CHARTER REVIEW
OCTOBER 26, 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'D LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETING OF OCTOBER THE 26th IN THE YEAR 2000.
I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE DISCUSSIONS THIS EVENING AND PARTICIPATE AT THE TIME OF THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION COMMENTS.
WE ARE ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOU.
MS. WALDRON, WILL YOU LEAD US IN A PLEDGE TO THE FLAG.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. POUPART, MAY WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[ ROLL CALL TAKEN ]
YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
>>JAN SMITH:  BOARD MEMBERS, I DID GET A NOTE FROM MR. MIKE BEDKE HE'S RUNNING 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR LATE, AND HE WILL BE HERE.
ALSO, THAT MR. DANNY WILKES WILL BE OUT OF TOWN AND UNABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING.
WE HAVE MINUTES FROM THE SEPTEMBER 28th MEETING, AND THEY WERE SENT OUT TO YOU IN YOUR PACKET.
>>GERALD WHITE:  A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS, MADAM CHAIR --
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR MICROPHONE IS ON.
THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU IN THE PUBLIC.
>>JAN SMITH:  ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS?
MS. TUTTLE.
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  YES, IT'S MINOR, BUT BEAR WITH ME, I'M SORRY.
YOU CAN TELL IT WAS MINOR, CAN'T YOU?
I FORGOT TO EVEN MARK IT.
IT WAS ABOUT INCREASING THE SIZE OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT, OF THE COMMISSION.
AND AT ONE POINT, IT SAID, ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAD SENT IN SUGGESTIONS HAD CALLED FOR IT TO BE INCREASED TO NINE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I DID NOT.
IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL, BUT I'LL FIND THE LANGUAGE WHERE YOU CAN SAY INSTEAD OF SAYING "ALL", YOU CAN SAY "THE MAJORITY OF."
IS THAT ACCEPTABLE TO EVERYBODY?
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  IS THAT IN THE 28th MINUTES?
>>JAN SMITH:  YES.
NOW WHY DON'T WE JUST HOLD OFF FOR A MINUTE AND YOU CAN SEE IF YOU CAN LOCATE THAT.
AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THE MINUTES.
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  ALL RIGHT.
I'M SORRY.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. MERRITT JUST HANDED ME THE SIGN-IN LIST.
WHEN WE SENT OUT THE NOTICES FOR THIS MEETING, WE INDICATED WE WOULD GIVE EVERYONE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, AND AT THE DISCUSSION, ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT THIS EVENING WOULD BE ON THE ISSUES PROPOSED IN THIS DRAFT THAT WE HAVE, THE ISSUE OF TERM LIMITS, AND THE ISSUE OF PARTISAN VERSUS NONPARTISAN RACES.
WE HAVE TWO, FOUR, SIX, -- 14 PEOPLE SIGNED IN AT THIS TIME.
SO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE PLENTY OF TIME FOR DISCUSSION, I SUGGEST WE STAY WITH OUR THREE-MINUTE TIME FRAME.
>>GERALD WHITE:  MADAM CHAIR.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE CITIZENS CAN AT LEAST GIVE THEIR ADDRESS?
WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS ENSURE THE PEOPLE THAT DO SPEAK WILL GET A CROSS REPRESENTATION OF OUR COUNTY.
IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME WHEN THEY MAKE THEIR TESTIMONY IN PUBLIC COMMENT THAT AT LEAST WE KNOW WHAT PART OF THE COUNTY THEY ARE COMING FROM.
>>JAN SMITH:  THAT IS, IN FACT, PART OF WHAT WE ASK THEM TO DO AT EACH MEETING TO GIVE THEIR NAME AND ADDRESS WHEN THEY SIGN IN.
IT'S ALSO WRITTEN HERE ON THE SIGN-IN SHEETS.
>>GERALD WHITE:  OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. TUTTLE, WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR?
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  NO, JUST LET IT GO.
>>JAN SMITH:  IF IT'S INCORRECT, I THINK WE SHOULD CORRECT IT.
WE'LL HOLD IT AFTER PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL MOVE THE MINUTES DOWN TO LATER POINT IN TIME, PERHAPS AFTER OUR BREAK.
LET'S SEE.
MS. POUPART, MR. LaBOUR AND MR. BALLARD HAVE ARRIVED.
AND SO, WE SHALL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE FIRST PERSON -- FIRST TWO PEOPLE TO SPEAK ARE VINCENT FERRARO AND RICK ECKHART.
>> GOOD EVENING, THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS VINCE FERRARO.
1703 CATCH PLACE IN BRANDON, FLORIDA.
LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I BROUGHT YOU SOME STATISTICS AS TO THE POPULATION GROWTH AND REPRESENTATION OF VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEE.
AS A RECAP, THE CITY OF TAMPA'S POPULATION WAS 31%.
IN THE UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS 64%.
THE REPRESENTATION ON VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEE HAS THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF 64% POPULATION WITH 17% OF THE REPRESENTATION.
ONE THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE TO ME AFTER THE COMMITTEE -- AFTER I MET WAS THAT SOME OF THE COMMITTEES ARE HARD TO FILL BECAUSE SOMEBODY DOESN'T WANT TO SERVE ON THIS BOARD OR THAT BOARD.
I TOOK THAT UNDER CONSIDERATION.
SO I NARROWED IT DOWN TO THE 16 MOST IMPORTANT BOARDS AND COMMITTEES TO ME THAT WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF QUALITY OF LIFE TO ANY COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN I RAN THE PERCENTAGES, I WAS EVEN MORE SHOCKED.
OF THE 16 MOST INFLUENTIAL COMMITTEE, TAMPA WISE-UP WAS 78%, VIRTUALLY NO CHANGE WHILE THE UNINCORPORATED AREA DROPS FROM 17% WITH 13.7.
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS FORMED BY CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS ELECTED FROM VARIOUS STATES AND COMMUNITIES DISTRICTS.
CONGRESSMAN JIM DAVIS DOES NOT RUN AT-LARGE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
NONE OF THE SENATORS RUN AT-LARGE THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
AT THE STATE LEVEL, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE RUN FROM VARIOUS DISTRICTS, NOT AT-LARGE.
ALL STATES RUN THE SAME WAY, BUT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WE DO IT DIFFERENT.
MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SIMPLE.
SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WITH RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS IN THE DISTRICTS.
AND FAIR REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARDS AND COMMITTEES THAT THEY PICK.
EACH COMMISSIONER MUST PICK ITS PRO RATA SHARE OF ITS REPRESENTATION ON A PARTICULAR BOARD OR THE OTHER FROM ITS OWN DISTRICTS.
AND ACCOUNTABILITY COMES IN.
AND IF A COMMISSIONER IS LACKING AND CAN'T FILL IT BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN FAULT, THEN THAT COMMISSIONER WILL BE REMEMBERED BY THAT DISTRICT AT ELECTION TIME.
IF IT'S BECAUSE OF THE APATHY OF THE DISTRICT THAT THE COMMITTEES ARE NOT FILLED, THEN SO BE IT.
THEN THE DISTRICT WILL GET WHAT THEY DESERVE.
AND THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS THEN CAN PICK UP THE SLOTS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN FILLED UP BY THAT DISTRICT.
THAT'S FAIR REPRESENTATION.
LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THE TAXES IN THE CITY OF TAMPA.
I'M STILL WORKING ON NUMBERS.
I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER THAT COMMENT FOR ANOTHER TIME.
BUT I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE IN YOUR MIND RIGHT --
>>JAN SMITH:  PLEASE FINISH YOUR COMMENTS.
>> I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE YOURSELF IN A CITY CALLED FAIRSVILLE, AND WE ARE THE PIONEERS AND THAT'S OUR COMMUNITY AND WE BUILD OUR HOUSES AND FAMILIES AND WE NEED SERVICES.
WE ASSESS OURSELVES A PROPERTY TAX.
BUT THEN ONE OF YOU ON THE BOARD GETS A BRIGHT IDEA IF WE CARVED OFF A SECTION OF OUR COMMUNITY AND TURN IT TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, WE CAN HAVE BUSINESSES IN THERE -- WE CAN HAVE BUSINESSES IN THERE, MAKE THOSE PROPERTIES MORE VALUABLE AND WE CAN CHARGE MORE PROPERTY TAXES.
THAT IS A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT.
AN INVESTMENT THAT THAT COMMUNITY MADE TO REDUCE THEIR OWN PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
WE GET CRITICIZED THAT TAMPA IS A HUB FOR EMPLOYMENT.
AND RIGHTFULLY SO.
THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHOULD BE PAVING THE ROADS AND HELPING WITH THE ROADS.
AND MAYBE SO TO SOME DEGREE, BUT DOES TAMPA CHARGE ST. PETE FOR ITS ST. PETE RESIDENTS WHEN THEY COME HERE AND WORK IN OUR BUILDINGS OR POLK OR PINELLAS OR PASCO?
NO.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS HAVE THE MORAL COURAGE TO DO THE CONSTITUTIONAL AND FAIR THING.
PUT THE VOTE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE.
SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS IS YOUR ONLY OPTION.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. FERRARO.
MR. RICK ECKERD.
>> THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS.
I'M RICK ECKERD WITH THE CHARTER REVIEW TASK FORCE OF THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I'M HERE AGAIN TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF A REVISION TO THE CHARTER ADDING AN ELECTED CHAIR, AND ALSO TO ANSWER A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHAMBER'S POSITION THAT AROSE AT THE LAST MEETING.
A QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT WHERE THE CHAMBER HAS BEEN THROUGH THE COURSE OF YOUR PROCEEDINGS, AND ANOTHER QUESTION WAS ASKED CONCERNING THE PROCEDURE THE CHAMBER FOLLOWS IN ADOPTING A POSITION.
I THINK THE ANSWER TO BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS ARE RELATED.
THE CHAMBER FORMED A TASK FORCE TO FOLLOW YOUR WORK, AND WE HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE AUDIENCE, TASK FORCE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN HERE AT EACH OF YOUR MEETINGS OR HAVE REVIEWED TAPES.
THE PROCESS THAT THE CHAMBER FOLLOWS WHEN WE TAKE A POSITION SUCH AS THIS ONE IS THE TASK FORCE REVIEWS ACADEMIC LITERATURE.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE FOLLOWED THESE PROCEEDINGS.
WE THEN -- WE ALSO MET WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS.
WE TALKED WITH COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THE MAYOR REFERENCED A DISCUSSION WITH THE CHAMBER LAST WEEK IN HIS DISCUSSION, AND THAT WAS A MEETING WITH OUR TASK FORCE.
THE TASK FORCE TAKES A SUGGESTED POSITION TO THE GOVERNOR -- GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COUNCIL.
IF IT IS APPROVED THERE, IT GOES TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD.
WITH THE EXECUTIVE BOARD'S APPROVAL, IT GOES TO THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS.
THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED THE ELECTED CHAIR AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY IN A MOMENT.
THE QUESTION AT THE LAST MEETING WAS WHETHER THE CHAMBER, UNANIMOUSLY, ALL 2400 MEMBERS, UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORTED THIS POSITION.
THAT WAS CLEARLY NOT THE CASE, BUT A LARGE MAJORITY OF OUR MEMBERS DO.
NOW IF I CAN EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE, THE REASONING IN SUPPORTING THIS POSITION.
I MENTIONED THAT WE'VE REVIEWED THE ACADEMIC LITERATURE, AND I THINK THAT THE MOST COMMENTATORS SAY THERE IS A NATURAL EVOLUTION OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT STARTING WITH A COMMISSIONER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS REALLY AN OUTGROWTH OF ENGLISH SHIRE GOVERNMENT.
THEN THERE WAS A PROGRESSIVE REFORM MOVEMENT EARLIER IN THE 20th CENTURY.
THAT BROUGHT IN THE CONCEPT OF PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT, COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR.
AND FINALLY, COMMENTATORS ARE SEEING THE NEXT EVOLUTION AT THE LEVEL OF MORE URBAN COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS AN ELECTED LEADER.
AND ONE COMMENTATOR HAS CITED THREE ADVANTAGES I WOULD LIKE TO READ THEM.
THE ELECTED LEADER PROVIDES THE MOST VISIBLE POLICY-MAKING FOR THE COMMUNITY THROUGH PROVIDING THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH ISSUE.
THE ELECTED LEADER, PARTICULARLY IN URBAN AREAS, PROVIDES THE NEEDED STRONG POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FOR RELATING TO DIVERSE SEGMENTS OF COMMUNITY.
AND THIRD, GREATER VISIBILITY AND PRESTIGE IS ACHIEVED FOR THE COUNTY WITH AN ELECTED LEADER.
STATE LEGISLATORS, CONGRESSMEN, CAN FOCUS ON THOSE THAT REPRESENT THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
THE CHAMBER THINKS THAT ALL THREE OF THOSE ADVANTAGES WILL BE IMPORTANT TO THIS COUNTY'S FUTURE, BUT PARTICULARLY FOCUSES ON THE THIRD, THE PRESTIGE AND LEADERSHIP AFFORDED THAT ONE PERSON.
WE THINK IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO PLAY ON A LEVEL FIELD WITH OUR MAJOR COMPETITORS.
THE CHAMBER'S MISSION IS TO -- IS TO ASSIST THE ECONOMIC WELL BEING OF ALL PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THE CITY OF TAMPA.
IN THE AREA OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE TYPICALLY GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH THE OTHER LARGE URBAN COUNTIES IN FLORIDA IN RECRUITING NEW BUSINESS.
DUVAL COUNTY, ORANGE AND DADE ALL HAVE AN ELECTED LEADER.
THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERCEIVE WE ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE, AND IT MAKES SENSE.
IF YOU REPRESENT A COMPANY LOOKING AT RELOCATING.
RIGHT NOW IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, YOU'VE GOT TO POLL SEVEN COMMISSIONERS --
>>JAN SMITH: MR. ECKERD, BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE, PLEASE.
