THEY HAVE MADE COMPROMISE A NECESSITY, AND THROUGH SUCH GIVE AND TAKE, THE RIGHTS OF MINORITIES, NOT JUST RACIAL AND ETHNIC, BUT NEIGHBORHOOD, MUST BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
THIS IS NOT GRIDLOCK.
THIS IS REALISTIC GOVERNMENT WITH VITAL SAFEGUARDS, AND CONTRARY TO WHAT MAYOR GRECO TOLD YOU, THIS IS NOT BICKERING.
ISN'T IT INTERESTING THAT THE TRIBUNE AND THE CHAMBER NEVER SEEM TO IDENTIFY THESE LARGE-SCALE PROBLEMS THAT OUR COMMISSION HAS AVOIDED SOLVING?
WOULD THEY PREFERRED WE RUSH INTO RAPID RAIL TRANSIT OR EVEN MORE FAR-OUT SOLUTIONS TO OUR WATER SHORTAGE?
WOULD THEY HAVE WANTED NEIGHBORHOOD LIFESTYLES TO BE AT THE MERCY OF DEVELOPERS?
WHEN THE COMMISSION CAN'T QUICKLY COME TO A DECISION ON COMPLEX PROBLEMS, THE TRIBUNE AND THE CHAMBER DON'T SEE THIS AS AN ABSENCE OF COMMUNITY CONSENSUS.
RATHER, THEY WANT A GO-IT-ALONE, WHEELER-DEALER MAYOR THAT GETS THINGS DONE BEFORE THE CITIZENS OFTEN KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING.
OF COURSE, THE BIG BOYS ARE KEPT IN THE LOOP.
THE CHAMBER SAYS, A STRONG MAYOR WOULD INCREASE ACCOUNTABILITY.
NOT SO.
THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY UNLESS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HAS AUTHORITY.
THE CHAMBER TALKS OF KEEPING A PROFESSIONAL MANAGER, BUT AN ELECTED MAYOR WOULD NOT BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MANAGER'S DECISIONS UNLESS THAT MAYOR ALONE APPOINTED SUCH A PERSON.
IS THIS WHAT CITIZENS WANT?
THE CHAMBER SAYS WE NEED VISION.
LIBERALS LOVE TO DREAM DREAMS, TO COME UP WITH UTOPIAN SOLUTIONS.
THIS IS THE KIND OF VISION THAT WILL GIVE US HIGH-SPEED RAIL FROM AN AIRPORT TO THE USF AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE PLANNED.
THESE WILL MAKE US THE NEXT GREAT COUNTY.
AND SPEAKING OF THE NEXT GREAT COUNTY, THEIR STRONG MAYOR WILL SUPPOSEDLY SPEAK FOR THE COUNTY IN FORUMS FROM TALLAHASSEE TO WASHINGTON.
UNLESS YOU INTEND TO CONSOLIDATE THE COUNTY, ANOTHER PROBLEM ENTIRELY, DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT A CITY OF TAMPA MAYOR IS GOING TO TAKE SECOND PLACE TO A COUNTY MAYOR IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS AND RIBBON CUTTINGS?
DO NOT BE NAIVE.
ONE LAST THING.
AND -- ONE FINAL CONCERN OF THE CHAMBER IS THAT THEY TALK ABOUT IT AS OVERTIME BEING GIVEN ADDITIONAL POWERS AND DUTIES.
THIS SHOULD STRIKE TERROR IN THE HEARTS OF CITIZENS.
ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT A VETO OVER ORDINANCES OR LAND USE ZONINGS?
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN INDEPENDENT AGENCIES LIKE THE E.P.C. AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION UNDER THE MAYOR'S CONTROL?
WHAT ADDITIONAL POWERS DO THEY ENVISION, AND HOW DO THESE IMPACT CITIZENS' RIGHTS.
>> LAST THING.
SO I URGE YOU TO USE YOUR BULLY PULPIT TO TELL THE COMMUNITY THAT THE DIFFICULT AND OFTEN TEDIOUS POLICY PROCESS OF ARRIVING AT CONSENSUS AND A COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS A PROTECTION FOR CITIZENS, NOT DAMAGING GRIDLOCK.
WE NEED THIS INNER PLACE AND COMPETITION OF INTEREST, NOT ONLY TO GOVERN, BUT TO CONTROL GOVERNMENT.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MS. CRISLIP.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE MARLENE BOGGS, IS THAT CORRECT?
MARLENE BOGGS -- I'M SORRY, SHE DOES HAVE NO AFTER HER NAME.
AND MICHAEL -- NO, IT'S -- THIS MICHAEL -- WE'RE GOING TO SEND YOU TO PENMANSHIP CLASS.
MR. CARDUCCI.
>>JAN SMITH:  ALL THE DOCTORS IN CALIFORNIA WERE REQUIRED TO GO TO PENMANSHIP CLASS.
>> MY PENMANSHIP IS BAD BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO OWN UP TO WHAT I SIGN.
I APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO ME AGAIN PARTICULARLY AFTER AN ELOQUENT CHARMING MAYOR LIKE WE HAVE SPOKE.
AS A CHARTER GROUP, I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TO LOOK AT AN UNPOPULAR VIEW APPARENTLY, SINCE I, QUOTE, DISAGREE WITH WHAT I HEAR AND WHAT I SEE.
BUT I WAS TAUGHT AT A VERY EARLY AGE IN LIFE, IF I DON'T STAND UP FOR WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT, I AM NOT, I DON'T THINK, AND THEREFORE, I AM NOTHING.
THEREFORE, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU MY STORY AS I SEE IT.
TERM LIMITS.
DELIGHTFUL.
EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY HAS VOTED FOR IT.
OUR PROBLEM?
WE ONLY HAVE ONE MAYOR ON IT.
WE SHOULD HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE ON IT.
WHY?
AND EVERYONE KNOWS LOSS OF EXPERIENCE IS DISASTROUS.
IN MOST CASES, THE LOSS OF THAT EXPERIENCE IS GOOD.
IT PREVENTS BUILDING A POWER BASE SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE CAN BE ELECTED, SO OTHER PEOPLE CAN WIN AGAINST THE INCUMBENT, WHICH WE DON'T HAVE TODAY.
IT PREVENTS BAD DECISIONS TO BE ELECTED AGAIN, WHICH IS THE BIGGEST CRIME IN POLITICS AND WHY THE MAYOR SAID, THROW THE RASCALS OUT.
GOOD REPRESENTATION DOES NOT NEED EXPERIENCE.
WHAT IT DOES NEED IS HONESTY, INTEGRITY, AND PEOPLE SKILLS.
IF OUR FOREFATHERS KNEW NOTHING ELSE, THEY SAID, DO NOT HAVE REPEAT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, TERM LIMITS.
BUT THEN AGAIN, THEY ONLY KNEW OF SUCH INCIDENTAL PEOPLE LIKE WASHINGTON OVER OUR HISTORY, LINCOLN, FDR, EISENHOWER, McARTHUR, YOU KNOW, THOSE PEOPLE, THEY SHOULD HAVE TERM LIMITS.
RIDICULOUS THAT WE THINK THAT THE INSIGNIFICANCE OF OUR PEOPLE WHO ARE PRESENTLY IN POLITICS ARE SO IMPORTANT TO US THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE IN TERM LIMITS.
NOW, WE ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE MOST IDEALISTIC GOVERNMENT EXISTS WHEN YOU HAVE A BENEVOLENT DICTATOR.
IS THAT WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR?
SOMEONE THAT HAS THE MONEY THAT IS GIVEN BY THE STATE AND THE COUNTY TO SUPPORT BRINGING PEOPLE INTO THIS AREA VIA AN ALLIANCE.  A PARTNERSHIP, IN A CHAMBER IN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
VERY INTERESTING.
IT'S THINKING ABOUT THE WATER THAT'S HALF FULL AND HALF EMPTY.
IF I LIVED IN TAMPA AND I HAD THE WATER FULL, I WOULD BE DROWNING IN WATER.
BUT WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, YOU ARE DYING OF THIRST.
THE CONFLICT YOU WILL HAVE WITH -- OF THIRST.
THE CONFLICT YOU WILL HAVE WITH A STRONG MAYOR, OR HOWEVER YOU WILL CHOOSE HIM IS HIS CONFLICT WITH THE BOCC.
I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS PRESENTER THAT IT IS NOT BICKERING, ARBITRATION.
WE SEE NO BICKERING IN THE CITY COUNCIL JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE THAT STRONG MAYOR.
CONFLICT WITH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IS ANOTHER MAJOR PROBLEM, ANOTHER BUREAUCRATIC LEVEL.
MOVING POWER AND DECISIONS UP INSTEAD OF DOWN IS AGAINST EVERY BUSINESS PRINCIPLE THAT I'VE EVER STUDIED.
AND I'VE STUDIED ENOUGH, TOO, THAT TELLS ME THAT IS THE WRONG WAY TO GO.
BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
WHEN YOU DO IT, YOU SAY WHY DO WE HAVE APATHY WITH THE PEOPLE.
VERY EASY.
WHY SHOULD THEY BE INVOLVED WHEN YOU ARE MOVING THESE DECISIONS UP.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
STRATEGICALLY THAT IS WRONG BECAUSE IT BUILDS EMPIRES.
ANOTHER POLITICAL POWER CONTROL.
AT THAT -- TECHNICALLY IT'S WRONG BECAUSE THE DECISION IS AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO LIVE WITH THOSE DECISIONS, AND THAT'S A REASON YOU HAVE A PROBLEM IN YOUR GOVERNMENT.
NOW THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, WHICH IS REALLY WHY I CAME, AND I HEARD SOME SPEAKING, AND I CHANGED MY SPEECH A LITTLE BIT, AND I APOLOGIZE, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WHAT YOU HAVE NOW CREATED IS WHAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THREE "A" COMMISSIONERS AND FOUR "B" COMMISSIONERS.
ONE THAT REPRESENT A THIRD OF THE MILLION, 333,000.
A "B" COMMISSIONER IS ONE THAT HAS FOUR, SHE ONLY REPRESENTS 250,000.
WE OUGHT TO REALLY HAVE ONE AND A HALF VOTES FOR THE "A" COMMISSIONER.
YOU DO THAT AGAIN BY GIVING AN "A" COMMISSIONER A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
JUST SO YOU KNOW YOU ARE GIVING A COMMISSIONER MORE REPRESENTATION THAN ANY OTHER STATE GOVERNMENT AGENT, EXCEPT THE GOVERNOR.
MAYOR GRECO REPRESENTS 300,000 PEOPLE.