>> LET ME FOCUS THEN ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASPECT.
IT'S BECAUSE THAT THE CHAMBER AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERCEIVE WE ARE CURRENTLY AT A DISADVANTAGE AT THAT ARENA AND THE INTRODUCTION OF AN ELECTED CHAIR WILL ALLOW US TO COMPETE IN A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD THAT THE CHAMBER ENDORSES AN ELECTED CHAIR AND ENCOURAGES THIS BOARD TO PLACE IT ON THE 2002 BALLOT.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
MR. BART SIEGEL AND THEN MR. JIM REED.
>> GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS BART SIEGEL.
I LIVE AT 6107 SOUTH ELKINS AVENUE.
THAT'S INSIDE THE CITY OF TAMPA PROPER.
JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW WHERE I'M COMING FROM.
I'LL GO DOWN YOUR LIST.
I DON'T SEE WHAT GREAT ADVANTAGE THERE IS BY EXPANDING THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FROM SEVEN TO NINE.
I THINK YOU'LL JUST GET TWO MORE OPINIONS ON THE SUBJECTS.
SINGLE MEMBER VERSUS AT-LARGE COUNTY DISTRICTS.
I AGREE.
I CAN'T MAKE ANY LOGICAL ARGUMENT WHY, EVEN THOUGH I LIVE IN THE CITY OF TAMPA, WHY WE SHOULD HAVE AN OVERWHELMING VOICE ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
I REALLY THINK THAT IT WOULD ONLY BE FAIR TO CREATE SINGLE-MEMBER COUNTY DISTRICTS FROM THE AT-LARGE DISTRICTS.
ALSO, THE GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT I THINK WOULD ENHANCE THE FEELING AMONGST EVERYONE THAT THEY'RE BEING EQUALLY AND JUSTLY REPRESENTED.
THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN, I THINK THAT WOULD BE CONCENTRATING TOO MUCH POWER IN ONE INDIVIDUAL.
NO ONE HAS EVER ACCUSED ME OF NOT BEING A CAPITALIST AND NOT BEING PRO-BUSINESS, BUT I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS TO CREATE AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN.
I LIKE IT THE WAY IT IS A LITTLE LESS EFFICIENT.
PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
I REALLY DON'T LIKE THE WAY THE JUDGES ARE ELECTED.
I THINK THAT DENYING PEOPLE INFORMATION ON WHICH TO MAKE JUDGMENT, YOU KNOW -- A PERSON CAN ALWAYS CALL THEMSELF AN INDEPENDENT IF THEY CHOOSE, BUT IN THE KIND OF THE -- HOW SHOULD WE PUT IT, IN THE SAME MODE OF FREE SPEECH AND IN THE SAME MODE OF GIVING EVERYBODY AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE, IF THAT PERSON WISHING TO RUN FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION WISHES TO DECLARE HIMSELF WITH A PARTY, I DON'T SEE WHY THAT WOULD BE PUTTING THE PUBLIC AT A HINDERANCE.
AND THEN EXPANDED TERM LIMITS FOR COUNTY COMMISSION SEATS.
I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE TWO -- I'M A VERY BIG TERM LIMIT ADVOCATE.
I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE TWO TERMS, AND THE PERSON HAS TO SIT OUT A ROUND.
I DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S AT-LARGE, I DON'T CARE WHETHER IT'S A DISTRICT SEAT.
I DON'T LIKE WHERE THEY KIND OF SWITCH SEATS AND THEY RUN AGAIN.
I JUST THINK THAT'S VERY DESTRUCTIVE.
ALSO, JUST SINCE I'VE ADDRESSED THOSE TERMS, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO EXPAND COUNTY CHARTER TO COVER ALL CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND WHETHER CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS SHALL ALSO BE COVERED BY TERM LIMITS.
I THINK THIS WOULD BE VERY, VERY HEALTHY.
AND ALSO, I HAVEN'T HEARD WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOING TO REVISIT THE INTERNAL PERFORMANCE AUDITOR POSITION, BUT AS I'VE SAID, I THINK IT IS A LONG-TERM SOLUTION TO A SHORT-TERM PROBLEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. SIEGEL.
I APPRECIATE THE WAY YOU WENT RIGHT DOWN THE LINE THERE AND ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS.
MR. JIM REED.
>> GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
MY NAME IS JAMES REED.
I RESIDE AT 708 PROMENADE PLACE.
I'M HERE BOTH AS A CITIZEN OF THE COUNTY AND ALSO AS THE ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE WESTSHORE ALLIANCE, WHICH IS A BUSINESS ORGANIZATION OF MORE THAN 300 BUSINESSES, PRIMARILY LOCATED IN THE WESTSHORE AREA.
I WANT TO TAKE JUST ONE SECOND SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME HERE BEFORE YOU TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU ARE PUTTING INTO THIS.
THERE REALLY ISN'T ANYTHING MORE IMPORTANT GOING ON IN THE COUNTY THAN WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I'M SURE YOU ALL FEEL FROM TIME TO TIME THAT IT'S A THANKLESS TASK HAVING SERVED ON MORE THAN ONE VOLUNTEER BOARD MYSELF.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN BEHALF OF THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, BOTH ON BEHALF OF THE ALLIANCE, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE HAVE POLLED OUR MEMBERS.
WE HAVE HAD NO ONE WHO IS OPPOSED TO THE IDEA AND HAVE BEEN UNANIMOUSLY IN FAVOR OF IT, INCLUDING OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
A FEW YEARS BACK, PROBABLY ABOUT TEN YEARS BACK, I SERVED ON A COMMITTEE WHICH WAS ACTUALLY A CHAMBER COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE THE BROADENING OF PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, AND IN THAT CASE, WE INTERVIEWED MORE THAN ONE FORMER COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT WOULD MAKE THE COUNTY COMMISSION A MORE WORKABLE ENTITY AND WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD BE MORE INTERESTED IN CONTINUING TO SERVE ON.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY BOTH SAID WAS THAT HAVING AN ELECTED MAYOR OR AN ELECTED CHAIR, ELECTED FROM THE COUNTY AT-LARGE, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
THE IDEA IS THAT THAT PERSON WOULD TAKE A POSITION OFTEN ON SOMETHING.
AND THE COMMISSION DOESN'T HAVE TO APPROVE WHATEVER POSITION THAT THEY'VE TAKEN, BUT IT GIVES YOU A STARTING POINT, A FOCAL POINT, AS OPPOSED TO STARTING WITH SEVEN OR NINE OR HOW EVER MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
YOU HAVE SOME PROPOSAL OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE ONE PERSON WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS AN ORGANIZED PROPOSAL THAT'S PLACED BEFORE THE ENTIRE COMMISSION.
THAT PERSON WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE, OF COURSE, TO EVERYONE IN THE COUNTY, AS WOULD BE THE ELECTED COMMISSIONERS.
I ALSO WANT TO BRING A LITTLE BIT OF MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO BEAR HERE.
I HAVE DONE QUITE A BIT OF WORK IN ORANGE COUNTY, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THEY WENT TO THE ELECTED CHAIR TYPE OF POSITION, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT IN ORANGE COUNTY, THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS, AND THAT THE CITIZENRY OF ORANGE COUNTY, I THINK, OVERWHELMINGLY HAS FELT THAT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN FAR MORE WORKABLE HAVING THAT ELECTED PERSON.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. REID.
MRS. BETTY CRISLIP AND ALMA GONZALEZ HASKINS.
YES, MA'AM.
>> GOOD EVENING.
I'M BETTY CRISLIP, 4405 WEST PLATT, TAMPA.
I TRIED TO MAKE THE CASE AGAINST AN ELECTED CHAIR BEFORE THIS BOARD AND IN THE TRIBUNE.
TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO CHALLENGE YOU TO ADDRESS SOME RELATED ISSUES.
THE OVERARCHING NEED IN THIS COUNTY IS TO INCREASE CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT BECAUSE ONLY WHEN CITIZENS TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENT WILL WE GET MORE CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IN IT.
MOVING TO AN ELECTED CHAIR WILL NOT ACCOMPLISH THIS BUT WILL DECREASE CONFIDENCE.
A CHAIR WITHOUT STRONG MAYOR POWERS CANNOT DELIVER ON A VISION FOR WHICH VOTERS SELECTED HIM OR HER.
HAVING APPOINTED AUTHORITY PROVIDES INSUFFICIENT POWER AND WILL INEVITABLY LEAD TO A WHEELING DEALING CHAIR, TRYING TO TRADE FAVOR FOR COMMISSION VOTES.
THIS WILL INCREASE DISSENSION.
LIKEWISE, A CHAIR WHO DEMANDS VISIBILITY AND STATUE, OR ELSE WHY DID HE OR SHE RUN WILL BE TEMPTED TO RUN INTO THE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS OF THE PROFESSIONAL MANAGER CREATING MORE CONTROVERSY WITH THE MANAGER AND THE COMMISSION AND AFFECTED INTEREST GROUPS.
AN ELECTED CHAIR WITHOUT AUTHORITY AND WITHOUT DELIVERABLE PRESTIGE IS AN INVITATION TO STRUTTING AND POSTURING TO TRY TO CONVINCE VOTERS THAT THAT PERSON IS DOING SOMETHING IMPORTANT AND DESERVES RE-ELECTION.
TO INCREASE CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT, WE NEED TO HELP CITIZENS MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD BY VOTING FOR CANDIDATES THAT BEST EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.
HAVING TO RUN IN PARTISAN ELECTIONS TELLS CITIZENS WHAT A CANDIDATE'S BASIC PHILOSOPHY IS AND IS TOO HELPFUL TO BE DISCARDED.
SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS HELPS CITIZENS KNOW THE REPRESENTATIVES BY MAKING IT EASIER TO RUN A DOOR-TO-DOOR OR SMALL MEETING INSTEAD OF A MEDIA CAMPAIGN AND CHEAPER.
SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS DO NOT INCREASE DISSENSION ON THE COMMISSION BECAUSE CONSENSUS BUILDING IS THE ONLY WAY A COMMISSIONER CAN ACCOMPLISH HIS OR HER AGENDA.
SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS DO NOT DISENFRANCHISE CITIZENS EITHER.
AN ARGUMENT THAT A MIX OF AT-LARGE AND SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS ALLOW A VOTER TO BE A FACTOR IN THE MAJORITY OF COMMISSION SEATS IS IS A MYTH.
SOUNDS GOOD, BUT IS MEANINGLESS.
THE VOTER THAT WANTS TO BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE A SINGLE COMMISSIONER CAN AMPLIFY HIS OR HER VOICE BY MAKING A SMALL CONTRIBUTION, OR BETTER YET, VOLUNTEERING IN THAT COMMISSIONER'S CAMPAIGNS AND LATER KEEPING IN TOUCH REGULARLY.
DON'T HAVE NAIVE EXPECTATIONS FOR WHAT A POWERLESS ELECTED CHAIR CAN ACCOMPLISH.
IF YOU WANT A STRONG MAYOR, DO NOT TEMPORIZE.
SAY SO NOW.
DON'T DO WHAT THE CHAMBER WOULD HAVE YOU DO.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. GONZALEZ HASKINS.
>> ALMA GONZALEZ HASKINS.
I'M HERE TO STATE THAT I AM IN AGREEMENT OF EVERYTHING THAT MY MEMBERS OF ORGANIZATION F.A.I.R. IS GOING TO STATE HERE TONIGHT.
I AGREE WITH THEM SOLELY 100%, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
BUENOS NOCHES.
>>JAN SMITH:  NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE DAVE HUBBARD AND MR. GENE WELLS.
>>GERALD WHITE:  DID SHE SAY WHAT PART OF THE COMMUNITY SHE WAS FROM, THE LAST SPEAKER?
>>JAN SMITH:  602 ROSEMARY AVENUE, BRANDON.
>> DAVE HUBBARD, 2306 WEST TEXAS IN TAMPA.
I'M A REGISTERED VOTER AND WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PARTISAN AND NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
I'M IN FAVOR OF LEAVING IT LIKE IT IS.
AND I WANT TO STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU DO SO.
THANKS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, SIR.
MR. GENE WELLS.
>> GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS GENE WELLS.
THE OTHER DAY WHEN I WENT THROUGH MY MAIL AND RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE, I WENT, OH, BOY, WHAT TROUBLE HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO.
WHEN I OPENED IT UP AND SAW A LETTER FROM THE CHARTER REVIEW WANTING MY OPINION.
I WAS VERY PLEASED.
GOOD FOR YOU FOR REACHING OUT TO HEAR OUR OPINION.
GOOD THAT YOU WILL HEAR THE CITIZENS AND GOOD THAT YOU WILL HOPEFULLY HEED OUR SUGGESTIONS.
IN THE ISSUE OF THE EXPANSION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION TO NINE COMMISSIONERS, BIGGER GOVERNMENT IS NOT BETTER.
I DO NOT SEE THE NEED OF FURTHER COMPLICATING GOVERNMENT BY ADDING TWO MORE OPINIONS OR POLITICIANS.
THERE IS MUCH ATTENTION PAID TO THE CONFLICTS OF THE CURRENT COMMISSION, I DON'T VIEW THESE AS CONFLICTS BUT ACTIVE DISCUSSION OF THE GOVERNMENT.
THERE ARE MEMBERS THAT CAN'T AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT SOMEHOW THE COUNTY BUSINESS IS GETTING DONE, AND I BELIEVE THE CONFLICTS OR ACTIVE DISCUSSIONS SPEAK MORE TO THE PERMITS THAN TO THE CURRENT SIZE OR STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT.
WE DO NOT NEED TO REENGINEER THE ENTIRE COMMISSION OR CHARTER IN ORDER TO ENGINEER IN SOME TWEAKS TO THE CURRENT SYSTEM TO MAKE THEM OR IT OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY.
PLEASE LEAVE IT AS SEVEN MEMBER DISTRICTS AS THEY ARE.
AND THE ISSUE OF ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN, I AM A MEMBER OF THE GREATER CHER AND I DIFFER WITH THEM ON THIS OPINION, BUT I AM HERE JUST TO GIVE YOU GENE WE WILL'S OPINION.
I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE CITY OF TAMPA AND SEEING THAT GREAT LEADERSHIP DOWN THERE AND THAT CITY COUNCIL AND OUR MAYOR AND THINKING, BOY, IT WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU NEED THOSE SAME PERSONALITIES AND PEOPLE TO GET THAT SAME TYPE OF CHANGE.
IF YOU WANT A TAMPA CITY GOVERNMENT, THEN ELECT THAT GOVERNMENT INTO THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND I BELIEVE THOSE SAME PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME GREAT THINGS THEY ARE DOING FOR THE CITY OF TAMPA.
PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN.
AGAIN, I THINK PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE PARTICULAR COUNTY COMMISSION AND THINKING THAT PARTISAN POLITICS ARE MUDDYING UP THE WATERS.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE, IN FACT, THERE IS A GREAT PARTY ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION THAT'S DOING A WONDERFUL JOB, BUT I'LL STAY NONPARTISAN TONIGHT.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE CHARTER.
THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE THINGS YOU SHOULD REVIEW AND LOOK AT AND TWEAK THOSE THINGS AND DON'T BRING AND REENGINEER THE ENTIRE CHARTER IN ONE FELL SWOOP.
IT WOULD CONFUSE THE VOTERS.
HECK, I'M LOOKING AT SOME OF THIS AND I'M CONFUSED AS WELL.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. WELLS.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE MRS. LYNN McGARVEY AND MR. RON WOLF.
>> GOOD EVENING.
LYNN McGARVEY, 13160 DIAMONDHEAD DRIVE, TAMPA.
I HAVEN'T BEEN DOWN HERE BEFORE, AND I APOLOGIZE.
I'M COMING IN WITH PROBABLY SOME DIFFERENT IDEAS.
I TEND TO FEEL THE SAME AS ONE OF THE OTHER GENTLEMAN THAT GOING TO NINE MEMBERS WILL PERHAPS MAKE EVEN MORE CONFUSION THAN WE HAVE NOW.
AS FAR AS SINGLE MEMBER VERSUS AT-LARGE COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICTS, I THINK THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND WE NEED BOTH BECAUSE WE NEED THE VISION OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY IN ORDER TO CONSIDER A NUMBER THE ISSUES, AND SOME OF THE SINGLE-DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS TEND TO PUT THEIR PERSONAL AGENDA BEFORE THE COUNTYWIDE INTERESTS.
SO I THINK WE NEED A COMBINATION TO BALANCE THINGS.
I'D LIKE IT TO STAY SOMEWHAT AS IT IS.
I'M NOT SURE I HAVE A FEELING ABOUT THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ONE THING.
CAN I MENTION SOMETHING ABOUT THESE SALARIES?
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU TREAT THESE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AS FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES BECAUSE BY MAKING IT A 75% OF THE SALARY AND EXPECTING THEM TO PUT MORE OR LESS 75% OF THE TIME, IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO BEGIN WITH TO GET A REALLY -- IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
HOW MANY JOBS CAN YOU PUT ONE DAY A WEEK INTO AND BE SUCCESSFUL?
THE OTHER PROBLEM IS, YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF WOMEN LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE ABLE TO GIVE THE TIME BECAUSE THEY HAVE OTHER MEANS OF SUPPORT.
NOW, TO ME, YOU'RE MISSING A LOT OF THE POPULATION AS FAR AS PEOPLE WHO CAN RUN FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION BY DOING THAT.
I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU BRING THEM UP -- NOT GO UP TO NINE PEOPLE, KEEP IT AT SEVEN, AND PAY THEM A FULL SALARY AND SAY WE EXPECT YOU DOWN HERE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
I KNOW JUST AS A CITIZEN ADVOCATE, THE TIME I PUT IN ON RESEARCH, LEARNING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT ISSUES -- THIS IS A HUGE COUNTY.
WE HAVE HUGE ISSUES.
I COULDN'T POSSIBLY DO IT IF I WERE A COMMISSIONER IN FOUR DAYS OR PART TIME, AND I'M SURE A LOT OF THEM DON'T.
I WOULD NOT -- I WOULD NOT BE IN FAVOR OF EXPANDED TERM LIMITS.
I'D LIKE TO KEEP THEM AS THEY ARE.
AND PARTISAN IS OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
JUST TO RESPOND, AGAIN, TO THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK FULL TIME.
THE INTENT BACK IN 1983 WAS TO ALLOW COMMISSIONERS THAT HAD A JOB TO CONTINUE IN THEIR JOB.
AND SO THEY REFER TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION AS PART-TIME.
IT TRULY IS NOT PART-TIME.
WE ALL KNOW THAT IT IS NOT PART-TIME.
BUT THAT WAS THE INTENT SO THAT WHEN THEY DID LEAVE OFFICE, THEY WOULD HAVE THEIR ORIGINAL JOB TO GO BACK TO.
MS. CAMPBELL, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND EXPLAINING THE WAY THE STATE LAW READS AS HOW THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE PAID.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  GOOD EVENING.
FOR THE RECORD, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
I DID ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THE LAST MEETING REGARDING SALARIES IN GENERAL.
OUR CHARTER PROVIDES THAT THE BOARD SHALL ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO HAVE THE SALARY BE 75% OR HIGHER OF THAT PROVIDED BY GENERAL LAW.
IN FACT, THE ORDINANCE THAT THEY ADOPTED AND HAVE MAINTAINED TO TODAY LEAVES IT AS 100% OF THAT AS PROVIDED BY GENERAL LAW.
THE BOARD IS PAID THE SAME AS OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
AND I DON'T HAVE THE DATA WITH ME THAT I PRESENTED AT THE LAST MEETING ABOUT THE VARIOUS SALARY STRUCTURES IN THE OTHER COUNTY GOVERNMENTS.
BUT MOST OF THEM FOLLOW THE STATE STATUTE REGARDING THE SALARIES OF THE BOARD.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
MR. RON WOLF AND JANET WILSON.
>> RON WOLF, 1414 DEIRDRE DRIVE IN RUSKIN, FLORIDA.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU OF DONATING YOUR TIME AND INTELLECT OF SERVING ON THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
I THINK THE WILLINGNESS TO VOLUNTEER A YEAR OF YOUR TIME WITH NO COMPENSATION IS A REMARKABLE EXAMPLE OF GOOD CITIZEN SHIP.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO BARBARA MERRITT FOR THE WONDERFUL JOB SHE'S DOING OF COMMUNICATING THE ACTIVITIES OF THIS BOARD TO THE PUBLIC.
I WAS PLEASED TO RECEIVE HER OCTOBER 17th LETTER WHERE SHE OUTLINED IN ADVANCE THE TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING AND THIS, OF COURSE, GIVES THE CITIZENS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREPARE, TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL INPUT FOR YOUR DELIBERATIONS.
LAST TIME I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE BIRTH, GROWTH, AND EVOLUTION OF THE ELEPHANT AND THIS EVENT AND THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
PLEASED TO TELL THROUGH EVENING THAT THE ELEPHANT IS ALIVE AND WELL AND GROWING LARGER AND STRONGER AS EACH DAY PASSES.
I RESPONDED TO BARBARA MERRITT'S OCTOBER 17th LETTER IN THE FORM OF AN E-MAIL, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR THE RECORD TO GO OVER THE ITEMS.
I'M IN FAVOR OF RETAINING THE SEVEN BOCC MEMBERS.
THEREBY AVOIDING AN INCREASE IN THE COST OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
SEVEN ARE ADEQUATE TO MANAGE COUNTY AFFAIRS AND TO PROVIDE FAIR REPRESENTATION TO THE PEOPLE.
I SUGGEST THAT WE PUT IN PLACE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICTS TO BRING THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE.
AND ELIMINATE THE AT-LARGE DISTRICTS.
NOW THIS HAS BEEN THE FOURTH TIME I'VE APPEARED BEFORE THIS BOARD.
AND I CAN ONLY RECALL ONE MEETING WHERE REFERENCE WAS DIRECTLY MADE TO THE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
AND I BELIEVE MR. BALLARD AND MR. BEDKE MADE COMMENT TO THAT.
THEIR COMMENT, IF I RECALL, IS THAT IT MIGHT BE PRODUCTIVE TO GO OVER THAT IN MORE DETAIL AND DETERMINE ITS PLUSES AND MINUSES.
BUT SHORT OF THAT, I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT TAKES PLACE AT MEETINGS OTHER THAN WHAT THE PUBLIC IS PRESENTED, BUT CERTAINLY, THAT TOPIC DESERVES MORE DELIBERATION, IN MY OPINION, BY THIS BOARD.
MANDATE GEOGRAPHICAL RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT.
THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN SHOULD BE ELECTED AND REELECTED ANNUALLY BY MEMBERS OF THE BOCC BASED UPON DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP SKILLS, VISION, AND CONSENSUS-BUILDING SKILLS.
IF THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN PROVIDES THE REQUIRED SKILLS OF LEADERSHIP, THEY MAY BE REELECTED BY THEIR PEERS EACH YEAR AND SERVE AS COUNTY CHAIRMAN FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR TERM LIMITS IN OFFICE.
THE ELECTION OF THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN.
THEREBY AVOIDING THE MAJOR PART LINE CONFLICTS.
TERM LIMITS SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AND NOT EXPANDED.
I BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC SERVICE SHOULD BE LOOKED UPON AS A LIMITED TIME ACTIVITY AND NOT AS A CAREER.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO MEET HERE THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. WOLF.
MRS. WILSON.
>> I'M -- I'VE PASSED AROUND SOMETHING FOR YOU TO READ.
IF I WAS IN A CLASSROOM, I WOULD GIVE AN ASSIGNMENT, BUT I CAN'T DO THAT.
JANET WILSON, SUN CITY CENTER.
I THINK YOU KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY VOTES OFTEN, VOTES A LARGE PERCENTAGE, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT USUALLY COMES UP WITH PRETTY MUCH OF A CONSENSUS, AND I'VE BEEN BEFORE THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FOR THE 14 YEARS WE'VE LIVED HERE.
I HAVE FOUND THAT THE FOUR AT-LARGE -- OR, I'M SORRY, THE THREE AT-LARGE AND THE FOUR SINGLE DISTRICTS WORK VERY WELL FOR ANY INFORMED CITIZEN WHO LEARNS HOW TO BE REPRESENTED AND WE OFTEN FOUND THE AT-LARGE COMMISSIONER HAD A BETTER VIEW OF THE WHOLE COUNTY AND OUR PROBLEMS AND HELPED US AND SOLVED OUR PROBLEMS BEFORE OUR SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT PERSON DID BECAUSE THEY WERE OFF ON THEIR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA.
SO I AM FOR THE FOUR AND THREE OR SEVEN.
AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED NINE AT THIS TIME AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN TO.
SINGLE MEMBER -- SO THAT COVERS THE SINGLE MEMBER VERSUS THE AT-LARGE.
I DO NOT THINK WE WILL BENEFIT BY SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS BECAUSE THEY START FIGHTING FOR THE POT JUST AS RECENTLY ON 5 MILLION SURPLUS FOR LIBRARIES.
AND YOU SHOULD FOLLOW THAT AND WATCH IT A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THERE SHOULD BE GEOGRAPHIC RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS TO GET A BETTER SPLIT OF REPRESENTATION BETWEEN TAMPA AND THE COUNTY IF YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE COUNTY OR GOVERNMENT RUN THE WAY IT IS.
YOU EITHER OUGHT TO CONSOLIDATE OR SEPARATE.
I'M NOT SO MUCH INTERESTED IN WHERE THEY LIVE.
I'M INTERESTED IN THE VOTE REPRESENTATION.
AND I DO NOT WANT OTHER PEOPLE VOTING ON MY TAXES, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO STEVE, SETTING THE COUNTY TAX -- THE PART THAT BELONGS TO THE COUNTY, THE URBAN SERVICE TAX, VOTED ON BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT PAY THAT TAX.
THEY SET THEIR TAMPA TAX BY ONLY THEIR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, NOT BY COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES.
I AM ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED TO ELECTED COUNTY CHAIRMAN.
WHY?
BECAUSE THIS GOVERNMENT IS WORKING.
NOTHING IS CHANGED FROM THOSE TAMPA EDITORIALS FROM FIVE -- FOUR YEARS AGO WHEN THEY WERE WRITTEN.
I THINK THAT THOSE WHO HAVE THE POWER IN CONTROL ARE DESPERATE BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED IN AND KNOW HOW TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES AND THEY CAN'T GET THINGS DONE THE WAY THEY WANT IT DONE WITH INSTANT GRATIFICATION, TAKING AWAY OUR PATIENCE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
THEY WANT A PERSON WITH A VISION.
WHAT "VISION OF THE ANOINTED," WHAT VISION?
TO CONCRETE OVER THE COUNTY?
NO ONE DRUMMER CAN LEAD THIS DIVERSE COUNTY, BECAUSE WHOSE VISION WILL IT BE?
TO SUM UP THE ARTICLES THAT YOU -- THAT WERE WRITTEN SOME TIME AGO BY THE TAMPA TRIBUNE, UNLESS THEY'VE CHANGED.
THE PRESENT FORM OF GOVERNMENT GIVES US -- EACH VOTER HAS THE POWER TO VOTE FOR A MAJORITY.
THE STRUCTURE REQUIRES COOPERATION AND CONSENSUS.
THE STRUCTURE PROMOTES OPEN PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ISSUES.
THE SYSTEM GIVES PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT WITHOUT POLITICAL PATRONAGES.
VOTES SPEAK, NOT MONEY.
CANDIDATES CAN RUN ON A SHOESTRING FOR SHOE LEATHER.
AN ELECTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE WOULD DISENFRANCHISE NEIGHBORHOODS AND MINORITIES.