YOU'RE SAYING YOUR AT-LARGE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO REPRESENT THE COUNTY, THE WHOLE COUNTY.
THAT IS A MILLION PEOPLE.
ONLY THE GOVERNOR HAS MORE PEOPLE REPRESENTED.
I WISH TO TELL YOU THAT I AM NOT POLITICALLY ASTUTE, BUT HOPEFULLY MY EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION MAKE MY BUSINESS ACUMEN FOR STRUCTURE IMPORTANT, MAKE IT A FUNCTIONAL BENEFIT, AND NOT A NIGHTMARE OF NO REPRESENTATION.
REMEMBER, POWER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. CARDUCCI.
[ APPLAUSE ]
NEXT IS MARILYN SMITH AND THEN KARL WARREN.
>> WELL, HAVE YOU MISSED ME?  I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN A WHILE.
MARILYN SMITH, PO BOX 66, SYDNEY, GRANDMOTHER AT LARGE.
DAVID, I HOPE YOU ARE FARING WELL WITH YOUR FOLKS.
I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT.
IT'S NOT AN EASY TIME FOR YOU.
WELL, WE'VE BEEN DOWN THIS ROAD, IT WOULD APPEAR, BEFORE, AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, I KNOW YOU'VE WORKED VERY HARD.
YOUR DRAFT AND YOUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR HAS PUT TOGETHER A NICE INSTRUMENT HERE.
MOST OF WHICH I DON'T THINK WE OUGHT TO DO.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED NINE COMMISSIONERS.
CERTAINLY I DON'T THINK WE NEED AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE OF ANY KIND.
POWER CORRUPTS, REMEMBER THAT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
AND IN THIS COUNTY, IT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE.
NOW, IT IS -- STOP LAUGHING, JAN.
ANY INDIVIDUAL CAN COME BEFORE THIS APPOINTED BODY, AND YOU'RE ALL APPOINTED BY YOUR COMMISSIONERS, AND REMEMBER THE INDIVIDUAL THAT COMES HERE HAS ONE VOTE.
MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT COME HERE ARE OF MODEST MEANS, AND THAT'S A GOOD THING.
THE PROBLEM COMES IN WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE COMING HERE THAT TAKE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THEN TELL YOU WHAT YOU OUGHT TO THINK.
NOW, I DON'T TAKE ANY MONEY FROM THE CITY OR COUNTY, AND I DON'T COME UP HERE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO THINK; HOWEVER, GUESS WHO DOES, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
THEY GET 320,000 FROM THE CITY AND 380,000 FROM THE COUNTY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE A 501 C 6.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S QUITE KOSHER THEY SHOULD BE COMING UP HERE AND TRYING TO PERSUADE YOU.
THEY CAN COME AS AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT WHEN THEY START TAKING AS THE GREATER CHAMBER, BUT THE GREATER CHAMBER, AND ALL THEIR FALDERAL AND THEIR BOARD OF GOVERNORS, THEY ARE TAKING MY MONEY TO TRY TO SWAY YOU.
I DON'T LIKE THAT.
I WOULD DO A LITTLE MORE STUDYING.
BE THAT AS IT MAY.
I AGREE, ABOUT 99% WITH WHAT MS. CRISLIP HAS SAID.
BETTY IS ASTUTE GOVERNMENT STUDIER AND ALSO FOR THE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE'S RIGHTS.
WE DIDN'T FALL OFF THE LAST TURNIP TRUCK.
WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
EVEN THOUGH SOME PEOPLE GET THEIR HEADS TURNED OF SOME THINGS THAT ARE INTIMATED TO THEM, WE DON'T GET OUR HEADS TURNED BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN TOO MUCH OF THIS GO ON.
NOW, I HAVE ONE FINAL THING I WANT TO SAY TO YOU, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE EXTRA TIME LEFT.
I'M NOT GOING TO GAS ON.
I DON'T NEED TO.
PERCEPTION IS EVERYTHING.
WHEN YOU WERE APPOINTED TO THIS AUGUST BODY THAT ONLY MEETS EVERY FIVE YEARS, IT IS TO REMAIN IN VIOLET.
IT SHOULD NOT BE LOBBIED OR TRIED TO BE COERCED FROM THE OUTSIDE ABOUT YOUR DECISION-MAKING ABILITY.
I TAKE GREAT UMBRAGE TO THAT.
AND WHEN IT APPEARS OR WE PERCEIVE, THE PUBLIC PERCEIVES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN UPSETS ME GREATLY.
I THINK YOU CAN PROBABLY FIGURE OUT I'M NOT TOO CRAZY ABOUT THAT HAPPENING.
I DON'T LIKE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR HAVING LUNCH OR BREAKFAST OR DINNER WITH ANY OF YOU AT ANY TIME OR HIS APPOINTED PUBLIC AFFAIRS PERSON.
IT IS A BAD PERCEPTION THAT YOU COULD BE SWAYED.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE A BAD PERCEPTION HANGING OVER YOU.
AND WHEN YOU WERE APPOINTED, YOU ALSO HAD THE DUTY TO FILL OUT A THREE-PAGE APPOINTMENT FORM.
SOMEBODY DIDN'T FINISH THAT.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO GO OVER IN YOUR MINDS AND SEE WHICH ONE OF YOU DIDN'T COMPLETELY FILL OUT YOUR FORM, BUT I LAUD YOU, IT IS A LONG, HARD, TEDIOUS JOB THEIR PERFORMING, AND I KNOW I HAVEN'T BORED YOU TO DEATH, BECAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE IN QUITE A WHILE.
SO YOU WILL TAKE MY REMARKS AS KINDLY AS YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT WE DON'T NEED ANY MORE ELECTED PEOPLE.
WE'RE DOING FINE, AND DISCUSSION AND CONSENSUS THAT I SEE, MY SEVEN COMMISSIONERS COME TO BIWEEKLY, I THINK IT'S HEALTHY.
NOTHING WRONG WITH A LITTLE DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBERS, NEEDLESS TO SAY, IN MY OPINION, AND I ASSUME YOURS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CONTACT ANY PERSON THAT YOU CHOOSE TO CONTACT TO HELP YOU IN YOUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.
I KNOW PERCEPTION IS AN ISSUE AT TIMES, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT RIGHT.
I'VE ASKED THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO GIVE US AN OPINION ON THAT, AND SHE'LL HAVE SOME COMMENT PLEASE.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  FOR THE RECORD, AGAIN, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL.
THE ISSUE THAT I WAS ASKED HAD TO DO WITH THE SUNSHINE LAW AND AS WE BRIEFED THE BOARD AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE DELIBERATIONS, IT ONLY COMES INTO EFFECT GENERALLY WHEN THERE ARE TWO MEMBERS OF THE SAME BOARD.
I WAS ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ON THIS BOARD.
AND AS LONG AS THERE WAS ONLY ONE MEMBER OF THIS BOARD, THERE WOULD BE NO SUNSHINE LAW IMPLICATIONS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
MR. AMBLER.
>>KEVIN AMBLER:  I JUST HAD A QUESTION, IF -- IF WE'RE KEEPING NOTES EITHER AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS OR AT A SUBCOMMITTEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR EVEN GETTING INFORMATION FROM BARBARA MERRITT OVER THE PHONE, ARE THOSE CONSIDERED IN EACH OF THOSE INSTANCES TO BE PUBLIC RECORD?
OR CAN WE MAKE OUR OWN JOGGED NOTES.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  THAT IS ONE OF THE HARDEST AREAS IN PUBLIC RECORDS LAW TO DEAL WITH.
A PUBLIC RECORD IS SOMETHING YOU MAKE AND RECEIVE IN THE CONDUCT OF YOUR OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT BUSINESS, THAT YOU INTEND TO BE THE FINAL FORMAL KNOWLEDGE OF THAT INFORMATION.
IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR ME IF YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT A CERTAIN NOTE THAT YOU TOOK OR SOMETHING, IF IT'S A PRECURSOR TO A DRAFT WE COME UP WITH, PERHAPS IT'S NOT.
BUT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR ME TO DO THAT ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS IF YOU DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT SOME DOCUMENT YOU HAVE CREATED OR RECEIVED.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYBODY'S QUESTIONS ON THOSE AS THEY COME UP.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MS. CAMPBELL.
MR. LaBOUR.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  ONE OF THE DISAPPOINTING THINGS -- FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE ALWAYS APPRECIATED PUBLIC COMMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS -- JUST A PERSONAL OBSERVATION THAT I FIND GREATLY DISAPPOINTING IS WHEN PEOPLE USE THE PULPIT, ONE, TO ADVANCE A POLITICAL ISSUE THAT IS NOT BEFORE US AS A CHARTER REVIEW, I THINK THAT'S DISAPPOINTING.
BUT CERTAINLY THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY ANYTHING.
AND WE WILL LISTEN TO THAT.
THE SECOND IS WHEN A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC KIND OF THROWS OUT AN INSINUATION THAT I THINK -- I'M JUST REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT, IN ESSENCE, IT TARNISHES ALL OF US AND THEY CAN HIDE BEHIND THE INSINUATION.
IF MS. SMITH BELIEVES THAT ANY OF US HAVE CONTACTED OR BEEN CONTACTED BY ANYONE THAT WAS -- THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL, WHETHER SHE APPRECIATED THE CONTACT OR NOT IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT, BUT IF IT WAS ILLEGAL, THEN SHE NEEDS TO GO TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY IMMEDIATELY AND TELL THEM IMMEDIATELY OF WHAT HER CONCERN IS.
BUT TO THROW IT OUT AND LEAVE IT OUT IN THE AIR AS WE HAVE BEEN LOBBIED INAPPROPRIATELY OR POSSIBLY ILLEGALLY REALLY, REALLY TROUBLES ME.
IF THIS BOARD RECALLS AT THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT WE DISCUSSED ABOUT THE RULES, I EVEN HAD SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS WE MIGHT WANT TO MAKE US UNDER THE SAME RULES AS THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND MAKING SURE WE LOG OUR CONTACTS AS BEING, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE COUNTY DOES IN THE LOBBYISTS.
IT FAILED FOR THE LACK OF A SECOND.
AND THAT'S FINE.
I NEVER INSINUATED THEN AND I CERTAINLY DON'T INSINUATE TODAY THAT I WISH THAT OTHERS FROM THEY DO WISH SOMETHING WAS ILLEGAL, THAT THEY'D COME FORWARD.
BUT I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO CONTACT EVERYBODY WE PERSONALLY THINK WE NEED TO CONTACT.
AND COMMENTS LIKE THAT MADE PUBLICLY I HOPE DOESN'T DETER ANY OF MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO NOT CONTACT THOSE PEOPLE YOU THINK WILL HELP YOU MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
IT IS ONLY ILLEGAL IF WE TALK TO ONE ANOTHER OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING ON ISSUES THAT WE WILL BE VOTING ON.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO CALL YOUR MOTHER.
YOU WANT TO CALL DAN KLEMAN, YOU WANT TO CALL DICK GRECO, YOU CALL WHO YOU HAVE TO CALL TO MAKE THE DECISION.
AND I RESENT THE FACT THAT SOMEONE WOULD JUST LIGHTLY THROW THAT UP IN THE AIR.
I TAKE IT OBVIOUSLY VERY SERIOUSLY THAT I DON'T WANT TO HINDER ANY OF US IN MAKING OUR PERSONAL DELIBERATIONS IN BRINGING IN WHO WE NEED TO.
AND I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR GIVING ME THE TIME.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
MR. HUGHES AND MR. WARREN HAVE AGREED TO EXCHANGE PLACES.
SO RALPH HUGHES WILL BE OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
>> THANK YOU, VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
RALPH HUGHES, TAMPA.
THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WENT ON RECORD LAST THURSDAY IN SUPPORT OF A HIGHLY VISIBLE, POWERFUL, POLITICAL LEADER TO HEAD UP OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT, END OF QUOTE.
IT IS A GIVEN THAT THIS LEADER WILL BE A WHITE, SKILLED POLITICIAN, SUPPORTED BY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, WITH SUBSTANTIAL FUNDS TO WAGE A CAMPAIGN, A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF TAMPA, AND ENDORSED BY THE NEWS MEDIA.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S GOVERNMENT WOULD BECOME A GOVERNMENT OF THE ELITE, BY THE ELITE, AND FOR THE ELITE.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER; HOWEVER, I DISAGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
I BELIEVE THOSE CLAMORING FOR CHANGE IN THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THOSE WHO SAY WE HAVE A DYSFUNCTIONAL BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE REALLY SAYING THEY ARE UNHAPPY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN CONTROL.
I SAY THAT CHANGING OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND THAT INCLUDES ADDING MORE DISTRICTS, IS A RADICAL AND AN UNNEEDED CHANGE.
OUR PRESENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS 16 YEARS OLD AND MATURING.
OUR RELATIVELY YOUNG FORM OF GOVERNMENT HAS SERVED US WELL.
THE COMPLAINTS WE HEAR ARE FROM SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS WHO BEMOANING THE FACT THAT THEY ARE -- OR THOSE THEY INFLUENCE ARE NOT IN CONTROL.
LET ME STATE A FEW BASIC FACTS IN THE LIMITED TIME AVAILABLE TO ME.
OUR PRESENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT HAS SERVED US WELL.
EVERY VOTER IN THE COUNTY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE FOR MAJORITY OF THE BOCC.
IT IS ABSURD TO BELIEVE THAT OUR SEVEN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DO NOT ADEQUATELY REPRESENT OR COMMUNICATE WITH THE PEOPLE.
COMMUNICATION IS A TWO-WAY STREET.
THE FACTS ARE 99.9% OF THE PEOPLE MAKE NO ATTEMPT WHATSOEVER TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR COMMISSIONERS.
THAT'S WHAT REPRESENTATION IS ALL ABOUT.
EVEN THOUGH THE PATH FOR THE PEOPLE TO COMMUNICATE IS WIDE OPEN.
THEY CAN DO IT BY TELEPHONE OR FAX, BY LETTER OR E-MAIL, BY PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE THE BOCC, BY ONE-ON-ONE VISITS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ARE WELL REPRESENTED BY OUR SEVEN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THE PEOPLE WILL NOT SUPPORT CREATING MORE DISTRICTS OR EXPANDING OUR BOCC.
THAT IS NOT, NOR THAT'S EVER BEEN, ONE OF THEIR PRIORITIES OR COMPLAINTS.
HIGH TAXES, RATES AND FEES THEIR COMPLAINTS.
MORE COMMISSIONERS MEAN MORE BUREAUCRACY AND MORE COSTS.
THOSE WHO OPPOSE ADDING BUREAUCRACY WILL OPPOSE ADDING MORE COMMISSIONERS.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
WE WOULD HAVE A SIMPLE AND COSTLY RENOVATION IF WE EXPAND THE BOCC.
EACH SEAT WILL COST THE TAXPAYERS A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY PER YEAR OVER AND ABOVE RENOVATION COSTS.
STATE LAW REQUIRES COUNTIES TO HAVE AT LEAST FIVE COMMISSIONERS, BUT NOT MORE, REGARDLESS OF THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTY.
PINELLAS COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT COUNTY GOVERNMENTS OF OUR STATE.
ITS POPULATION IS WITHIN 10% OF OUR POPULATION AND PINELLAS COUNTY RECENTLY CHANGED FROM FIVE COMMISSIONERS TO SEVEN.
WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD ANYONE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR RESIDENTS TO EXPAND THE COMMISSIONERS TO NINE.
AS FOR CREATING ANOTHER DISTRICT BECAUSE OF MINORITY CONCERNS, BE MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT DISTRICT THREE HAS ALWAYS ELECTED A BLACK COMMISSIONER AND ALWAYS HAS AND ALWAYS WILL.
AND I'LL PROVE IT TO YOU IF YOU ASK.
CURRENTLY OUR BLACK POPULATION HAS 14.3% OF THE POWER ON THE BOCC, AND YET OUR BLACK POPULATION REPRESENTS ONLY 13.2% OF OUR TOTAL POPULATION.
CREATING ANOTHER DISTRICT OR TWO AND CERTAIN PERSONS WILL HAVE CREATED A SEAT THEY CAN RUN FOR, BUT THE BLACK PERCENTAGE OF REPRESENTATION WILL DIMINISH.
AS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS FOR BOCC CHAIRMAN OR GIVING THE CHAIRMAN THE POWER TO APPOINT CERTAIN COMMISSIONERS TO BOARDS AND COUNCILS, THE BOARD HAS THE POWER TO DO THIS NOW.
IT HAS DONE SO IN RECENT YEARS.
JIM NORMAN, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS CHAIRMAN FOR TWO YEARS, 1994 AND 1995.
WHY DO WE THINK AN ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE WOULD BE BENEFICIAL?
IS IT BECAUSE HE OR SHE CAN ARTICULATE A VISION?
WHY DOES ANYONE BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF BOCC CANNOT ARTICULATE A VISION?
AS FOR ONE LEADER TO SPEAK FOR THE COUNTY, HOGWASH.
THERE ARE 14 OTHER CHARTERS COUNTIES IN OUR STATE PLUS 50 NONCHARTERED COUNTIES THAT DO NOT HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
THE CHARTER COUNTIES INCLUDE PINELLAS, PALM BEACH, MANATEE AND BROWARD.
ONLY THREE COUNTIES IN OUR STATE HAVE AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE, ORANGE, DUVAL AND DADE.
ORANGE AND DUVAL ARE NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THIS, OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS NOT WHAT IS IMPORTANT.
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHO HOLDS THE POSITION OF POWER.
IF WE HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY LEADER THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE, I WOULD BE A HAPPY CAMPER; HOWEVER, WHEN I THINK OF CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT COULD BE ELECTED AS OUR LEADER, I DON'T SLEEP TOO WELL AT NIGHT.
I TRUST YOU AGREE.
ONE FINAL COMMENT, AND I HAVE TIME.
I JUST LEARNED TODAY THAT YOU PLAN TO TAKE A STRAW VOTE TONIGHT ON THE NONPARTISAN ISSUE AND THE TERM LIMIT ISSUE.
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOU NOT DO THIS.
I BELIEVE YOU SHOULD ADVISE THE PUBLIC AHEAD OF TIME OF THE DATE YOU PLAN TO VOTE ON ANY ISSUE, STRAW OR OTHERWISE, TO THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU THEIR INPUT BEFORE YOU TAKE SUCH A VOTE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. HUGHES.
WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR ASIDE COMMENTS.
MR. WARREN.
>> MADAM CHAIRMAN, BEFORE MR. WARREN SPEAKS, MR. HUGHES COMES TO ALL THE MEETINGS AND I SURPRISED HE WOULD SAY THAT.
THAT'S WHY A MONTH AGO -- NO, I'M NOT ASKING YOU A QUESTION.
A MONTH AGO, I WAS THE ONE THAT MADE THE MOTION FOR THE STRAW VOTES ON THE TWO ISSUES THAT ARE BEFORE US TONIGHT.
SO IT HAS BEEN ADVERTISED AND KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC FOR WELL OVER A MONTH.
>> FOR TONIGHT?
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  YES.
>> I CERTAINLY WASN'T AWARE OF IT.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  SORRY.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
[ INAUDIBLE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WARREN.
>> GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I STRONGLY AGREE WITH MY FRIEND, RALPH HUGHES, OUR POSITION AND ARGUMENTS REGARDING AN ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
ALSO, THERE'S ANOTHER REASON FOR MY CATEGORICAL OPPOSITION.
MR. HUGHES DID NOT TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT DR. SAM HORTON, PRESIDENT OF THE HILLSBOROUGH TAMPA BRANCH OF THE NAACP CAME BEFORE YOU AND STATED FOR THE RECORDS, THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY ARE OPPOSED TO ANY KIND OF ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
I THINK ONE OF YOUR MEMBERS, MR. WHITE, RAISED THAT ISSUE WITH THE MAYOR.
THERE IS A PERCEPTION AND FEAR AMONG OUR PEOPLE THAT WHATEVER LITTLE INFLUENCE THE BLACK COMMUNITY MAY HAVE WILL BECOME A NO FACTOR UNDER SUCH A STRUCTURE.
AS I LOOK AT THE COMPOSITION OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE, I WONDER HOW MANY OF YOU WERE BORN IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE SOME OF YOU MAY INDEED SEE YOUR ROLES AS BEING GOOD AND HONEST PUBLIC SERVANTS.
ALSO I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SOME OF YOU WHO ARE HERE ONLY AS PROXY FOR A POWERFUL FACTION.
I BELIEVE YOU ARE PROXIES TO MAKE CERTAIN THINGS HAPPEN OR TO KEEP CERTAIN THINGS FROM HAPPENING.