WE WOULD HAVE A LOSS OF CONTROL OF OUR VISION, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS ESTABLISHED AS A GROWTH MANAGEMENT PLAN.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MRS. WILSON.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS, FIRST, MR. MIKE CARDUCCI AND THEN MR. RALPH HUGHES.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON YOUR EFFORTS, ALL AND MANY.
MY NAME IS MIKE CARDUCCI, 1427 CLARION DRIVE IN VALRICO, DISTRICT 4.
IN THE COMING MONTHS, THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WILL MAKE SOME VERY TOUGH, CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS.
TONIGHT, THE CHARTER REVIEW IS LOOKING INTO THE STRUCTURE AND FORM OF OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
ONE SPEAKER A FEW MOMENTS AGO CHOSE TO EXPLAIN THE EVOLUTION OF MANAGEMENT OF GOVERNMENT BUT FORGOT SINCE 1975, AND ANOTHER GURU, MR. DEMMING HAS SHOWN THAT IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A GOVERNMENT OR STRUCTURE WHERE YOU HAVE A SUBORDINATE GROUP TO ONE, YOU HAVE A PRESIDENT OR A MAYOR.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A GROUP LIKE YOURSELVES OF EQUALS, OF PEERS, YOU DON'T HAVE A MAYOR OR A GOVERNOR.
I LOOK UPON YOUR OWN CHARTER.
WE DON'T CALL MS. SMITH, MAYOR SMITH, BECAUSE YOU ARE OF PEERS.
NOW, MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THAT TITLE.
NOT ACCEPTED.
[ LAUGHTER ]
SO I WOULD LIKE TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT WE, AS A GOVERNMENT IN THIS COUNTY, IS NOT A GOVERNMENT OF A SUPERIOR AND INFERIOR AND SUPERIOR RULES.
SO, THEREFORE, A COUNTY GOVERNOR IS CERTAINLY NOT WHAT WE WANT.
I WOULD HOPE ALSO THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT OUR SPEAKERS FROM FAIR AND RECOGNIZE WE ARE A GROWING -- YOUNG, GROWING ORGANIZATION IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA.
THE PEOPLE OF UNINCORPORATED AREA ARE GETTING VERY UPSET WITH 65% OF THE POPULATION AND A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF REPRESENTATION.
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT, NO, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR US WITH A MAGIC BULLET TODAY OR IN YOUR REFERENDUM FOR THIS FALL; HOWEVER, THE POPULATION THAT'S MOVING WITH US IS MOVING AWAY FROM THE APATHY, AND THAT'S PART OF OUR MOVEMENT, AND HOPEFULLY IN TWO YEARS WHEN THIS DOES COME UP FOR RESOLUTION IN A REFERENDUM, THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE WILL SPEAK.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE JUST A FEW MOMENTS NOW TO ADDRESS SPECIFICALLY THE AREAS THAT MS. MERRITT ASKED TO TALK ABOUT.
WE WOULD SAY TO YOU THAT WHETHER YOU INCREASE IT TO SEVEN, TO NINE, OR DOWN TO FIVE, WE PREFER SEVEN, BUT IF YOU GO TO NINE OR FIVE OR ANYTHING ELSE, WE ONLY ASK YOU TO DO ONE THING, AND THAT IS TO TAKE A QUESTION TEST.
IS IT FAIR BASED ON THE POPULATION?
AND IF YOU HAD THREE COMMISSIONERS REPRESENTING 33% OF THE NINE AND SIX COMMISSIONERS REPRESENTING THE UNINCORPORATED 64%, THAT WOULD BE FAIR.
AS FAR AS THE OTHER AREAS, I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER SUPERIMPOSED AT-LARGE COMMISSIONER.
WE DON'T HAVE IT AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR AT THE STATE GOVERNMENT.
WE DO NOT HAVE A -- I'M HOPING THAT WE GET AWAY FROM THE CONCEPT OF PARTISAN VOTERSHIP, BEING AN INDEPENDENT VERY STRONGLY AGAINST IT.
GEOGRAPHICAL RESIDENCY.
OBVIOUSLY YOU SHOULD LIVE WITHIN DECISIONS YOU MAKE.
ONLY OUR UNITED STATES CONGRESS CAN GET AWAY WITH THAT, NOT LIVING WITHIN THE RULES THEY MAKE.
AND FINALLY, TERM LIMITS, OF COURSE, WE TOTALLY ACCEPT THAT AS A RULE OF THE PEOPLE FOR SO MANY YEARS.
WE JUST BELIEVE THAT SHOULD BE CONTINUED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR TOUGH DECISIONS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. RALPH HUGHES.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
RALPH HUGHES, TAMPA.
PARTISAN VERSUS NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
I WOULD HAVE NO OPPOSITION TO OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS BEING ELECTED ON A NONPARTISAN BASIS.
AS THESE ARE NOT POLICY-MAKING OFFICES; HOWEVER, THIS CHANGE WILL NOT TAKE PLACE BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING OUR CHARTER PROCESS CAN DO TO CHANGE THE ELECTION OF THESE OFFICERS FROM PARTISAN TO NONPARTISAN AS THESE OFFICES ARE GOVERNED BY OUR STATE CONSTITUTION, NOT BY OUR COUNTY CHARTER.
I DO OPPOSE CHANGING THE ELECTION OF OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FROM PARTISAN TO NONPARTISAN AS THIS IS THE POLICY-MAKING BODY FOR OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
SIMPLY PUT, I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW THE PARTY AFFILIATION FOR THE OFFICE OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
FURTHER, IF WE WERE TO PUT THIS ISSUE ON THE BALLOT, WE WOULD BE INVITING A "NO" VOTE BECAUSE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND ALL THEIR MEMBERS WILL RALLY ALL THEIR PEOPLE TO GO TO THE POLLS AND OPPOSE IT.
LET'S NOT WASTE OUR TIME ON THIS ISSUE.
I HAVE STRONG OPPOSITION TO TIGHTENING UP THE TERM LIMIT PROVISIONS OF OUR CHARTER WHICH WOULD ONLY APPLY TO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION, WE ARE ONE OF ONLY TWO COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT IMPOSE TERM LIMITS FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
THE OTHER 65 COUNTIES DO NOT IMPOSE TERM LIMITS.
THAT PUTS OUR COMMISSIONERS AT A DISTINCT DISADVANTAGE IN BOTH THE FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES AND THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, AS OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE NOT A MEMBER OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS LONG ENOUGH TO BUILD UP ANY SENORITY OR CLOUT, THEREBY MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE AS EFFECTIVE IN THESE ASSOCIATIONS.
I TRUST YOU REALIZE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET GOOD, QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO BE WILLING TO SERVE AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
I WILL TELL YOU IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
AND WHEN AND IF WE GET A COMMISSIONER TO BE PROUD OF, WE BETTER DO WHAT WE CAN TO KEEP THEM IN OFFICE.
AM I SUGGESTING ELIMINATING TERM LIMITS?
NO.
I AM NOT.
I'M SAYING DON'T TIGHTEN OUR TERM LIMIT RESTRICTIONS ANY FURTHER.
FOR EXAMPLE, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF OUR CHARTER, A COMMISSIONER CAN SERVE OUT TERM LIMITS IN A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT, THEN RUN COUNTYWIDE OR VICE VERSA.
THIS IS ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE A COMMISSIONER WOULD BE ELECTED BY A DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCY IN SUCH A CASE.
COMMISSIONER JIM NORMAN WILL REACH TERM LIMITS IN A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT IN 2002.
I UNDERSTAND HE THEN PLANS TO RUN FOR A COUNTYWIDE SEAT.
I CERTAINLY HOPE SO BECAUSE HE IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE THE BEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE AND IN-- INNOVATIVE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT JIM NORMAN BECAUSE TIGHTENING THIS WILL NOT EFFECT HIM.
HOWEVER, WE WANT TO PRECLUDE A COMMISSIONER IN LIKE CIRCUMSTANCE FROM RUNNING FOR A COUNTYWIDE OR A SINGLE-MEMBER SEAT IN THE FUTURE?
I DON'T THINK SO.
IN SUMMARY, ONE, DO NOT PUT AN ISSUE ON THE BALLOT TO CHANGE FROM PARTISAN TO NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
ONE MORE SENTENCE --
>>JAN SMITH:  PLEASE FINISH.
>> IT WOULD ONLY INVITE A "NO" VOTE FROM THE PEOPLE.
TWO, DO NOT PUT AN ISSUE ON THE BALLOT TO FURTHER TIGHTEN TERM LIMITS.
OUR TERM LIMIT REQUIREMENT ARE CURRENTLY AS RIGID AS THEY SHOULD EVER BE.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. HUGHES.
THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE MR. GRANT WALTERS AND MR. DAVE HECKMAN.
>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
GRANT WALTERS, 13726 STAGHORN ROAD IN CITRUS PARK AREA.
I'M FAIRLY NEW TO THE COUNTY.
I'VE LIVED IN PINELLAS.
I'VE LIVED IN PASCO.
NOW I LIVE HERE.
AND I'VE BEEN FAIRLY ACTIVE HERE, AND SOME OF THE THINGS I HAVE OBSERVED ARE THAT THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING TO THIS COUNTY CENTER FROM OUTREACH PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY.
I'M TALKING ABOUT -- I DON'T SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY HERE FROM PLANT CITY.
I DON'T SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY HERE FROM SUN CITY CENTER.
I DON'T SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY FROM, LET'S JUST SAY SOUTH OF THE ALAFIA.
I DON'T SEE A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN RIVERVIEW THAT COME HERE, EXCEPT WHEN THEY NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE IN A MORE DRAMATIC MANNER.
THEREFORE, I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT PROBABLY THE COUNTY COMMISSION BOARD MEMBERSHIP OF SEVEN WILL PROBABLY BE BEST FOR THE COUNTY AS IT STANDS AT THE MOMENT, AND PERHAPS A REAPPORTIONMENT OF THE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS AS THEY STAND, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS CASE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT BECAUSE AS THE COUNTY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING, THESE PORTIONS OF THE COUNTY ARE GOING TO REQUIRE MORE TIME TO PRESENT THEIR -- THEIR CASES IN FRONT OF THE COUNTY AS FAR AS ECONOMIC CHANGES OCCUR, AS FAR AS LAND USE DEVELOPMENT GOES AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS ALONG THAT LINE.
I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POINT THAT, YES, THE SEA TO POWER IS BASICALLY IN THE TAMPA AREA, BUT THE COUNTY IS MUCH LARGER THAN THAT AND SEEMS TO BE JUST A GENERAL REGARD TO THAT IN MANY WAYS.
I JUST DON'T SEE THAT THOSE PEOPLE IN THESE MORE REMOTE AREAS OR AREAS AWAY FROM TAMPA ARE BEING -- ARE BEING REPRESENTED CLEAR ENOUGH.
WE KNOW THAT THIS COUNTY IS GOING TO CHANGE, AND WE KNOW THAT THESE AREAS ARE INCREASING.
I WAS HERE THE OTHER DAY AND FOUND OUT THERE WAS QUITE A FEW PEOPLE HERE FROM SUN CITY CENTER FOR THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN THAT.
AND I COME HERE A LOT.
AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THAT, BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT THOSE PEOPLE HAVE INTERESTS -- AND THIS WAS ABOUT A LIBRARY, IN THIS CASE.
AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE OF THAT KIND OF THING COMING PUP.
ALSO I DIDN'T FIND ANYBODY HERE THE DAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE PLANT CITY COURTHOUSE AND HOW TO REVISE THAT OR HOW TO REBUILD THAT OR TO MAKE CHANGES TO THAT AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WENT AROUND THE PLANT CITY COURTHOUSE.
THOSE PEOPLE OUT TO BE HERE, AND IF THEY ARE NOT HERE, I THINK IN THIS CASE WE DON'T HAVE A CORRECT REPRESENTATION OF HOW THE COUNTY IS GOING TO GROW OR UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE.
I DO THINK IN THIS CASE THAT ELECTED CHAIRMAN SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN THIS CASE AND CHOSEN TO BE THAT.
I ALSO THINK THAT NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS ARE PROBABLY THE BEST WAY OF DOING THINGS; HOWEVER, AS MR. HUGHES HAS MENTIONED, THAT MAY BE A DIFFICULT POINT.
EXPANDED TERM LIMITS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM EXPANDED BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT COMMISSIONER NORMAN AND MANY OF THE OTHERS HAVE, IN THIS CASE, DONE AN EFFECTIVE JOB FOR THE COUNTY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU MR. WALTERS.
MR. HECKMAN.
>> GOOD EVENING, COMMITTEE.
MY NAME IS DAVE HECKMAN.
I'M FROM VALRICO.
I'M IBC.
I'M INTENSE BUT CONTROLLED.
I HAD SOME PASS-OUTS THAT I BELIEVE MS. MERRITT GAVE TO EACH ONE OF YOU, AND I MAY REFER TO THEM FROM TIME TO TIME.
I'M HERE AS A REGISTERED VOTER OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND A MEMBER OF F.A.I.R., FAIR ACTION AND REPRESENTATION.
OUR CREED IS PRETTY SIMPLE, AND IT'S ALL-AMERICAN.
EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION WHICH IS EMBODIED IN OUR CONSTITUTION AND IN OUR FOUNDING FATHER'S WISDOM AND MANY OF THEIR SPEECHES.
THEREFORE, F.A.I.R. AND MYSELF ARE IN FAVOR OF SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
THE REASON -- PART OF THE REASONING IS THE ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE COST WHICH MEANS SOMETHING WILL SUFFER WHEN YOU ADD TWO MORE POSITIONS PLUS AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR WHEN I GET TO THAT POINT.
AND A COUNTYWIDE COMMISSIONER WOULD REPRESENT -- BUT WHEN THE NEW CENSUS NUMBERS ARE IN, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE WILL REPRESENT A MILLION PEOPLE.
IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR LITTLE HANDOUTS THERE, THAT IS MORE THAN THE POPULATION OF SEVEN STATES.
THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF POWER.
THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT'S AN AWFUL LOT OF INEFFECTIVE REPRESENTATION.
WITH REGARD TO THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, I BELIEVE AND MOST OF THE F. A. I. R. MEMBERS BELIEVE IT CAN CREATE A POSITIVE AFFECT FOR THE COUNTY PROVIDING THAT THE POWERS OF SUCH POSITION BE EXPLAINED MORE SPECIFICALLY VIS-A-VIS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR NUMBER ONE.
AND THAT YOUR PROPOSED DRAFT BE REVISED TO LIMIT THE APPOINTMENTS TO THE BOARDS AND COUNCILS OF THOSE SIX COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE PRESENTLY APPOINTED TO THE 43 BOARDS AND COUNCILS AND THOSE COMMISSIONS.
PLUS THE ONES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY LEGISLATIVE MANDATE TO BE APPOINTED TO A POSITION SUCH AS THE MPO AND THE EXPRESSWAY AUTHORITY.
I WOULD REFERENCE THE HANDOUT ALSO ON THAT, AND YOU WILL SEE THE -- WHAT I WOULD CALL "GROSS MISREPRESENTATION."
VERY SIMPLY, WHERE THE POPULATION WOULD TEND TO PROVIDE FOR ABOUT -- I BELIEVE IT'S 65% ON THE MAJORITY BOARDS IF WE HAD EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.
I HAVE TWO THOUGHTS THAT ARE VERY QUICK, MAY I FINISH THEM?
>>JAN SMITH:  PLEASE CONTINUE.
>> I AM IN FAVOR OF TERM LIMITS FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.
NO OTHER REASON.
I'VE SPOKE TO MANY VERY SMART POLITICAL MINDS AND GOVERNMENT MINDS AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROS AND CONS EACH WAY.
THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN.
THAT'S MY POSITION.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO INVEST THAT KIND OF A POWER IN AN INDIVIDUAL, WHICH WE SHOULD, I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE NONPARTISAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. HECKMAN.
>>GERALD WHITE:  MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN UPDATE OF HOW MANY SPEAKERS WE HAVE LEFT.
>>JAN SMITH:  WE HAVE ONE LEFT.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM BUT I WANT US TO DELIBERATE TONIGHT.
>> YOU MENTIONED NONPARTISAN FOR THE COUNTY MAYOR -- OR COUNTY CHAIR, WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE PARTISAN FOR THE INDIVIDUAL?
YOU ARE ADVOCATING SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT.
WOULD YOU ADVOCATE PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN IN THAT CASE?
>> I REALLY HAVEN'T GIVEN IT ANY THOUGHT AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT FACT.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  THAT'S FAIR.
THANK YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING.
KARL WARREN, 1710 EAST NORTH BAY STREET, TAMPA, FLORIDA.
IF IT'S NOT BROKEN, WHAT IS THERE TO FIX?
IF ANY OF YOU BELIEVE SOMETHING IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS BROKEN, I THINK YOU SHOULD IDENTIFY WHAT IS BROKEN, THEN FIX IT.
I BELIEVE MANY CITIZENS DO NOT SUPPORT A PSEUDO QUASI-COUNTY EXECUTIVE ROLE.
I THINK IT'S A BAD IDEA.
IT'S OUT OF TIME.
IT'S OUT OF STEP, AND IT DOES NOT MEET THE ZEIGOTS OF THE TIMES.
I DO SUPPORT TOTAL MEMBER DISTRICTS, BUT MANY CITIZENS BELIEVE THEY CAN LIVE WITH A 6-3 OR 5-4 MIXED SYSTEM.
THE ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT, AND IT COULD NOT BE ABOUT, SIZE OR COST, BECAUSE IF WE LOOK AT THE VARIOUS COWS WE HAVE RAISED IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAVE COST FAIR GREATER TAXES FOR THE CITIZENS, IT COULDN'T BE ABOUT COST.
ALSO, IF WE CONSIDER THE LEGISLATURE, THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE, IF WE CONSIDER THE CONGRESS, THEN WE WOULD LOGICALLY CONCLUDE THAT FLORIDA SHOULD NOT GET AN INCREASE IN NUMBERS BECAUSE IT WOULD BECOME TOO BIG.
IT WOULD BE TOO COSTLY TO GET AN INCREASE.
THAT WOULD BE THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION.
I'M AGAINST TERM -- I SUPPORT TERM LIMITS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD NOT CONTRIBUTE TO EMPIRE BUILDING.
ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE, LET'S REMEMBER THAT THE PRESENT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AT-LARGE STRUCTURE GREW OUT OF A RECONSTRUCTION SCHEME OF DISENFRANCHISING BLACKS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
PRIOR TO 1940s, THIS COMMUNITY WAS TOTAL SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTING.
ALSO REMEMBER THE PRESENT 4-3 STRUCTURE GREW OUT OF LITIGATION AGAINST THE AT-LARGE SYSTEM IN THIS COMMUNITY WHICH WAS FILED BY MY FATHER AND I, TO AVOID A LONG LITIGATION PROCESS, BY WHICH THIS COUNTY COULD NOT DEFEND IT THEN AT-LARGE STRUCTURE.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. WARREN.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK THAT DID NOT SIGN IN THIS EVENING?
THANK YOU.
WE DID WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, AND WE'RE GLAD THAT YOU TOOK THE TIME TO COME OUT HERE THIS EVENING AND GIVE US YOUR OPINIONS.
AND I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE AND I'M SURE THE BOARD DOES APPRECIATE THE ISSUES THAT YOU COVERED.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU PROBABLY WANT TO GO HOME AND WATCH THIS BASEBALL GAME, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE A WHILE YET SO WE DO INVITE YOU TO STAY.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, BOARD MEMBERS, FIRST, IS TO RECOGNIZE OUR CONFLICT ATTORNEY, MARSHA RYDBERG, WHO HAS BEEN HERE ON OTHER OCCASIONS.
I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE HER.
THANKS FOR COMING.
YOU KNOW SHE'S ON HER OWN CLOCK UNTIL WE ASK HER TO DO SOMETHING, BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO COME DOWN HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND I THOUGHT I SAW MR. KLEMAN, BUT IS HE GONE?
HE'S GONE.
OKAY.
SO BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WE'LL TRY TO GO BACK TO THE MINUTES AND SEE IF -- MS. TUTTLE HAS HER RECOMMENDATION FOR CORRECTION.
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  YES.
IT'S ON PAGE 3, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, THE SECOND PARAGRAPH, AND IT READS "ALL CRB MEMBERS WHO HAD SUBMITTED A SUGGESTION SHEET HAD MENTIONED AN ELECTED CHAIR AND INCREASING BOCC DISTRICTS."
I DID NOT.
MINE WAS TO STAY WITH SEVEN.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU WANT TO --
>>JAN SMITH:  PERHAPS JUST CHANGING THE WORD TO "SEVERAL MEMBERS" WILL FIX THAT.
IS THAT OKAY?
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  THAT'S FINE.
>>JAN SMITH:  WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. WHITE AND A SECOND BY MR. HURLEY TO APPROVE THE MINUTES AS AMENDED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN.
THANK YOU.
THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL.
WE'LL HEAR HER REPORT.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  GOOD EVENING, AGAIN, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WE DON'T HAVE A FORMAL REPORT PREPARED FOR THE BOARD TONIGHT.
BUT CERTAINLY, WE'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND I ANTICIPATE THERE BEING QUITE A FEW TONIGHT.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I HAVE A QUESTION RIGHT NOW.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. LaBOUR.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO GET AWAY.
KEN IS TRYING TO GET AWAY TO WATCH THE BASEBALL GAME.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  YES, HE IS.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAVE, AND IT MIGHT BE IN OUR BACKUP THAT WE WERE GIVEN WHEN WE FIRST WERE APPOINTED, WHEN THE STRUCTURE, THE 4-3 STRUCTURE THAT WAS FORMULATED THAT WE PRESENTLY HAVE, IT CAME OUT OF THE COMPROMISE AS MR. WARREN REMINDS US BECAUSE IT WAS ALL AT-LARGE.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  RIGHT.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  WERE THERE ANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AND ANY IMPACTS, POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A RECORD OF?
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  WE HAVE RECORDS OF THE BOARD MINUTES WHEN THEY ADOPTED THE ORDINANCE THAT PROPOSED THIS CHARTER AND WE CAN GO BACK AND PULL OUT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT THEY DID CONCERNING THE DISTRICTING AND PROVIDE THEM TO THE BOARD IF YOU THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ME BECAUSE I THINK PART OF OUR TASK OR A BIG PART OF OUR TASK IS TO STUDY WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING.
AND I REALLY HAVE NOT BEEN COMFORTABLE AS TO WHY THAT WAS DISMISSED OR EVEN IF IT WAS EVEN DISCUSSED, AND IF IT WAS DISMISSED FOR FAIRLY GOOD REASONS BACK THEN, THEY STILL MIGHT HOLD WATER TODAY.
SO I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE --
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  WE CAN GET THAT TOGETHER FOR YOU.
IF -- PROBABLY BY THE VERY FIRST OF NEXT WEEK AND SEND THAT TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS SO THEY CAN HAVE THAT.
WE DO HAVE THE FILES.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  OKAY.
THANK YOU.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I HAD A QUESTION TOO, MADAM CHAIR.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  RELATED TO WHAT STEVE MADE AN INQUIRY ABOUT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOOK WE RECEIVED ON THE HISTORY OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, ON PAGE 20, THE CHARTER REVIEW MET IN 1986, ATTORNEY WRIGHT ON BEHALF OF THE TAMPA CHAMBER OF NAACP ADVOCATED AND SUPPORTED THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
THERE'S SOME HISTORY IN OUR BOOK ON THE POSITION OF THE NAACP IN 1986.
MY QUESTION IS WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT THE "ST. PETERSBURG TIMES" AND I HAD ATTORNEY TINKLER LOOK THIS UP RELATED TO ANNEXATION, WHAT PINELLAS IS DOING.
AND I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE PUT IN THE CHARTER RELATED TO SOME SORT OF CONTROL OR AGREEMENT RELATED TO ANNEXATION.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  THERE IS IN THE FLORIDA STATUTES CONCERNING VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION A PROVISION THAT ALLOWS A CHARTER COUNTY TO ADOPT PROVISIONS OTHER THAN WHAT THE STATE LAW PROVIDES, AND I BELIEVE SARASOTA IS ALSO PUTTING ON THE BALLOT THIS NOVEMBER A PROPOSAL TO DEAL WITH VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION.
IT DOES NOT PERTAIN TO INVOLUNTARY IN WHICH THE CITY INITIATES IT IS INVOLUNTARY.
WHEN THE PROPERTY OWNER INITIATES IT IT IS INVOLUNTARY.
>>JAN SMITH:  COULD YOU GET US WHAT THEY ARE PROPOSING?
>>GERALD WHITE:  I WOULD LOVE FOR EVERYBODY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
IF THERE IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER RELATING TO THAT ISSUE, I WOULD BE GLAD TO DO THAT.
>> I'LL BE HAPPY TO GET THAT TO YOU.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I WANTED TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU AND KEN FOR THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING FOR US.
I KNOW AT OUR LAST COMMITTEE MEETING AND OUR LAST BOARD MEETING, WE DIDN'T EXTEND A THANK YOU TO THE DYNAMIC PROPOSAL AND THE DYNAMIC WORK YOU HAVE DONE ON BEHALF OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
I WANT TO PUBLICLY THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU ARE DOING.
>>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL:  THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. WHITE.
MS. MERRITT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE US AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT, PLEASE.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.
OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE NOVEMBER 9th.
INCLUDED TONIGHT ARE SEVERAL COPIES OF LETTERS AND E-MAILS THAT I HAVE BEEN RECEIVING IN RESPONSE TO THE LETTER WE SEPTEMBER OUT ON THE 17th.
IT WAS SENT OUT TO ALL THE CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, BUSINESSES, AND PERSONS WHO APPEARED BEFORE THIS BOARD DURING THE YEAR.
SINCE OUR LAST MEETING, I'VE BEEN BUSY.
I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH JAME ROBE -- I'M SORRY, ROBE AND JOAN STEINBACKER WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
WE'VE DEVELOPED A TEMPLATE TO USE -- THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT WE HAVE OUT, WE HAVE ABOUT 150 TO 200.
I DIDN'T DO A COUNT OF THEM.
I'M GOING TO PUT ALL THE DATA IN AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A VERY COMPREHENSIVE REPORT, WITH THE PROGRAM I'M USING, THE REPORT CAN BE USED -- IF YOU ASK ME ON QUESTION NUMBER 1, HOW MANY YESES, NOS, I CAN BE VERY SPECIFIC WITH JUST ONE COMMAND AND I'M REALLY EXCITED BECAUSE I GOT TO LEARN ACCESS.
I WANT TO THANK MR. HUNTER FOR ALLOWING THEM TO WORK WITH ME.
AND THEY WERE VERY PATIENT AND THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE I CAN SAY.
ALSO, LAST WEEK, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM BROWARD COUNTY'S CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
THEY'VE BEEN MONITORING OUR MEETINGS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN USING OUR WEB SITE.
GERALD, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE ARE OTHER COUNTIES MONITORING.
THEY COMPLIMENTED US ON OUR MEETINGS AND BEING ABLE TO NAVIGATE THE WEB SITE TO GET THE INFORMATION THEY NEEDED IN A VERY COMPREHENSIVE MANNER.
STACEY WILLIAMS IN THE COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN HELPING ME WITH THAT IN THE WEB UPDATES.
AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
>>GERALD WHITE:  MADAM CHAIR.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. White.
>>GERALD WHITE:  YOU SENT OUT 750 LETTERS TO THE COMMUNITY GROUPS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR MEETING TONIGHT?
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  YES.