BUT FOR ME, IT'S ALL ABOUT PRESERVING AND PROMOTING FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY FOR ALL OF OUR CITIZENS IN THIS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY FOR MY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE THE QUESTION FOR EXPANDING THE EXISTING DISTRICT STRUCTURE FROM A 4-3 CONFIGURATION TO A 6-3 OR A 5-4 CONFIGURATION IS A VERY RIGHT POLITICIZED PROPOSITION FOR THIS COMMUNITY IN FINALLY DOING THE RIGHT THING IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
HISTORICAL FACTS SHOW THAT RACE WAS THE INTENT AND MOTIVATING FACTOR FOR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CHANGING FROM AN ALL SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICT STRUCTURE TO AN ALL AT-LARGE STRUCTURE AFTER THE RULING IN TEXAS VERSUS WHITE.
THE TEXAS VERSUS WHITE DECISION MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR BLACKS TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS BY ENDING AN ALL-WHITE PRIMARY SYSTEM IN THE LATE 1940s.
IT WAS TEXAS VERSUS WHITE DECISION WHICH HELPED TO END OTHER INVIDIOUS STRATEGIES SUCH AS POLLED TAXES AND READING SOME SPARSE PARAGRAPH TO QUALIFY TO VOTE.
THE AT-LARGE VOTING STRUCTURE, WHEN COMBINED WITH THE OTHER INSIDIOUS ACTION AND INVIDIOUS DESIGN SYSTEMATICALLY DENIES AND ABRIDGES RIGHTS TO VOTE ON ACCOUNT OF A PERSON'S COLOR.
THE PRESENT 4-3 VOTING STRUCTURE IS A REMINDER OF PAST AND PRESENT LEGACIES OF THIS COMMUNITY'S EFFORT TO SYSTEMATICALLY DENY BLACK PEOPLE EQUAL ACCESS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN THE OVERALL POLITICAL PROCESS.
ALSO, I MAINTAIN FUNCTIONAL TOKENISM OR THE PRACTICE OF DESIGNATING A BLACK-ONLY TOKEN OFFICE IN THE CITY, THE COUNTY, OR STATE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT RESOLVE THIS DILEMMA OF RACISM EXPRESSED AS OF POLITICAL DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF BLACKS VIA A VOTING STRUCTURE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW FOR FAIR AND EQUITABLE ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THE OVERALL POLITICAL PROCESS.
WILL THIS CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE BECOME A NECESSARY CONDUIT FOR REAL CHANGES FOR ALL PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY?
THE BALL IS NOW IN YOUR COURT.
WILL YOU AS A BODY BE MEN AND WOMEN OF INTEGRITY AND COURAGE, OR WILL YOU BE POLITICAL WHIMPS AND POLITICAL PIMPS AS THE PREVIOUS CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN?
MOST BLACKS, PREFER A SYSTEM TOTAL MEMBER DISTRICT AS I ARGUED IN THE LITIGATION 21 YEARS AGO, BUT FROM A REALISTIC POINT OF VIEW, A SIX-MEMBER -- A SIX-THREE OR FIVE-FOUR SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT WILL BE AN ACCEPTABLE PROPOSITION.
WE CATEGORICALLY OPPOSE ANY KIND OF COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICER WITH EXTRAORDINARY POWER.
WE HOPE THIS COMMITTEE WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER OUR RECOMMENDATION.
FINALLY, I ASK EACH OF YOU, WILL YOU BE PART OF THE PROBLEM OF THIS COMMUNITY, OR WILL YOU BE PART OF THE SOLUTION OF THIS COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. WARREN.
MR. RON WOLF.
AND AFTER MR. WOLF IS MR. O 'HEARN.
>> IF NECESSARY, GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
I'M RON WOLF, I RESIDE AT 1414 DEIRDRE DRIVE IN RUSKIN.
THIS EVENING, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE BIRTH, GROWTH, AND LIBERATION OF AN ELEPHANT.
AND TO DRAW COMPARISON BETWEEN THIS EVENT AND OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
AN ELEPHANT IS BORN AS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SHACKLED TO A SMALL PINE TREE.
IT IS FED, WATERED, GROOMED AND NOURISHED.
IT GROWS IN SIZE AND STRENGTH, AND YET, IT REMAINS SHACKLED TO THE SMALL PINE TREE.
TWO YEARS PASS, AND THE ELEPHANT GROWS LARGER AND STRONGER, YET IT REMAINS SHACKLED TO THE SMALL PINE TREE.
ONE DAY A GROUP OF PEOPLE PASS BY AND ONE ASKS THE QUESTION, LOOK AT THAT LARGE ELEPHANT.
I WONDER WHY IT REMAINS SHACKLED TO THAT SMALL PINE TREE?
ANOTHER ANSWERS, "MAYBE THE ELEPHANT DOESN'T KNOW HOW STRONG IT IS AND THEREFORE REMAINS SHACKLED TO THE TREE."
ANOTHER YEAR PASSES AND THE ELEPHANT CONTINUES TO GROW LARGER AND STRONGER, YET IT REMAINS SHACKLED TO THE SMALL PINE TREE.
SOON ANOTHER GROUP OF PEOPLE PASS BY AND ONE OF THEM HAS A LARGE STICK.
AND PROCEEDS TO ABUSE THE ELEPHANT BY STRIKING IT REPEATEDLY.
THE ELEPHANT MUST NOW DECIDE WHETHER TO TOLERATE THE ABUSE OR TO BREAK FREE FROM THE SHACKLES.
THERE'S ONLY ONE DECISION TO BE MADE, BREAK THE SHACKLES NOW TYING THE ELEPHANT TO THE SMALL PINE TREE, AND THIS IS WHAT THE ELEPHANT DOES.
NOW, LET'S REVIEW THIS STORY EVENT BY CHANGING THE CHARACTERS.
THE ELEPHANT IS THE CITIZEN OF UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE ABUSING PEOPLE IS THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE NOW ALLOWING FOR THE CONCENTRATED POWER IN TAMPA.
IT MAY BE TIME FOR CITIZENS LIVING IN UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO RECOGNIZE THEIR STRENGTH AND GROWING POWER BY BREAKING THE SHACKLES OF THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, WHICH PROMOTES THE CONCENTRATION OF POLITICAL POWER IN TAMPA AND TO PUSH FOR FAIR AND PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
FAIR AND PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
LIKE THE ELEPHANT, THE CITIZENS OF UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAVE THE VOTING POWER BY REPRESENTING 64% OF THE POPULATION.
TAMPA REPRESENTS 30%.
AND PLANT CITY AND TEMPLE TERRACE REPRESENT THE REMAINING 6%.
NOW FINALLY, MY REVIEW OF THE PRESENT BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS STRUCTURE, WHICH AS WE KNOW, IS FOUR SINGLE MEMBER AND THREE AT-LARGE, AND DISCOVERY OF FIVE OF THE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS LIVE IN TAMPA, I ONCE AGAIN SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING CHANGES TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD TO SUPPORT FAIR REPRESENTATION.
ONE, KEEP THE SAME NUMBER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, SEVEN, TO AVOID ANY IMPACT ON THE COUNTY BUDGET.
THAT'S TAXPAYERS' DOLLARS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
ONE SHOULD BE ELECTED AS CHAIRPERSON BY AN ELECTION OF THEIR PEERS BASED UPON LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
THE CHAIRPERSON SHOULD NOT BE ELECTED BECAUSE OF TENURE, A ROTARY SYSTEM, OR FOR ANY REASON OTHER THAN DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
AND TO ILLUSTRATE THAT, I WANT TO SHARE MY PERSONAL INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE.
YEARS AGO, I FOUNDED AN ELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING BUSINESS AND BUILT IT UP OVER AN EIGHT-YEAR PERIOD, AND SOLD IT TO A MAJOR  NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE CONGLOMERATE.
AT THE TIME THERE WAS 83 SUBSIDIARY COMPANIES OWNED BY THIS CONGLOMERATE, AND THEY SCHEDULED CLUB MEETINGS.
PARTNERS FOR PROFIT.
ATTENDING THESE MEETINGS WERE ALL PRESIDENTS AND CEOs OF THE VARIOUS SUBSIDIARIES.
WE WOULD BREAK OFF INTO GROUPS AND DEAL WITH A CERTAIN SECTION OF BUSINESS MATTERS.
AND INEVITABLY, WITHIN THAT GROUP OF ACKNOWLEDGED, SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE, THERE EMERGED A LEADER.
AND THAT SITUATION MUST EXIST AMONG SEVEN PEOPLE.
THE NEED IS TO IDENTIFY AND RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT FULLY THE NEED FOR LEADERSHIP AND TO RECOGNIZE WHO OF THE SEVEN ARE MOST CAPABLE OF LEADING THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
WE DON'T NEED AN ELECTED PERSON FROM THE OUTSIDE TO CARRY ON THAT FUNCTION.
TWO, TAKE THE COUNTY POPULATION OF ONE MILLION CITIZENS AND CREATE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS EACH REPRESENTING 150,000 PEOPLE.
I'M SURE MOST OF YOU AGREE THAT THE BEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS THE ONE CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE.
SHORT OF CREATING THE PROLIFERATION OF MORE MUNICIPALITIES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WOULD BE A BIG STEP IN BRINGING THE GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE.
THREE, MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR EACH COMMISSIONER TO RESIDE WITHIN THE DISTRICT BEING REPRESENTED.
FOUR, ELIMINATE THE THREE AT-LARGE DISTRICTS.
I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF AN AT-LARGE COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING AN AREA THE SIZE OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND ITS 1 MILLION CITIZENS.
THE COST FOR CONDUCTING AN AT-LARGE ELECTION CAMPAIGN DENIES TOO MANY GOOD PERSONS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN PUBLIC OFFICE.
ALSO, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOVERNOR JEB BUSH, THERE ARE NOT MANY POLITICIANS REPRESENTING THIS AMOUNT OF LANDMASS AND ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WOLF, CAN YOU PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE.
>> I THINK -- DID YOU NOT YIELD SOME TIME?
I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE.
IT WILL BE SHORT, IF I MAY.
AND FIVE, PLACE THIS MATTER BEFORE THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN THE FORM OF A REFERENDUM TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER 2002 SO THE VOICES OF BOTH TAMPA AND UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN BE HEARD.
THE COMBINATION OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS WHICH OCCUR --
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WOLF, WE DO NOT HAVE A PROCEDURE HERE TO GIVE TIME --
>> I'M SORRY.
I WAS MISINFORMED THEN.
>>JAN SMITH:  WE DO NOT.
>>JAN SMITH:  IF YOU HAVE YOUR COMMENTS WRITTEN AND WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THEM TO BARBARA.