>>GERALD WHITE:  HOW MANY SPEAKERS DID WE HAVE TONIGHT, MADAM CHAIR?
DO YOU RECALL HOW MANY SPEAKERS WE HAVE TONIGHT.
>>JAN SMITH:  16.
>>GERALD WHITE:  16 SPEAKERS OUT OF 750 LETTERS AND THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT DID PLACE THE NOTICE OF OUR MEETING ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE WEB SITE.
I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE I AM PLEASED THAT THE CITIZENS CAME OUT TONIGHT, AND I'M ALSO VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE DID SUCH A LARGE MAILING AND WE ARE NOT GETTING THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION THAT WE REALLY NEED.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  YOU ALSO RECEIVED TEN E-MAILS AND LETTERS THAT ALSO CAME IN TOO.
THAT WOULD ADD TO IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  I ALSO DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE FOOLED BY THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO COME DOWN HERE.
OR WHO DON'T COME DOWN HERE.
IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS TO HAVE PEOPLE COME UP AND SAY THEY HAVE BEEN WATCHING THESE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETINGS.
THEY ARE WATCHING.
THEY MAY BE WAITING UNTIL WE HAVE A FINAL DOCUMENT SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE, I HOPE, TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO LITERALLY DRAG THE CITIZENS DOWN HERE, BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE ONES THAT HAVE COME AND ALL THE ONES THAT HAVE SENT E-MAILS AND FAXES AND CALLED.
I JUST THINK WE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB.
BARBARA IS DOING A GREAT JOB OF TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH MORE WE CAN DO.
>>GERALD WHITE:  MADAM CHAIR, YOUR WISDOM KEEPS ME AT PEACE.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  THAT'S MORE THAN A 2% TURNOUT.
ANYBODY THAT HAS EVER DONE ANY MAILING, 2% IS REALLY GOOD.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  THANK YOU, MR. HURLEY.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  MOST OF THE PEOPLE HERE REPRESENTING DIFFERENT GROUPS, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE COUNTED.
NOT JUST ONE PERSON, BUT A GROUP OF PEOPLE THEY ARE REPRESENTING AND THEY HAVE THEIR SPOKESMAN.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  MADAM CHAIR, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SAY THE NOTICE WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN.
AND WHILE I THINK THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE PEOPLE COMING DOWN HERE, I THINK THE FACT THAT IT WAS A FAIRLY SHORT TURNAROUND WHEN THEY RECEIVED IT AND WHEN WE WERE HAVING OUR MEETING.
I THINK THEY WERE VERY WELL-EDUCATED TO THE ISSUES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I HAVE A FEELING WE ARE GOING TO TON HAVE PEOPLE CONTACTING US AFTER THE MEETING AS WELL.
THE NOTICE WAS VERY WELL-DONE.
>>BARBARA MERRITT:  THE NUMBER OF CALLS -- I RECEIVED ABOUT 15 OR 20 CALLS IN THE OFFICE SINCE THE LETTER WENT OUT.
I'VE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE -- I SAID, THIS IS OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING.
I'VE TOLD THEM THAT THEY HAVE TIME TO SPEAK IN THE BEGINNING IF THEY CAN'T GET HERE EARLY, WE'LL SPEAK WITH THEM AT THE END.
SO JUST COME OUT.
GET YOUR LETTERS IN.
I SAID -- I BRAG ON THIS BOARD BECAUSE I SAID, YOU ARE ABOUT THE BEST WELL-BRED BOARD, BECAUSE I DO GIVE YOU A LOT OF BACKUP.
I THINK SOMETIMES YOU THINK I'M WRITING A BACK THERE.
>>JAN SMITH:  MAYBE YOU SHALL SOME DAY.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  BOARD MEMBERS, WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO SINCE IT IS ALMOST BREAK TIME, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE OUR BREAK NOW AND WHEN WE COME BACK, READ A LETTER FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO DISCUSS ALL THESE ITEMS THAT THESE PEOPLE WERE SO KIND TO COME DOWN AND DISCUSS WITH US.
SO THIS MEETING IS RECESSED FOR 15 MINUTES.

>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, FOR COMING BACK.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET DOWN TO SOME BUSINESS.
I THINK MR. BALES HAS A LETTER THAT HE WAS ASKED TO READ INTO THE RECORD.
AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK HIM TO DO THAT.
>>JOHN BALES:  ALL RIGHT.
I HAVE A MOTION PASSED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE FLORIDA GOLF CHAPTER OF THE ABC, WHICH IS ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS, INC.
I WILL READ IT.
DATED OCTOBER 23, 2000.
DURING THE FLORIDA GULF COAST CHAPTER ABC, BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING ON OCTOBER 12th, 2000 A MOTION WAS PASSED TO SUPPORT THE GREATER TAMPA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CONCEPT FOR A POPULAR ELECTION OF A COUNTY CHAIR WITH A PREFERENCE FOR THE COUNTY CHAIR TO HAVE THE POWER AND AUTHORITY ATTRIBUTED TO A STRONG MAYOR FOR A GOVERNMENT.
THE BOARD ALSO URGES THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION TO TAKE THE PROPOSED REVISION BEFORE THE VOTERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS INC. IS A NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION TRADE ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING OVER 22,000 MERIT SHOP COMMERCIAL, CONSTRUCTION-RELATED FIRMS AND OVER 80 CHAPTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
THE FLORIDA GULF CHAPTER LOCATED IN TAMPA REPRESENTS OVER 350 MEMBER FIRMS.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. BALES.
I ALSO RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, WHICH THEY'VE ASKED BE READ INTO THE RECORD.
DEAR MRS. SMITH, UNFORTUNATELY, I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING.
SO I'M REQUESTING THAT YOU OR ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD READ THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS FROM THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY INTO THE RECORD AT YOUR OCTOBER 26th, 2000, MEETING.
FIRST, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY.
WE WERE APPALLED AT YOUR LAST MEETING BY THE LACK OF CIVILITY SHOWN BY SOME CITIZENS GIVING PUBLIC INPUT.
IT IS OUR BELIEF THAT THE MERITS OF THEIR VIEWS WERE LOST IN THE AVERSION TO THEIR ILL-CONSIDERED PERSONAL ATTACKS.
THE TIME AND EFFORT YOU ARE GIVING TO COMPLEX ISSUES IS VALUABLE TO ALL.
FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, IT IS PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THE DIVERSITY OF YOUR OPINIONS AND PHILOSOPHIES THAT THESE DELIBERATIONS ARE CREDIBLE.
YOU'RE EXEMPLIFYING THE LEAGUE'S PURPOSE, TO PROVOKE THE INFORMED -- OF CITIZENS IN GOVERNMENT.
WE INVITE EACH OF YOU TO JOIN THE LEAGUE.
IN REGARD TO THE CURRENT PROPOSALS BEFORE THE BOARD, WE OFFER THE FOLLOWING.
ELECTED CHAIR OF THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
WE PREVIOUSLY TESTIFIED THAT THIS DEBATE HAS DOMINATED DISCUSSIONS OVER SEVERAL CHARTER REVIEW BOARDS.
IT SEEMS TO GET IN THE WAY OF EXPLORING OTHER ISSUES.
THERE IS LITERATURE TO SUPPORT OR OPPOSE BOTH SIDES AND NOTHING TO SHOW A CLEAR ADVANTAGE TO CHANGING OUR CURRENT STRUCTURE.
WE STAND BY THAT STATEMENT.
WE SEE NO REASON TO BELIEVE THIS IS A MOVE TOWARD CONSOLIDATION.
IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THIS CHANGE IN STRUCTURE WILL BE USED AS A STEPPING-STONE TO PILE ON OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE CHAIRPERSON THAT MAY UNDERMINE SOME BUSINESSLIKE ADVANTAGES ENJOYED BY OUR COUNCIL MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT.
INCREASE OF BOARD SIZE.
WE SUSPECT THE ADVANTAGE OF INCREASED REPRESENTATION IS ILLUSORY AND MORE THAN OFFSET BY THE DELUSION OF EACH COMMISSIONER'S VOTE.
TERM LIMITS:  THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE A POSITION REGARDING TERM LIMITS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
THE EFFECT OF TERM LIMITS IS DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE OFFICE AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THAT OFFICE.
AS I STATED AT THE MEETING ON JUNE 1st, TERM LIMITS PROBABLY CAUSE AS MANY PROBLEMS AS THEY SOLVE.
THEY CERTAINLY CAUSED PROBLEMS AT THE STATE LEVEL THIS PAST SESSION.
HOWEVER, CLEARLY, THE CURRENT PROPENSITY OF ELECTED OFFICIALS TO AVOID TERM LIMITS BY, FOR EXAMPLE, JUMPING FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER IS NOT WHAT THE PUBLIC HAD IN MIND WHEN VOTING FOR TERM LIMITS.
NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
IF THIS CHANGE LEADS TO A MORE COLLABORATIVE ATMOSPHERE FOR THE BOCC, IT WOULD BE A POSITIVE OUTCOME.
WE CAN SEE NO DISADVANTAGE.
THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS SUPPORTS THE NONPARTISAN ELECTION OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS BASED ON SIMILAR PRINCIPLES.
PREVIOUSLY WE TESTIFIED THAT SIGNIFICANT ISSUES EXIST THAT DESERVE STUDY, CONSIDERATION BY THIS COMMUNITY.
THOSE ISSUES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING.
CONSOLIDATION OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND OUR MUNICIPALITIES.
WE SUPPORT CONSOLIDATION OF SERVICES.
WE ATTEMPTED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO GO THAT ROUTE IN 1996.
THEREFORE WE BELIEVE THE NEXT STEP SHOULD BE EXPLORED.
ONLY THE LEGISLATURE CAN PUT CONSOLIDATION ON THE BALLOT; HOWEVER, YOU CAN RAISE THE ISSUE AND ASK THAT A SPECIAL COMMISSION BE APPOINTED TO EXPLORE THE ISSUE.
APPOINTED RATHER THAN ELECTED CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE COUNTY BUDGET AND THE AUTHORITY OF EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BODIES.
POLITICALLY, THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ISSUE.
THE TIME TO BEGIN A SERIOUS PUBLIC DEBATE OF THE ISSUES HAS COME.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO RECOMMEND STUDY OF THE ISSUE BY A BOARD WITH A FRAMEWORK THAT GIVES REAL WEIGHT TO THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS OUR VIEWS.
WE WILL BE PLEASED TO APPEAR AT YOUR NOVEMBER 9th MEETING AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
SINCERELY, MIMI OSIOSIN, CHAIRPERSON, LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I HAVE SOMETHING, TOO, AS WELL MADAM CHAIR.
IT WILL ONLY TAKE A MINUTE.
>>JAN SMITH:  JUST ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO, MR. BALES, THE LETTER YOU HAVE AND THIS LETTER, MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS COPIES OF IT.
YOU DO HAVE THIS ONE.
SO WE JUST NEED A COPY OF THAT ONE.
THANK YOU.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I HAD THE COUNTY ATTORNEY PULL SOME PAPERWORK RELATED TO PINELLAS COUNTY ANNEXATION, YOU CALL IT A REFERENDUM ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THEIR BALLOT NOVEMBER THE 7th.
AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A COPY FOR EVERYONE.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO STUDY ON THIS.
AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY WE CAN MAKE ANNEXATION BETTER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD DO THAT.
ALSO, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH JIM HOSTLER WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND WE WENT OVER THE 2000 POPULATION HOUSING ESTIMATE AND CENSUS TRACT REPORT THEY'VE DONE.
AND I ALSO INCLUDED THE TAMPA TRIBUNE ARTICLE OCTOBER THE 5th ABOUT THE COUNTY REACHING A LEVEL OF 1 MILLION CITIZENS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE CONSIDER FORMALLY -- HAVE HIM COME AND GIVE US A FORMAL PRESENTATION ON THE POPULATION GROWTH.
IN THE MEANTIME, I WENT AHEAD AND MET WITH HIM AND GOT A COPY OF THE REPORT THAT THEY'VE DONE.
SO I WANTED TO PASS THAT OUT.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
OKAY.
BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING'S MEETING.
THE WORK THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE DID REGARDING THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO STRUCTURE, THE ISSUE OF PARTISAN AND NONPARTISAN RACES AND THE ISSUE OF TERM LIMITS.
WHAT ISSUE WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE UP FIRST?
MS. WALDRON.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  HOW ABOUT AN EASY ONE FIRST?
>>JAN SMITH:  I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  HOW ABOUT TERM LIMITS?
WE RECOMMENDED IN OUR PROPOSAL THAT WE HAD TRUE TERM LIMITS AS WE'RE DESCRIBED, WHICH WOULD BE FOUR-YEAR TERM LIMITS TWO TIMES.
I CAN'T REMEMBER, THOUGH, I DON'T THINK WE DECIDED OR WERE WE GOING TO DISCUSS AT THAT TIME THAT YOU COULD TAKE A COUPLE OF YEARS OFF AND THEN POSSIBLY RUN AGAIN.
I DON'T REMEMBER IF WE HAD AN OPINION ABOUT THAT.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I DON'T RECALL.
I LISTENED TO THE AUDIO TAPES OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING.
AND I DON'T REMEMBER THAT PARTICULARLY.
I DO KNOW THAT -- I BELIEVE IT WAS MS. LASHER THAT RAISED A POINT THAT I THOUGHT WAS IMPORTANT.
IF, IN FACT, WE HAVE SINGLE MEMBERS -- IF WE GO TO A SINGLE MEMBER AND AT-LARGE AND ESPECIALLY AN AT-LARGE ELECTED CHAIR, WE'RE ACTUALLY SAYING TO A SINGLE MEMBER, COMMISSIONER, YOU NEVER CAN BE ELECTED CHAIR.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A REASONABLE ISSUE TO RAISE THAT THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE MIGHT NOT WANT.
THE AT-LARGE MEMBERS, THEY DID RUN AT LARGE.
IF THEY WANTED TO RUN AS CHAIR, THEY COULD HAVE RUN AS CHAIR.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER.
BUT IT'S REALLY TIED INTO THE STRUCTURE THAT WE CHOOSE AS OPPOSED TO JUST A GENERAL, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT THAT IT SHOULD BE REAL TERM LIMITS.
>>DENISE LASHER:  FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY THAT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE THAT WE REVIEWED WHAT OUR CHARGE WAS, AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THE TASK WAS IF YOU WERE TO HAVE AN ELECTED CHAIR, HERE'S WHAT OUR SUGGESTION IS.
IF YOU WERE TO HAVE A CHANGE IN THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS WHAT OUR SUGGESTION IS, BUT THE COMMITTEE WAS NOT MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SUPPORTED THESE CHANGES.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  THAT IS CORRECT.
I THINK WE SAID WE WOULD LEAVE THAT FOR FULL BOARD DISCUSSION.
>>DENISE LASHER:  RIGHT, THE COMMITTEE DID NOT MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SUPPORTED.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  NO, WE DIDN'T DISCUSS THAT.
THAT'S CORRECT.
>>DENISE LASHER: ... IF THESE CHANGES WERE TO OCCUR, HERE IS OUR RECOMMENDED CHANGE, HOW IT WOULD LOOK.
REGARDING -- IT'S HARD TO SEPARATE THESE ISSUES, BECAUSE ONE ITEM IMPACTS THE OTHER ITEM, WHICH YOU JUST MENTIONED, TERM LIMITS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, STEVE.
IF YOU HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEBODY RUNNING FOR THAT POSITION WHO DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
AND YET IF YOU HAVE TERM LIMITS AND SOMEONE'S BEEN A COUNTY COMMISSIONER TWO TERMS IN A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO CHANGE THE TERM LIMITS THAT YOU COULD ONLY SERVE TWO CONSECUTIVE TERMS IN ANY CAPACITY, THEN YOU WOULD ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY TO HAVE SOMEBODY WITH DIVERSE OR NUMBER OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD FROM RUNNING FOR CHAIRMAN.
AND SO THAT IS A PROBLEM YOU RUN INTO.
AND IF YOU HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, YOU MAY HAVE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR THAT THAT DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
VERY LIKELY, THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
AND I THINK TO BE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, YOU REALLY NEED, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS EXPERIENCE.
SO ONE THING IMPACTS ANOTHER.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DEBATE TERM LIMITS AND NOT LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE.
AND I KNOW -- I REVIEWED THE TAPE FROM THE LAST MEETING, AND I KNOW IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO DO ANY OF THESE TOPICS SEPARATELY.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE -- YOU KNOW, FURTHER ENLIGHTEN YOU ALL AS FAR AS MY FEELING WITH THE RESULTS OF THE COMMITTEE AND OUR DISCUSSION THAT TOOK PLACE IN THAT MEETING.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  WELL, I CONSIDER THE TERM LIMIT, IF WE'RE GOING TO SAY EIGHT YEARS AND THEN THAT INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO RUN IN ANOTHER POSITION FOR THE SAME COUNTY, AT LARGE, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER EIGHT YEARS OR JUST FOUR YEARS OR WHAT?
I'M VERY CONFUSED WITH THIS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TERM LIMITS.
HOW FAR THIS LIMITATION GO?
IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY TERM LIMITS, BECAUSE I NOTICED RIGHT NOW THEY ARE RUNNING -- THEY HAVE TERM LIMIT FOR EIGHT YEARS.
THEN THEY RUN IN ANOTHER POSITION.
THEN THEY CAN COME BACK AND RUN FOR THIS POSITION AGAIN.
I WONDER ABOUT ALL OF THAT.
VERY CONFUSING TO ANYBODY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE BETTER EXPLANATION OF WHAT TERM LIMITS WE ARE CONSIDERING.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I REALLY THINK THE TERM LIMITS ARE VERY CLOSELY TIED TO STRUCTURE.
AND SO, MS. WALDRON, I'M NOT SURE THIS WAS THE EASY ONE TO START WITH.
AND I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT.
I THINK MAYBE AN EASIER ONE IS PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN.
I THINK REALLY -- WHILE SOME PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT IF WE HAVE ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, PERHAPS THAT SHOULD BE EITHER PARTISAN OR NONPARTISAN AND THE OTHER SHOULDN'T.
I DON'T THINK -- I THINK MOST OF US, I SUSPECT, WOULD FEEL THAT WE EITHER HAVE TO HAVE NONPARTISAN FOR EVERYBODY OR PARTISAN FOR EVERYBODY.
SO I WOULD SUBMIT THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE EASIER ONE TO PUT ON THE TABLE FIRST, BECAUSE, REALLY, IT DOESN'T -- I THINK THE PRINCIPLE ISSUES BEHIND THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE NUMBER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OR THE STRUCTURE OF COUNTY COMMISSION.
THAT WOULD JUST BE MY OBSERVATION.
SO I WOULD SAY WHY DON'T WE START WITH PARTISAN, NONPARTISAN.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WELL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE TERM LIMITS, AND I SUPPORT TERM LIMITS.
I BELIEVE A COMMISSIONER IN A SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT CAN SERVE A CONSECUTIVE EIGHT YEARS.
AND REGARDLESS WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE A COUNTYWIDE POST, BE IT -- IN OUR PROPOSAL, ON THE TABLE TODAY, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT OR THE COUNTY CHAIR DISTRICT, I THINK IT'S HEALTHY, I'M NOT SURE WHO SAID IT, ONE OF OUR CITIZENS SAID IT THAT THAT COMMISSIONER GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY AND GET A NEW PERSPECTIVE BEFORE THEY CAN COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
SO I SUPPORT TERM LIMITS THAT A DISTRICT COMMISSIONER SERVE ONLY A CONSECUTIVE TWO TERMS AND NOT BE ABLE TO HOP A LOOP OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, LOOPHOLE AND RUN TO SERVE IN THE CURRENT DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE NOW, RUN AND SERVE COUNTYWIDE.
I WOULD HOPE WE WOULD CLOSE THAT LOOP.
ALSO IN THE NEW PROPOSAL, IN THE PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE TODAY THAT THEY ALSO TAKE A REST AND NOT JUST BE ABLE TO CONSERVE POSSIBLY AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT YEARS AND MAKE IT A TOTAL OF 16.
SO THEY NEED TO HAVE A REST.
AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD CLOSE THE LOOPHOLE THAT EXISTS IN THE CURRENT CHARTER AND IF WE DO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR THAT WE KEEP THAT CLOSED AS WELL AND ALLOW THOSE COMMISSIONERS TO GO BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY FOR, AND I THINK WE HAD SOME OPINION FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY ON HOW LONG ONE MIGHT HAVE -- CAN YOU COME AND TELL US THAT, HOW LONG THEY WOULD HAVE TO SIT OUT.
IT WOULDN'T BE INDEFINITE, BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE CONSISTENT.
LET HER EXPLAIN IT TO US.
>> FOR THE RECORD, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL.
IS YOUR QUESTION THE CURRENT WAY THE TERM LIMITS WORK?
>>GERALD WHITE:  CORRECT.
>> THE CHARTER DIVIDES THE COMMISSION INTO TWO GROUPS.
THE AT LARGE AND THE SINGLE MEMBER.
IT PROVIDES THAT THE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS, IF THEY'VE SERVED FOR MORE THAN SIX YEARS, THEY CANNOT SEEK ANOTHER SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT TERM.
IN OTHER WORDS, COMMISSIONER NORMAN IS IN DISTRICT 2, HE CANNOT SEEK DISTRICT 1.
SO THEY LOOP, YOU KNOW, THE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
THEY HAVE THE SIX YEARS IN THERE, REMEMBER, YOUR SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS BECAUSE OF REAPPORTIONMENT SERVE FOUR YEARS, FOUR YEARS, AND TWO YEARS.
AND FOUR YEARS, FOUR YEARS, AND TWO YEARS.
THAT IS WHY IF THE TIMING IS RIGHT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY BE ON THE BOARD 18 YEARS.
THE AT LARGE IS ALWAYS A FOUR-YEAR TERM.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU'VE BEEN AT LARGE, YOU CAN SERVE YOUR EIGHT YEARS, AND YOU CAN'T RUN FROM DISTRICT 5 AND THEN DISTRICT 6.
SO THEY GROUP THE TWO SEPARATELY.
AND THE CHARTER CURRENTLY PROVIDES THE SIX-YEAR LIMIT.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT WE DO IS IF WE REACH A CONSENSUS THAT WE SUPPORT TERM LIMITS UNDER THE EXISTING STRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE IN THE CHARTER NOW, HAVE A COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE CHAIR, COME UP WITH A PROPOSAL IN COMMITTEE AND WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT'S ON THE TABLE, IF WE SUPPORT TERM LIMITS, COME BACK WITH A PROPOSAL SO THAT WE COULD TAKE IT UP AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
THAT'S THE WAY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT HANDLED.
>>JAN SMITH:  WELL, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MAYBE WHAT WE NEED TO DETERMINE IS ARE -- IS THERE A MAJORITY ON THIS BOARD THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE WAY TERM LIMITS ARE INTERPRETED.
AND IF THERE IS, THEN WE NEED TO GET A COMMITTEE TOGETHER AND WRITE THAT.
IF THERE IS NOT, THE INTENT BY A MAJORITY OF THIS BOARD TO CHANGE THE TERM LIMITS, THEN WE CAN CONTINUE WITH WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
SO I THINK THAT ISSUE -- YOU KNOW, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE QUESTION.
DO WE ACCEPT THE TERM LIMIT POSITION THAT IS EXPRESSED IN THE CHARTER NOW, OR DO WE WANT TO CHANGE?
AND PERHAPS THE EASIEST WAY TO DO IT IS TO HAVE SOMEONE PUT A MOTION ON THE TABLE THAT WE CHANGE THE TERM LIMITS TO BE DIFFERENT OR WE CAN JUST GO AROUND THE BOARD AND YOU CAN SAY YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF WHAT EXISTS NOW.
>>TERRY BALLARD:  YES, MA'AM, MADAM CHAIR.
I FAVOR IT LIKE IT IS NOW, BUT IT ALL GOES BACK TO STRUCTURE.
YOU GOT TO RESOLVE THAT BEFORE YOU DO IT NOW.
SO THE BEST THING I SEE IS LEAVE IT ALONE TILL WE COME TO THAT POINT.
I AGREE WITH MR. LaBOUR ON THAT SUBJECT.
>>JAN SMITH:  THEN PERHAPS WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TAKE IF YOU HAVE WITH YOU THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OR THE RESOLUTION BY THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND LET'S JUST TAKE THEM PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH AND GO THROUGH IT AND VOTE ON IT.
MR. LaBOUR.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I THINK ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED A MEMORANDUM THAT I SENT TO YOU EARLIER IN THE WEEK.
I DID NOT DO IT IN AN ATTEMPT AS I SAID IN MY INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH TO LIMIT OUR DISCUSSION OR CONFUSE ANYBODY.
BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT AS WE TALKED, WE HAD SUCH A DELIBERATIVE DISCUSSION LAST TIME ABOUT STRUCTURE AND WHAT THE COMMITTEE HAD BROUGHT BACK THAT I HAPPENED TO AGREE WITH MR. WOLF AND SOME OTHERS ON THIS BOARD THAT SOME OF THE THINGS I'M NOT SURE WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT LIKE AN ALL SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICT TYPE STRUCTURE.
SO I JUST PENNED OUT THREE OPTIONS THAT I THOUGHT KEPT COMING UP AS JUST A WAY OF MAYBE KEEPING US REMINDED THAT THERE WERE SOME OTHER POSITIONS OUT THERE SUPPORTED.
THE FIRST OPTION, ACTUALLY BEING AS IT EXISTS TODAY.
I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD THAT WHILE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET WRAPPED UP IN DISCUSSION OF CHANGE, YOU SOMETIMES FORGET THAT ONE OF THE OPTIONS IS NOT TO CHANGE.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US SHOULD BE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT SAYING AT THE END OF THE DAY, SO TO SPEAK, THAT REALLY WE BELIEVE THAT THE PRESENT FORM OF STRUCTURE IS THE WAY WE NEED TO GO.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS ON THIS BOARD THAT DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THAT AND I RESPECT THEIR OPINION AND WANT TO HEAR MORE.
THE OTHER THING THAT STRUCK ME, WHILE OUR DISCUSSION WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND ENLIGHTENED LAST TIME, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAVE REALLY STUDIED SOME OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF ALL OF THESE -- OF THE THREE OPTIONS THAT I TOOK.
FOR INSTANCE, I NEED TO COME -- I'M SURE THOSE WHO PENNED THE PRESENT STRUCTURE THAT WAS PASSED, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER, WAS PASSED BY THE VOTERS, THAT THERE PROBABLY WERE SOME SOLID REASONS AS TO WHY THEY PROPOSED IT.
IT COULD BE THE VERY SIMPLE FACT THAT IT WAS SIMPLY BETTER THAN WHAT THEY HAD, AND THAT WAS THE CONSENSUS THEY COULD GET AT THE TIME.
IT MIGHT BE THAT WE MIGHT FIND THAT, IN FACT, IF WE TALKED TO SOME OF THOSE FOLKS, HAVE THEM COME DOWN HERE AND TELL US THAT THEY SAY, WELL, THIS IS WHY IT WAS THE BEST THEN AND WE WILL TELL THAT YOU IT HAS FAIRED THE TEST OF TIME AND IT'S STILL RELEVANT TODAY.
SO I GUESS I'M NOT -- GUESS I'M NOT OFFERING ANY SUGGESTIONS OTHER THAN I HOPE WE DON'T -- WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY RASH DECISIONS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER OPTIONS OUT THERE THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT INCLUDING THE PRESENT STRUCTURE.