>> I'VE GOT TWO PARAGRAPHS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THIS IS --
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  I WOULD ASK YOU TO GIVE YOUR COMMENTS TO BARBARA AND LET HER COPY THEM TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS.
PLEASE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  MADAM CHAIR.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  IN THE SIGN-IN SHEETS, CAN WE HAVE THAT NOTE PUT ON.
>>JAN SMITH:  NO PROXY SPEAKERS.
WE'LL DO THAT.
THAT'S BEEN OUR POLICY FROM THE BEGINNING.
WE'LL MAKE IT CLEAR.
IT'S OKAY, MR. WOLF.
YOU AREN'T THE ONLY ONE, BELIEVE ME.
NO.
YOU SHOULD NOT FEEL THAT WAY.
MR. OR MS. T. E. CAPE.
MR. CAPE.
>> I MUST APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE.
I'M FRANCIS CAPE.
I APPEARED BEFORE YOU AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND I ASK A QUESTION OF YOU PEOPLE.
I ASK YOU TO PUT ON THE BALLOT THAT THERE BE ABSOLUTELY NO TRANSFER OF PROPERTY BETWEEN ONE GOVERNMENT OFFICE AND ANOTHER GOVERNMENT OFFICE.
I ASK YOU NOW, HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO THAT, HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT?
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OR ANYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THAT?
I THINK THE YOUNG LADY OVER HERE KNOWS A LITTLE ABOUT IT, BUT DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO ASK A QUESTION OR ANYTHING?
WE WOULD BE MOST HAPPY TO TELL YOU ABOUT IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. CAPE, WHAT I KNOW AT THE MOMENT, AND OUR ATTORNEY IS PROBABLY LOOKING INTO IT, MR. HURLEY, YOU PROBABLY HAVE SOME COMMENT TO ADD.
I DO KNOW THAT THE AUTHORITIES IN THIS COUNTY ARE GENERALLY SPEAKING AN ARM OF THE STATE --
>> I'M GLAD YOU SAID "GENERALLY."
>>JAN SMITH:  COMING FROM THE GOVERNOR, AND HE HAS DETERMINED HOW THEY SHOULD BE APPOINTED BY MEMBERS OF THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND THEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
I WOULD SUSPECT THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT HAVE TO BE SOME KIND OF STATE LEGISLATION.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>>JAN SMITH:  AND SO WE'LL ASK OUR ATTORNEY IF SHE OR MR. TINKLER HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT, IF THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT FOR US.
>> ANYTHING ELSE I CAN HELP YOU WITH?
OTHERWISE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
NEIL COSENTINO.
>> I WANT TO ADDRESS YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN.
I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPROPER, PROBABLY ILLEGAL FOR YOU TO IMPOSE YOUR RULE OF NOT PERMITTING OTHER SPEAKERS TO YIELD TO SPEAKERS THAT WANT TO BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE HAD TO LISTEN TO THOSE PEOPLE ANYHOW, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT AUTHORITY -- I WANT TO KNOW WHAT AUTHORITY YOU HAVE TO DO THAT.
>>JAN SMITH:  EXCUSE ME, MR. HECKMAN.
YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF THIS BOARD.
THIS BOARD MADE A POLICY AT THE BEGINNING, I BELIEVE, THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT.
DID THE BOARD --
>> YOU DON'T KNOW.
YOU JUST SAID YOU BELIEVE --
>> MADAM CHAIR, I'LL MAKE IT VERY CLEAR --
>> LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING.
>> SIR, YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER!
>>JAN SMITH:  PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
>> I AM A PRIVATE TAXPAYER AND I WILL HAVE MY SAY --
>>JAN SMITH:  WE HAVE A POLICY AND WE APPLY IT ACROSS THE BOARD!
>> IT IS ABSOLUTELY UNFAIR.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. HECKMAN, THIS BOARD HAS BEEN MEETING SINCE 7:00 AND WE HAVE NOT HAD A BREAK.
WE HAVE AGREED TO GIVE -- WE HAVE AGREED TO GIVE EVERYONE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
THAT IS WHAT THIS BOARD SET OUT AS AN ORIGINAL POLICY.
AS SOME PEOPLE KNOW, AT ONE TIME, WE DID REDUCE IT TO THREE MINUTES BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE WERE HERE.
IF WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY, WE COULD BE HERE ALL NIGHT WITHOUT THIS BOARD HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO CARRY FORWARD ITS AGENDA.
MR. COSENTINO, WOULD YOU PLEASE SPEAK.
>> GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS NEIL COSENTINO, AND I'M CEO OF A PUBLIC INTEREST THINK TANK CALLED THE BAY WORLD PUBLIC TRUST.
AND I'M HERE TONIGHT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
THIS ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED WE BELIEVE IS VERY SIMILAR TO PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE IN THIS RESPECT.
THAT IT MAKES SENSE IF WE HAVE AN INCORPORATED -- A TOTALLY INCORPORATED COUNTY, THEN IT MAKES SENSE.
BUT TO TRY TO HAVE SOME KIND OF A GOVERNMENT THAT'S FRACTURED AND CONSTANTLY FRACTURED DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
SO WE WOULD -- WE COME FROM THIS ISSUE THAT IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A POSITION LIKE THIS, WE SHOULD HAVE IT TOTALLY -- HAVE A TOTALLY INCORPORATED COUNTY.
THAT MEANS ALL THE ENTITIES ARE BLENDED INTO ONE ORGANIZATION, AND THEN YOU HAVE A COUNTY EXECUTIVE THAT IS TRULY IN CHARGE OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SECOND, WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU'LL PREVENT BUNDLING ON THE BALLOT.
WE HAVE ANOTHER SITUATION ON OUR BALLOT TODAY, AND IT WAS JUST PRINTED AND SENT OUT TODAY WHERE THEY ARE BUNDLING ISSUES AGAIN.
WE HAVE A BALLOT, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE THE MAYOR WANTS TO DO AWAY WITH TERM LIMITS.
THE SAME BALLOT, READ IT.
THE REFERENDUM SAYS WE WANT TO DO AWAY WITH TERM LIMITS FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE HAVE A BALLOT THAT SAYS WE WANT TO DO AWAY WITH VOTING JUDGES.
WE HAVE A COMPLETE ATTACK ON OUR WHOLE POLITICAL SYSTEM BY A STRUCTURE THAT IS POSITIONS ITSELF INTO A BETTER POSITION.
AND SO, IF -- LOOK AT -- LOOK AT THE BALLOT, STUDY THE REFERENDUMS, LOOK AT WHAT PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO DO TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL MOVE ON.
ONE OF OUR BIG PROBLEMS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THE WAY OUR AUTHORITIES OPERATE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AVIATION AUTHORITY RECENTLY, NOT TOO RECENTLY, BORROWED MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC SECTOR, USED THAT MONEY TO LEVERAGE MORE MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT, AND PURCHASE A PIECE OF PROPERTY FOR $20 MILLION, 50 ACRES.
THIS WAS EGREGIOUS IN EVERY WAY YOU CAN THINK OF AND WAS TOTALLY WRONG, AND IT WILL COME OUT.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW IT HAPPENED, YOU HAVE TO SAY, HOW DO YOU STOP THESE THINGS?
AND SO OUR POSITION IS, AS A COUNTY, I THINK WE CAN INSIST THAT EVERY AUTHORITY THAT OPERATES IN THIS COUNTY HAS TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THE BOARD.
FOR EXAMPLE, SARASOTA-BRADENTON AIRPORT HAS ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THEIR AIRPORT.
SO TO SAY THAT AIRPORT AUTHORITIES LIKE OURS CAN'T HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE FEEL THAT IF WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD PREVENTING THIS FROM HAPPENING OR AT LEAST WATCHING WHAT WAS GOING ON, THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, THEY JUST SOLD 30,000 ACRES -- 30,000 ACRES HAVE BEEN SOLD IN POLK COUNTY JUST RECENTLY FOR LESS THAN $20 MILLION.
30,000 ACRES OF LAND IN FLORIDA RECENTLY WAS PURCHASED FOR LESS THAN 20,000, AND WE WERE PURCHASING FROM OURSELVES GOING OUT AND BORROWING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR MONEY TO BUY LAND FROM OURSELVES FOR $20 MILLION.
NOW, HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN?
WELL, YOU'LL KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE'RE -- I THINK EVERYBODY WILL FIND OUT HOW THIS HAPPENED VERY SOON.
THAT'S NOT A QUESTION.
IT'S HOW DO YOU PREVENT IT?
SO OUR CHARTER SAYS, ANYONE WHO SERVES ON AN AUTHORITY THAT'S IN THIS COUNTY SHOULD INDEED HAVE TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THAT'S OUR POSITION.
THE OTHER THING IS THE CHARTER.
WE TALK ABOUT BUNDLING.
WE WANT A CHARTER THAT SAYS THAT NO PRIVATE ENTITY SHOULD BENEFIT WHEN THERE'S A TRANSACTION, WHICH I BELIEVE THE GENTLEMAN HERE PRESENTED THAT POSITION.
>>JAN SMITH:  PLEASE FINISH YOUR COMMENTS.
>> ANOTHER THING IS WE WANT A CHARTER THAT PREVENTS ANY ORGANIZATION FROM USING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND -- THAT PREVENTS ANY ORGANIZATION FROM USING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN ITS TITLE.
SORT OF LIKE HOLDING A COPYRIGHT.
PEOPLE THINK THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AVIATION AUTHORITY IS REALLY A PUBLIC ORGANIZATION AS IN THEY HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS ON THEIR BOARD.
WELL, THEY ARE NO MORE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THEY HAVE A MAYOR, AND THEY DO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE.
BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ELECTED FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT THEIR SPECIALTY, IF YOU FOLLOW WHAT I MEAN.
SO IT'S MISLEADING TO THINK THIS IS A COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
IT'S NOT A COUNTY ORGANIZATION; IT'S AN INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY.
AND IT OPERATES THAT WAY.
AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
BUT WE HAVE SOME OTHER ISSUES.
WE'LL BRING THEM UP AT THE NEXT MEETING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. COSENTINO.
THE NEXT PERSON TO SPEAK IS MR. MIKE O'HEARN.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I APPRECIATE YOU LISTEN TOGETHER PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I KNOW IT HAS GOTTEN TO DRAG UP A LITTLE BIT.
I GOT THROUGH SPEAKING WITH MR. WOLF WHO IS KIND OF MY PARTNER IN CRIME, AND I HAVE AGREED TO FINISH UP HIS STATEMENTS ON MY TIME.
NO, NUMBER ONE, IN KEEPING TO THE SAME NUMBER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO AVOID ANY IMPACT ON A COUNTY BUDGET.
ONE SHOULD BE AN ELECTED AS A CHAIRPERSON BY THE ELECTION OF THEIR PEERS BASED ON THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
THE CHAIRPERSON SHOULD NOT BE ELECTED BECAUSE OF THE TENURE, ROTARY SYSTEM OR FOR OTHER REASON OTHER THAN DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP SKILLS.
TAKE THE COUNTY POPULATION OF ONE MILLION CITIZENS AND CREATE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, EACH REPRESENTING, LET'S SEE, 150,000 PEOPLE.
I'M SURE MOST OF YOU AGREE THAT THE BEST FORM OF GOVERNMENT IS THE ONE THAT'S CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES, THESE PEOPLE ARE ELECTED TO TWO-YEAR TERMS.
WHY?
BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE PEOPLE EVERY TWO YEARS.
LET'S SEE.
SHORT OF CREATING A PROLIFERATION OF MORE MUNICIPALITIES IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WOULD BE A BIG STEP IN BRINGING GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE.
MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR EACH COMMISSIONER TO RESIDE WITHIN A DISTRICT BEING REPRESENTED.
RESIDING IN PINELLAS COUNTY, WE DON'T APPRECIATE THEM TRYING TO SERVE ON OUR BOCC.
HOWEVER, THIS SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT SHOULD HAVE THE SAME THING.
ELIMINATE THREE AT-LARGE DISTRICTS.
MR. WOLF IS UNCOMFORTABLE AND MR. O'HEARN IS TOO WITH THE IDEA OF AN AT-LARGE -- ONE MILLION CITIZENS.
THE COST OF CONDUCTING AN AT-LARGE CAMPAIGN DENIES TOO MANY PUBLIC CITIZENS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE THIS OFFICE.
WITH THE EXCEPTION OF GOVERNOR JEB BUSH, NOT THAT MANY POLITICIANS REPRESENTING THIS AMOUNT OF LANDMASS OF ONE MILLION PEOPLE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
PLACE THIS MATTER BEFORE THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN THE FORM OF A REFERENDUM TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2002.
SO THE VOICES OF BOTH TAMPA AND THE UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COULD BE HEARD.
THE COMBINATION OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS, WHICH, OF COURSE, OCCUR EVERY FIVE YEARS, ACCORDING TO OUR HOME RULE CHARTER AND 2000 CENSUS COUNT, WHICH OCCURS EVERY TEN YEARS -- WELL, 2000 CENSUS COUNT OCCURS ONCE.
MAKES THIS AN IDEAL TIME TO CONSIDER THE RESTRUCTURING OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
IN FACT, DURING A STRAW POLL CONDUCTED BY THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, 9 OUT OF THE 13 MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE VOTED TO RESTRUCTURE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
MOST PERSONS I KNOW AGREE THAT THE RIGHT AND DECISION SHOULD BELONG TO THE MAJORITY, BUT THE RIGHT OF REPRESENTATION TO ALL.
IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT SOME PERSONS ARE MORE INTERESTED AND WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL PROCESS THAN OTHERS.
IN MY OPINION, THE ENGINE THAT DRIVES THE CITIZENS' VOTER PARTICIPATION IS FAIR REPRESENTATION.
AND I FEEL A SINGLE VOTE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. O'HEARN.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IN THE AUDIENCE, WE APPRECIATE ALL OF THE COMMENTS YOU MADE.
THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN THIS EVENING.
THE BOARD IS GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FOR 15 MINUTES.
[ GAVEL SOUNDING ]

>>JAN SMITH:  [ INAUDIBLE ]
 -- PLEASE COME BACK IN SESSION.
NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S REPORT, AND I'VE ASKED THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO CLARIFY THIS BOARD'S RULES REGARDING PROXY ON COMMENTING AND GIVING TIME.
MR. TINKLER.
>>KEN TINKLER:  GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
KEN TINKLER, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY.
THE CHAIRMAN ASKED ME TO SYNOPSIZE WHAT YOUR RULES SAY ABOUT YIELDING TIME TO SPEAKERS.
YOUR RULES DO NOT SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY YIELD TIME TO EACH OTHER.
YOU IMPOSE A FIVE-MINUTE TIME LIMIT PER PERSON.
UNDER ROBERT'S RULES, YOU CAN YIELD TIME TO EACH OTHER, BUT NOTHING CONCERNING PUBLIC COMMENT IN ROBERT'S RULES REGARDING YIELDING TIME.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE ATTORNEY RELATING TO SECURITY.
WHEN A PERSON CONTINUES TO SPEAK AFTER THE CHAIR HAS ASKED THAT PERSON NOT TO SPEAK, LET ALONE NOT EVEN BEING CALLED TO SPEAK, OR THEIR TURN TO SPEAK, DO WE HAVE SECURITY, OR HOW ARE WE CONDUCTING OURSELVES RELATED TO THAT?
BECAUSE AS WE GET INTO THESE HOT AND HEAVY ISSUES, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONDUCT THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS WITHOUT CONSTANT AND CONTINUOUS INTERRUPTIONS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THE SECURITY GUARD WAS CALLED AND ASKED TO JOIN OUR MEETING.
>>GERALD WHITE:  OKAY.
SO WE HAVE SECURITY IN THE BUILDING?
>>JAN SMITH:  YES.
AND THEY ARE WATCHING DOWNSTAIRS ON THE MONITOR ALSO.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I WOULD HOPE THE CITIZENS WOULD ACT ACCORDINGLY.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. TINKLER, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS TO MAKE FOR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S REPORT?
>>KEN TINKLER:  AT THIS POINT, WE DON'T.
WE'LL MIX OUR COMMENTS IN WITH THE REST OF YOUR AGENDA.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. MERRITT, YOU HAVE AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
I -- FIRST THING I AM GOING TO TELL YOU IS I MADE A TYPO ON THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
IT SHOULD BE OCTOBER 26th, NOT THE 28th.
I WAS LOOKING AT SEPTEMBER'S CALENDAR.
SORRY.
THE 2001 BUDGET AMENDMENT WAS APPROVED FOR THE CRB, AND THIS WILL ALLOW US TO COMPLETE OUR TASK.
THE AMENDMENT WILL GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION.
IT'S JUST A BOOKKEEPING PROCEDURE BECAUSE WE'RE IN TWO BUDGET YEARS.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW WE HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 11th AND 25th, AND OUR FINAL MEETING ON FEBRUARY 28th TENTATIVELY FOR THE 26th FLOOR.
I HAVE NOT GOT THE CONFIRMATION FOR THAT YET.
AS SOON AS I GET IT, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
A CITIZEN, HAROLD STOOPS, HAS CALLED THE OFFICE, AND HE WOULD LIKE THE CRB TO LOOK INTO THE ETHICS PROVISIONS IN OUR CHARTER TO STRENGTHEN THESE POSITIONS.
HE WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF THEY WERE HELD HERE AT A LOCAL LEVEL RATHER THAN IN TALLAHASSEE.
HE SAID HE HAD A PRESENTATION HE WOULD LIKE TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD ABOUT.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD WAS.
I DO HAVE SOME OF THE ETHICS COMMISSION PROVISIONS.
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN WEB SITE, SO I DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION.
I'VE TALKED WITH OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY.
THEY ALSO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE FILE, SO IT'S JUST ANOTHER SUBJECT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. LaBOUR.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO TELL MR. STOOPS TO -- STOOPS?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  STOOPS.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  STOOPS -- TO COME DOWN AT PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN TO, I THINK, BETTER EDUCATE US IN THE FIVE MINUTES OF WHAT HIS CONCERN IS.
THEN I THINK IT HAS BEEN THE PROCEDURE OF THIS BOARD THAT IF IT WAS AN ISSUE THAT WE REALLY THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT OR WAS A GOOD ISSUE RAISED, WE KIND OF PUT IT ON OUR LIST OF THINGS TO DO OR EVEN GIVE DIRECTIVES TO THE COUNTY CHAIR OR THE APPROPRIATE PARTY, BARBARA, WHOMEVER, SO I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE BARBARA TO CALL MR. STOOPS AND INVITE HIM TO COME DOWN TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO, BUT I WANTED TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOU WANTED HIM DURING PUBLIC SPEAKING OR GIVE HIM A BLOCK OF TIME.
THAT'S ALL.
>>JAN SMITH:  I THINK THE FIVE MINUTES IS APPROPRIATE.
LET ME SUGGEST TO YOU WHEN YOU CONTACT MR. STOOPS, YOU MIGHT WANT TO GIVE HIM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, I BELIEVE, IN 1991, WHERE THERE WAS AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION OF ETHICS AND THE FINAL ACTION WAS THAT THE STATE LAW WAS PREVAILING.
BUT HE MIGHT LIKE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  OKAY.
I BELIEVE HE WAS THERE IN '91.
>>JAN SMITH:  REALLY?
GOOD.
GOOD.
STILL INTERESTED.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  YES.
I HAVE, ALSO, IN THE PACKET I GAVE YOU WITH MY REPORT, ON THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, FOR THE HITS ON THE WEB SITE, THEY DO IT MONTHLY, AND FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, THERE WERE 3,253 HITS TO OUR SITE, AND THEN I HAVE ALL THE BREAKDOWN THERE, SO PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT IT.
>>GERALD WHITE:  THAT'S VERY, VERY GOOD, BARBARA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE WAY THEY WERE DOING THINGS.
THEY JUST CHANGED OVER THE INTERNAL SYSTEM WITH THE COUNTY WITH DOING THINGS, BUT WE'LL GET A MONTHLY REPORT FROM THIS POINT FORWARD.
AND ALSO, IN THE BACK IS THE DRAFT THAT MARY HELEN HAD PREPARED, AND MY MINUTES THAT I TOOK AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH MS. WALDRON WAS OUR CHAIRMAN.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
BOARD MEMBERS, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS I HAVE AS WE'RE MOVING AHEAD ON OUR AGENDA HERE, NUMBER 10 -- PARDON ME.
>> [ INAUDIBLE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY MINUTES TO ADOPT BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T PRINTED FOR US YET.
OH, THE SUBCOMMITTEE MINUTES.
I DON'T BELIEVE THE BOARD NEEDS TO ADOPT THE SUBCOMMITTEE, DO THEY?
IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THE SUBCOMMITTEE WOULD DO IT.
WE WOULD RECEIVE THEM.
AND DID EVERYBODY GET COPIES OF THE -- OKAY.
AND IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO INCLUDE THEM.
MY THOUGHT HERE IS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ARLENE WALDRON, WHO CHAIRED THE SUBCOMMITTEE, TO EITHER MAKE A PRESENTATION OR HAVE THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, WHATEVER YOUR CHOICE IS, AND THEN AFTER THAT PRESENTATION, TO CONSIDER THE ISSUE OF STRAW VOTES SO THAT YOU CAN RELATE THOSE TO WHATEVER THE POSITION IS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO TAKE FOR THE MAJOR ISSUE.
IS THAT OKAY WITH EVERYONE?
THANK YOU.
SO MS. WALDRON, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOUR REPORT, AND THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, I'M SURE, WOULD BE HAPPY TO GIVE ANY ASSISTANCE.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  OKAY.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
WE DID HAVE OUR COMMITTEE MEETING.
I THINK WE ALL AGREE IT WENT VERY, VERY WELL.
WE GOT A LOT ACCOMPLISHED.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DIALOGUE, A LOT OF THINGS WE HAD TALKED ABOUT ALREADY IN THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS WERE REVIEWED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
IT WAS VERY GOOD DIALOGUE.
WE ARE COMING BACK TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WITH A DRAFT PROPOSAL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT.
I THINK EVERYBODY HAS A COPY OF IT.
JUST A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS.
I KNOW THAT WE'LL WANT TO GO INTO DISCUSSION ON SOME OF THE PARTICULARS.
BUT WE DID DECIDE TO PROPOSE TONIGHT ON OUR DRAFT COPY HERE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TERM LIMITS FOR THE COUNTY-ELECTED CHAIR POSITION.
THAT WOULD BE FOUR-YEAR TERM WITH A MAXIMUM OF TWO.
WE ALSO ARE PROPOSING THAT WE EXPAND THE BOARD TO NINE MEMBERS.
HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON WHAT THAT MAGIC NUMBER SHOULD BE OR THE MIX OF THAT NUMBER.
WE DID DECIDE TO PROPOSE TONIGHT IN THIS DRAFT THAT IT WOULD BE FIVE SINGLE MEMBERS WITH FOUR AT LARGE.
A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THAT, INCLUDING KEEPING THINGS JUST THE WAY THAT THEY ARE, SO WE -- WE DECIDED TO COME TO THE FLOOR WITH THIS TONIGHT.
ALSO ARE WE INDICATED THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY.
WE DID DECIDE THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE COUNTY-ELECTED CHAIRPERSON APPOINT THE COMMISSIONERS TO THE BOARDS AND ALSO TO COUNCILS, EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMITTEE, AND THAT WOULD BE SELECTED BY THE FULL BOARD.
WE ALSO INDICATED THAT THE COUNTY-ELECTED CHAIRPERSON WOULD BE THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THAT'S KIND OF THE THINGS THAT WE AGREED ON.
THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT WE DECIDED TO NOT AGREE ON THAT WE WOULD BRING BACK TO THE BOARD, AND MADAM CHAIR, I THINK THAT'S IN THE MINUTES, AND WE'LL BE GLAD TO GO OVER THOSE.
AND THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION THAT THE ATTORNEYS WERE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE FULL BOARD WITH ALSO.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE JUST WANT TO KIND OF START WITH WHAT WE STARTED WITH BEFORE WE GET INTO ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION.
>>JAN SMITH:  OKAY.
SO YOU'RE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THESE SORT OF IN ORDER?
IS THAT WHAT YOUR PREFERENCE WOULD BE?
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  THAT WOULD PROBABLY WORK.
I HAVE TWO OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE HERE TONIGHT ALSO THAT CAN HELP KIND OF WITH THE COMMENTS.
THERE WERE ABSOLUTELY NO SURPRISES.
THERE'S NOTHING IN OUR DISCUSSION AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE, I DON'T BELIEVE, THAT WE HADN'T ALREADY DISCUSSED AT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS.
CERTAINLY NO SURPRISES.
BUT I THINK MAYBE JUST KIND OF -- WE'VE ALL GOT OUR DRAFT, SO PERHAPS WE JUST START WITH THE FIRST BULLET POINT AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION OR IF WE AGREE OR HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD.
>> BEFORE WE DO THAT, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT IDEA, MS. WALDRON, I WANT TO SAY I WAS A MEMBER APPOINTED TO THE COMMITTEE BUT COULDN'T MAKE THE MEETING.
MS. MERRITT DID PROVIDE ME A COPY OF THE AUDIO TAPES FOR THE MEETING, WHICH I DID LISTEN TO.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE MS. WALDRON ON RUNNING A SUPERIOR MEETING, BY THE QUALITY OF CONVERSATION AND THE DISCUSSION THAT WENT ON IN THAT MEETING, I WAS VERY PROUD TO BE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD AND SORRY THAT I MISSED THE MEETING.
AND I JUST -- I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THE SUBCOMMITTEE DID A GREAT JOB AND APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DID.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
>> I JUST WANTED TO ADD I ALSO WAS ON YOUR COMMITTEE AND UNFORTUNATELY, I HAD AN UNSCHEDULED VISIT TO JACKSONVILLE THAT I HAD TO ATTEND TO THAT DAY, AND I BELIEVE THAT MS. MERRITT DID MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO GET ME ON BY PHONE, AND I IN TURN TRIED TO CALL HER BACK AND WE CROSSED WIRES, BUT I WAS PROVIDED THE TAPES AND I APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
(ALARM SOUNDING)
>>JAN SMITH:  SMOKE ALARM?
IS SOMEBODY SMOKING?
>>KEVIN AMBLER:  I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE BEEPER TELLING ME MY TIME WAS UP.
[ LAUGHTER ]
ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE YOUR PROVIDING ME THE TAPES, AND I COMMENT YOU -- COMMEND YOU GUYS FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
>>GERALD WHITE:  COULD SHE READ THE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE INTO THE RECORD, THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
>>JAN SMITH:  IF YOU WOULD DO THAT.
MS. MERRITT, IN ALL OF THE PAPERS I TRIED TO GET THROUGH, I DON'T HAVE AN ACTUAL DRAFT, DO I?
WHERE IS IT?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  I'LL BRING IT TO YOU.
I DOUBLE-SIDED IT.
I AM SORRY.
>>JAN SMITH:  I'VE GOT THE MINUTES.
THEY'RE AT THE VERY END.
THANK YOU.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  THE MEMBERS THAT WERE IN ATTENDANCE AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS WERE MYSELF, ARLENE WALDRON, MR. BALES, MR. BEDKE, MR. WHITE, AND DENISE LASHER.
>>JAN SMITH:  IF I MAY INTERRUPT FOR A MOMENT, MR. BALES AND MS. LASHER ARE BOTH SENT A NOTICE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD THIS EVENING THAT THEY COULD NOT BE HERE.
MR. BALES IS ATTENDING A CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND MS. LASHER HAS A PLANNED FAMILY VACATION.
TESTING THE FIRE ALARM.
OKAY.
MS. WALDRON, I THINK I'M JUST GOING TO LET YOU SORT OF EASE THIS THING ON IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  OKAY.
KIND OF FOLLOWING THE FORMAT THAT WE DID AT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, THE FIRST BULLET POINT IS TO PROVIDE FOR THE COUNTY CHAIR ELECTED AT LARGE, AND WE ARE PROPOSING A -- THE FOUR-YEAR TERM LIMITS WITH A MAXIMUM OF TWO TERM LIMITS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT?
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. AMBLER.
>>KEVIN AMBLER:  WELL, ALL OF THIS, I GUESS, PRESUPPOSES, AS WE GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE BULLET POINTS, THAT THERE IS, IN FACT, A NEED FOR A COUNTY CHAIR, AND I WAS LISTENING CAREFULLY TO MAYOR GRECO'S COMMENTS TONIGHT, AND I ASKED HIM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BROKEN, AND I THOUGHT I HEARD HIM SAY, I GUESS THE PEOPLE DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING BROKEN, BUT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING -- EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THERE'S A PROBLEM.
I GUESS I WOULD LIKE A FUNDAMENTAL DISCUSSION AMONG THE BOARD MEMBERS, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO DO THIS, ABOUT WHAT REALLY IS BROKEN ABOUT THE EXISTING SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES THIS KIND OF FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE.
I MEAN, WE ALREADY HAVE A CHAIR.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GOING TO THE ELECTED CHAIR, STILL AN AT-LARGE DISTRICT, AND I AM KEEPING IT WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE EXISTING SEVEN-MEMBER STRUCTURE BECAUSE I THINK THE EXPANSION OF THE BOARD TO NINE IS A SEPARATE ISSUE.
IT CAN BE DISCUSSED IN CONJUNCTION, BUT THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT ISSUES INVOLVED IN EXPANDING THE BOARD.
JUST LOOKING AT THE COUNTY MAYOR ISSUE -- OR COUNTY CHAIR -- I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BROKEN ABOUT OUR PRESENT SYSTEM THAT REQUIRES THIS KIND OF RADICAL CHANGE.
I DIDN'T SEE A LOT IN THE COMMITTEE'S OUTPUT THAT SHOWED OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THEY'RE A FIGUREHEAD AND PRESIDE OVER RIBBON-CUTTINGS.
I MEAN, THEY DON'T HAVE VETO POWER.
THEY DON'T HAVE -- THEY HAVE AN EQUAL VOTE.
BUT THEY DO HAVE THE POWER TO APPOINT THE BOARDS AND THE AUTHORITIES, I GUESS, IF I TOOK THAT RIGHT.
AND I GUESS WHAT CONCERNED ME WAS, WHEN I AM LOOKING AT WHAT'S BROKEN VERSUS WHAT NEEDS FIXING, AND YOU ARE MAKING A RADICAL CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY TO THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND IT'S FOR GOOD REASON, NOT CHANGE FOR THE SAKE OF CHANGE.
I AM PERSONALLY OPPOSED TO A SINGLE PERSON, WHETHER THEY ARE ELECTED OR APPOINTED, APPOINTING ALL THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
I LIKE THAT DEBATE OCCURRING IN THE PUBLIC, IN THE SUNSHINE.
I LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE GOT TO GET A MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO RATIFY THOSE APPOINTMENTS, AND THAT IF THERE'S CONCERNS ABOUT CERTAIN BOARD APPOINTMENTS, THAT THOSE CAN BE BROUGHT OUT IN ONE OF THE COMMISSION MEETINGS WHERE THAT DIALOGUE CAN TAKE PLACE, AND PEOPLE CAN HEAR AND VOICE THEIR INPUT, AS OPPOSED TO THE IDEA THAT ONE COMMISSION PERSON CAN MAKE ALL OF THOSE APPOINTMENTS.
I THINK ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TONIGHT SPOKE ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR AUTHORITIES.
THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, THE SPORTS AUTHORITY, PORT AUTHORITY.
ALL THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND POWERFUL BOARDS IN THIS COUNTY, AND AS IT IS, THEY'RE NOT ELECTED.
I MEAN, HE WAS ACTUALLY SUPPORTING THE IDEA OF HAVING ELECTED MEMBERS TO THOSE AUTHORITIES.
PUTTING THAT ASIDE FOR A MOMENT, WE'RE ACTUALLY REGRESSING A STEP FROM PUTTING THE POWER IN THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE BY CENTRALIZING THAT AUTHORITY TO APPOINT THOSE MEMBERS THAT SIT ON THOSE BOARDS IN THE HANDS OF ONE PERSON WHO ISN'T SUBJECT TO THE SUNSHINE.
THEY CAN BE LOBBIED BY, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS TO GET PEOPLE APPOINTED TO THOSE BOARDS, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO REPORT THAT.
I LIKE THE FACT THAT MARILYN SMITH AND RALPH HUGHES AND ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WE HEARD TONIGHT CAN COME DOWN HERE AND VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT VARIOUS APPOINTMENTS, AND THEN THOSE COMMISSIONERS HAVE TO VOTE BY MAJORITY VOTE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THAT WAS PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST TROUBLESOME THING I SAW IN THE PROPOSAL, WHICH BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE BASIC STEP IS WHY DO WE NEED THIS?
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  MADAM CHAIR, EXCUSE ME.
JUST TO REFRESH, OUR ASSIGNMENT WAS, INDEED, TO COME BACK TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WITH THE STRUCTURE IN MIND.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT BEFORE WE GET INTO A TOTAL DISCUSSION AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON OUR PROPOSAL, IF WE NEED TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION IF WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED ON THE BALLOT WITH THE COUNTY-ELECTED CHAIR POSITION, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT DECISION BEFORE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY MOVING FORWARD.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WELL, MADAM CHAIR, ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE MOTION THAT CREATED THE COMMITTEE ONLY HAD ONE DESCENDING VOTE, SO THE WORK PRODUCT THAT HAS COME BACK IS -- IS A RESULT OF WHAT THIS BOARD SENT TO COMMITTEE, AND SO WHAT I WOULD APPRECIATE, IF WE ALLOW MS. WALDRON TO GO OVER, READ THE ENTIRE REPORT INTO THE RECORD, AND THEN AFTER WHICH WE CAN COMMENT ON IT FROM THERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE WHOLE REPORT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. WILLIAMS.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  I AGREE WITH GERALD, THAT WE SHOULD GET THROUGH THESE BULLETS, THEN GO BACK AND TAKE THE WHOLE THING FROM BEGINNING TO END.
>>JAN SMITH:  YES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE WAY TO HANDLE IT.
>> I JUST DON'T WANT TO HAVE IT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE AS WE GET INTO THE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS.
AS A CONCEPT INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT ALL THE FINE POINTS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THE QUESTION I ASKED THE MAYOR BEFORE YOU GOT HERE WAS VERY SIMILAR TO YOURS.
I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION HERE THIS EVENING.
SO LET'S GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE REPORT --
>>GERALD WHITE:  CAN I HAVE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE BECAUSE I'VE HAD SOME CONCERN ABOUT THE TERM THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS.
I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD REFRAIN FROM USING THAT.
I'VE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT USING THAT.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  I LIKE THAT TERM.
>>JAN SMITH:  IT IS THE TRUTH.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I KNOW, BUT SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  IT IS THE TRUTH, BUT WE WILL TRY TO LEAVE IT OUT OF OUR CONVERSATION THIS EVENING.
MS. WALDRON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO RIGHT ON THROUGH.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME TO DO.
I DID REVIEW THE BULLET POINTS.
I WILL GO OVER THEM AGAIN.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. AMBLER IS ASKING, I THINK, FOR FURTHER DESCRIPTION OF THE ISSUES BECAUSE SHE DID, IN FACT, GO THROUGH THESE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR -- THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS, THERE WERE, IN FACT, 14 POINTS THAT WERE RAISED.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  OKAY.
I'LL BE GLAD TO DO THAT.
>>JAN SMITH:  SO IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM IF THAT'S WHAT THE DIRECTION IS OF THE BOARD, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED.
>> YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE 14 POINTS ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES?
>>JAN SMITH:  YES.
>> OKAY.
>>JAN SMITH:  MAYBE SHE CAN JUST GIVE AN IMPRESSION AS TO WHY THEY GOT WHERE THEY GOT TO.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  OKAY.
I'LL BE GLAD TO DO THAT.
I WOULD ASK MR. WHITE AND MR. BEDKE TO PLEASE JUMP IN AND ASSIST ME AT ANY TIME.
I'D APPRECIATE THAT.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT WAS THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS POSITION.
WE AGREED THAT THE ELECTED CHAIR MIGHT RESIDE ANYWHERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THIS POSITION WOULD BE MORE LIKE ANOTHER ADDITIONAL AT-LARGE COMMISSIONER BUT WITH NO GEOGRAPHIC RESTRICTIONS OR CONDITIONS.
THE NEXT THING WE DID TALK ABOUT WITH THE TERM LIMITS, AND IT WAS THE CONSENSUS OF THE COMMITTEE THAT IT WOULD BE FOR FOUR YEARS WITH A MAXIMUM OF TWO-YEAR TERMS.
THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT.
WE TALKED THROUGH A COMMISSIONER SERVING THEIR TERM AND THEN BEING ELECTED TO THIS ELECTED POSITION; THEREFORE, THEY COULD BE, YOU KNOW, THE EIGHT YEARS AS A COMMISSIONER AND THEN MOVE RIGHT INTO THE ELECTED CHAIR POSITION FOR A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT MORE YEARS.
WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS APPROPRIATE, THAT THAT WAS A GOOD TRAINING GROUND, THAT THAT WOULD BE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE, SO WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS A GOOD THING.
WE DID A VERY CAREFUL JOB TO NOT MIX OUR ISSUES.
WE KNEW THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT TERM LIMITS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TONIGHT, SO WE VERY CAREFULLY STRUCTURED OUR CONVERSATION JUST RELATED TO OUR ASSIGNMENT, WHICH WAS THIS ELECTED CHAIR POSITION.
>> I AM SORRY I GOT CONFUSED BECAUSE THE PARENTHETICAL ON POINT TWO SAYS REAL TERM LIMITS FOR CHAIR UNLIKE CURRENT COUNTY COMMISSION.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  WE DEFINED THE TWO TERM LIMITS.
WE ARE REFERENCING THAT THIS COUNTY-ELECTED CHAIR POSITION WILL HAVE TWO TERM LIMITS, WHICH IS THIS PHRASE WE HAVE ADOPTED, NOT CURRENTLY WHAT WE HAVE.
>> THAT MEANS AFTER TWO TERMS FOR CHAIR, THAT'S IT FOR CHAIR, BUT DOESN'T EXCLUDE THEM FROM RUNNING FOR ANOTHER COUNTYWIDE SEAT OR DISTRICT SEAT?
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  I'LL HAVE ASSISTANCE HERE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  THE REALITY IS THE LIMITS THAT'S IN PLACE NOW IS BASICALLY THE LIMITS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT'S A PART OF THE EXISTING CHARTER NOW, AND WE LEFT OPEN THE CONTINUING CONVERSATION WITH THIS FULL BOARD ON WHAT TYPE OF TERM WE WOULD WANT THIS ELECTED CHAIR, ALONG WITH THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE COUNTYWIDE COMMISSIONERS, TO HAVE.
SO A TOTAL DECISION ON TERM LIMITS HAVE NOT BEEN DEFINED.
WE LEFT THAT FOR THIS FULL BOARD TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION ON.
>>JAN SMITH:  THEN A PERSON COULD SERVE AS A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT FOR EIGHT YEARS THEN COULD RUN FOR THE AT-LARGE CHAIR AND SERVE NEAR EIGHT YEARS IF ELECTED, SO THAT PERSON COULD SERVE 18 YEARS.
>>GERALD WHITE:  IF THAT'S THE DESIRE OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
>>JAN SMITH:  IF YOU'RE TALKING REAL TERM LIMITS THEN, AND YOU HAVE THIS ELECTED CHAIR, THEN ARE YOU SAYING THAT COMMISSIONERS FROM THE OTHER AT-LARGE DISTRICTS AND THE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS CANNOT RUN FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS?
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  NO.
MR. BEDKE.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  THE INTENT WAS THIS.
THAT A PERSON SERVING AS THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR COULD SERVE EIGHT YEARS CONSECUTIVELY, TWO FOUR-YEAR TERMS.
WE -- THAT'S REALLY THE GIST OF THIS PROPOSAL.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO MIX THIS PARTICULAR DISCUSSION OF THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR WITH THE DISCUSSION WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A STRAW VOTE ON LATER OF REAL TERM LIMITS.
WHAT WE ENVISION IS PROBABLY REALISTICALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, SOMEBODY WOULD SERVE AS A COMMISSIONER FROM A DISTRICT, AT-LARGE OR SINGLE-MEMBER, FOR "X" NUMBER OF YEARS, AND THEN GO INTO THE ELECTED CHAIR POSITION.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING HERE -- AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET TOO CONFUSED BY THE DISCUSSION OF TERM LIMITS.
IT IS A TWO-YEAR TERM AS CHAIR.
NOW, DEPENDING UPON WHAT HAPPENS LATER THIS EVENING, THAT PERSON COULD --
>>JAN SMITH:  FOUR-YEAR TERM, TWO TERMS.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  CORRECT.
FOUR-YEAR TERMS, TWO TERMS BACK TO BACK CONSECUTIVELY.
THEN DEPENDING UPON WHAT WE DO LATER THIS EVENING PERMITS OR DOESN'T PERMIT THAT PERSON TO THEN GO BACK AND GET INTO THE ROTATION OF GOING FROM DISTRICT ONE TO TWO TO THREE TO AT LARGE.
YOU KNOW?
>>GERALD WHITE:  THAT'S THE SERIOUS CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE GOING TO ALLOW A SITTING COMMISSIONER TO -- YOU KNOW, THAT POSSIBLY HAVE SERVED