THE OTHER OBSTACLE UNFORTUNATELY THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH QUITE CANDIDLY FROM MY POINT OF VIEW IS I WOULD LOVE TO SAY TO THE VOTERS, LET'S PUT THREE OPTIONS ON THE BALLOT AND YOU CHOOSE ONE OF THE THREE OR ONE OF THE FOUR.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
WE CAN'T EVEN PUT THE PRESENT FORM ON THE BALLOT OTHER THAN THE FORMAT OF SAYING YES OR NO.
SO WE COULD PUT THREE OPTIONS, BUT THEY'D HAVE TO VOTE EITHER YES OR NO.
AND THEN YOU HAVE THE CHALLENGE, THE TWO OF THEM COULD PASS.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE RESTRAINED BY THE PROCESS, WHICH I'M NOT SURE SERVES OUR COMMUNITY WELL BECAUSE QUITE CANDIDLY, I'D LOVE TO SEE US PUT THREE OPTIONS ON THE BALLOT, HAVE A REAL DISCUSSION BETWEEN NOW AND 2002 AND HAVE THE PROPONENTS OF EACH GO OUT THERE AND BE ABLE TO FORM A CAMPAIGN AROUND THEM, INCLUDING OUR PRESENT STRUCTURE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN'T DO THAT.
SO I'M AT A LOSS AS TO HOW TO MOVE OUR GROUP FORWARD.
I'M A PRETTY GOOD COUNTER OF VOTES.
I'LL TELL YOU, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TEN VOTES ON ANY OF THESE.
I THINK WE HAVE MAJORITY VOTE MAYBE ON SOME OF -- ONE, BUT I THINK WE'RE STILL A WAYS, A LITTLE WAYS OFF BEFORE WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET TEN VOTES.
THAT'S JUST THIS ONE BOARD MEMBER'S OBSERVATION.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WELL, I WANT TO SAY THIS FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT SERVING ON THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD TO ME, IT'S NOT ABOUT TEN VOTES, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MR. LaBOUR.
IT'S LISTENING WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC FROM ALL THE DYNAMIC SPEAKERS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, IT'S ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THOSE SPEAKERS.
AND I BELIEVE THE PROPOSAL THAT'S ON THE TABLE IS WHAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THESE SPEAKERS AND FROM THE CITIZENS THAT I HAVE TALKED TO THROUGHOUT THIS COMMUNITY.
SO I'M PREPARED TO EITHER VOTE UP OR DOWN ON THIS ISSUE, AND I'M READY TO VOTE WHENEVER WE GET TO THAT POINT ON THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL THAT THE SUBCOMMITTEE THERE HAS PUT TOGETHER.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE.
BUT I WANTED TO GO BACK A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT THE REPORT RELATED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT WAS DONE RELATED TO THE ONE MILLION CITIZENS.
THE REASON I SUPPORT THE NINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, THE FIVE DISTRICTS AND THE FOUR AT LARGE IS THAT IF YOU LOOK -- GO TEN YEARS BACK, WE HAD ABOUT 834,000 RESIDENTS.
AND I ASKED THIS QUESTION SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT EACH COMMISSIONER IS RENDERING RIGHT NOW?
AND IN ORDER TO STAY AT THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ADD THOSE COMMISSIONERS SO THAT EACH COMMISSIONER WILL CONTINUE TO REPRESENT THAT APPROXIMATELY 200,000 RESIDENTS.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT'S GOING, HOPEFULLY, CARRY FOR AN ADDITIONAL TEN YEARS AND ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THE FIVE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS AND THE FOUR AT LARGE BECAUSE YOU WILL KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT EACH CITIZEN IS GETTING TODAY FROM THEIR COMMISSIONERS.
AND WE'VE HEARD THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT REPRESENTATION AND ALL OF THAT.
I THINK THIS PROPOSAL THAT'S ON THE TABLE WILL ACCOMMODATE THOSE CONCERNS.
AND THE ADDITIONAL CONCERN, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE BOARD TO THINK I'M JUST SOLELY INTERESTED IN THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, THAT THE BLACK COMMUNITY HAVE REPRESENTATION.
AND ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION I'VE GOTTEN FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOLKS, IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD FOR AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN OR HISPANIC GETTING ELECTED TO THE COUNTY COMMISSION AFTER THE CENSUS COME OUT FORMALLY AND THE DISTRICTS ARE REDRAWN.
I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO DROP DOWN TO LIKE 33%.
PITIFUL NUMBERS, YOU KNOW.
AND THIS PROPOSAL AS WELL WILL ACCOMMODATE THAT CONCERN.
AND REPRESENTATION AND THEN MINORITY REPRESENTATION.
WE GOT TO THINK ABOUT THE GROWTH IN BRANDON AND SUN CITY AND ALL THOSE AREAS.
DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THE SAME LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION?
AND TO ADD THAT SEAT THAT ADDITIONAL DISTRICT SEAT WOULD DO THAT.
SO I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
THE CHAIR POSITION, I'VE READ THAT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DOCUMENT, LETTER TO THE EDITOR A THOUSAND TIMES.
AND REALLY I WAS DISTURBED ABOUT IT AT FIRST BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THEY WAS TAKING OUR PROPOSAL, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A SOLID PROPOSAL, AND SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE PUT TOGETHER AN ELECTED PROPOSAL FOR A MAYOR WHEN IT'S CLEAR THAT OUR PROPOSAL IS SOLELY FOR AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR.
AND I THINK THAT LETTER TO THE EDITOR THAT WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY IN THE TAMPA TRIBUNE WAS MISLEADING AND THE PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S NOT THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD PROPOSAL.
IF YOU LOOK AT ORANGE COUNTY, IF YOU LOOK AT MIAMI-DADE, IF YOU LOOK AT DUVAL, THOSE POWERS FOR THE MAYOR OF MIAMI, FOR THE CHAIR OF ORANGE, AND SOME OF THESE OTHER COUNTIES, NONE OF THAT STUFF, NONE OF THOSE POWERS IS INVOLVED IN OUR PROPOSAL.
OUR PROPOSAL IS SOLELY TAKING CARE OF THE ISSUE OF LEADERSHIP.
AND WE'VE GIVEN THAT PERSON ONE POWER.
THAT'S APPOINT BOARD MEMBERS TO AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS.
AND SO I THINK THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN CITIZENS COME UP AND SAY WE DON'T WANT A MAYOR, WELL, WE HAVEN'T PROPOSED A MAYOR.
WE HAVE JUST PROPOSED AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR FOR SOME LEADERSHIP AND FOR SOME DIRECTION FOR THIS COMMUNITY FOR THE 21st CENTURY.
AND THAT I WANT MESSAGE TO BE VERY, VERY CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S WHY I SUPPORTED IT IN COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE, IF YOU'RE FINISHED, MR. BEDKE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
>>MIKE BEDKE: ... MR. LaBOUR'S SUGGESTION, ACTUALLY, THAT WE MAYBE TAKE ON SOMETHING THAT PERHAPS IS A BIT EASIER, AND THAT'S NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
TWO OR PERHAPS EVEN THREE MEETINGS AGO, TOWARDS THE END OF ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, THAT ISSUE CAME UP AND WE WERE ABOUT READY TO TAKE A STRAW POLL AND THEN WE SAID STAY TUNED UNTIL OUR NEXT MEETING, AND THEN WE GOT BUSY WITH THINGS AND THEN WE SAID WE'LL HAVE A STRAW POLL OR A STRAW VOTE IN A MEETING OR TWO.
AND FRANKLY, I'D LIKE TO SEE US WRESTLE WITH THAT BECAUSE WE MAY VERY QUICKLY BE ABLE TO VOTE THAT UP OR DOWN.
AND I THINK IF WE GET INTO STRUCTURE -- STRUCTURAL ISSUES, WHICH WE NEED TO DO, WE WILL ALL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT TERM LIMITS AND WHETHER WE OUGHT TO OR OUGHT NOT TO HAVE AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR.
BUT NONPARTISAN, PERHAPS WE CAN KNOCK OUT OF THE WAY.
AND I'VE CONCLUDED, PERSONALLY, THAT WHILE I'M A VERY, VERY STRONG BELIEVER IN THE PARTY SYSTEM, I'M NOT SURE THERE IS ANYTHING THAT WE CAN OR SHOULD DO THAT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN VOTE THIS ISSUE UP OR DOWN.
AND I'VE CONCLUDED THAT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, I THINK WE'VE ALMOST SYSTEMICALLY PRECLUDED PEOPLE SERVING AS STATESMAN OR STATE PERSONS.
AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THE PARTIES OUGHT TO GET IN THERE AND FIGHT IT OUT.
BUT THE ISSUES I BELIEVE ARE DIFFERENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
AND I'M NOT CONVINCED THAT THERE REALLY IS A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRATIC WAY OR GREEN PARTY WAY OR ANY OTHER WAY TO FILL A POTHOLE.
AND HE THINK THAT'S WHAT OUR CITIZENS WANT.
THEY WANT THEIR STREETS TO STOP FLOODING.
THEY WANT ADEQUATE SERVICES PROVIDED AT A FAIR PRICE.
AND I'M NOT SURE THAT PARTISANSHIP REALLY FOSTERS THAT.
ALL YOU NEED TO DO, I THINK, IS SIT THROUGH A COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING AND THEN SIT THROUGH A CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AS YOU KNOW, ARE ELECTED NONPARTISAN.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE PARTISAN OFFICIALS.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT I'VE NOTICED IS THAT AT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, IT SEEMS AND MAYBE IT'S JUST MY PERCEPTION, BUT AT LEAST AS MUCH TIME IS SPENT TRYING TO MAKE A PARTICULAR PERSON OR PARTY LOOK BAD AS OPPOSED TO SOLVING PROBLEMS.
AND I THINK AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE ISSUES REALLY LEND THEMSELVES TO A NONPARTISAN SYSTEM.
I THINK IF WE ACHIEVE NO OTHER REFORM, WE OUGHT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS, AND I SUSPECT WE EACH HAVE OUR OWN VIEWS ON THAT AND CAN VOTE IT EITHER UP OR DOWN THIS EVENING.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. BEDKE, DO YOU WANT TO PUT A MOTION ON THE TABLE?
>>MIKE BEDKE:  I WOULD MOVE THAT WE HAVE -- MOVE TO NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
>> SECOND.
>>JAN SMITH:  SECOND -- MR. BALES, YOU WERE THE SECOND.
OKAY.
DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION?
>>GERALD WHITE:  I ATTENDED THE LAST HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING, AND I DIDN'T ASK THE DEC TO TAKE ANY FORMAL POSITIONS ON PARTISAN ELECTIONS, BUT I DID INFORM THEM OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE BEEN HAVING.
AND I INVITED THE CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO COME AND MAKE A PRESENTATION TO THIS GROUP RELATED TO PARTISAN ELECTIONS SPECIFICALLY DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS.
AND I'VE HEARD THE CONCERN AND I'M TRYING TO BE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS RELATED TO PARTISANSHIP IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
NOW, WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR SAY THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH IT.
WE'VE HEARD FROM A DYNAMIC COUNTY COMMISSIONER, JAN PLATT, SAY THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH PARTISANSHIP.
AND SO I WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION TO GO TO PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AN OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR CONCERN ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE CREDIBILITY OF THE TESTIMONY THAT WE HAVE HAD COME BEFORE THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD.
SO I SUPPORT THE MOTION.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
MR. HURLEY.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE MOTION BECAUSE NOW WE CAN TALK ABOUT SOMETHING REAL.
I CANNOT SUPPORT THAT, AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD DISCUSSED EARLIER AND I TALKED WITH SOME OTHER PEOPLE AND THEN MR. HUGHES MADE A PRESENTATION THIS EVENING VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT I THOUGHT THAT -- AS FAR AS THE ADMINISTERIAL POSITIONS ARE CONCERNED, SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS, SHERIFF, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH NONPARTISANSHIP.
THEY DON'T MAKE POLICY.
THERE'S A LAW THEY HAVE TO FOLLOW TO GOVERN THEIR OFFICE.
IF THEY DON'T FOLLOW THAT LAW, THE GOVERNOR CAN REMOVE THEM AND REPLACE THEM.
I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR.
SO I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THOSE BEING NONPARTISAN; HOWEVER, WE DON'T HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONALS UNDER OUR CHARTER.
I THINK IF WE WERE GOING TO DO THAT, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP IN THE FIRST MEETING AND BEEN HAMMERED BECAUSE I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE HAD A LOT -- A LOT OF ISSUES TO DISCUSS ABOUT BRINGING THEM UNDER THE CHARTER.
I BELIEVE THAT THE ONE THING THAT IS VERY CLEAR TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T READ A LOT AND ARE NOT WELL INFORMED WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO THEIR ELECTORATE.
THEY JUST DIDN'T GET INTO IT.
THE PEOPLE SITTING AROUND THIS TABLE ARE NOT TYPICAL OF THE 90% OF THE VOTERS OR 99% OF THE VOTERS.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE -- WHAT WE DO IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PARTISANSHIP, WE SAY, WELL, THEY HAVE BASIC PHILOSOPHY AND I KNOW THOSE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE BLENDED ALL THE TIME AND SOMETIMES HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REPUBLICANS AND THE DEMOCRATS, BUT THEY GET REAL CLOSE TOGETHER.
BUT I THINK WE NEED SOME BASIC PHILOSOPHY TO FOLLOW.
AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING IN HELPING TO MAKE A DECISION IF YOU DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE PEOPLE RUNNING.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOU MAKING THE MOTION AND I APPRECIATE YOU SECONDING IT AND I WILL BE VOTING NO.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I SUPPORT THE MOTION.
AND I AM OF A DIFFERENT PARTY THAN MR. BEDKE, AND HAVE BEEN A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER OF MY PARTY, POLITICAL PARTY.
BUT I ALSO HAD THE BENEFIT OF SERVING AND WORKING IN CITY GOVERNMENT, WHICH DOES HAVE A NONPARTISAN RACES.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS I DEALT WITH NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES AND COMMUNITY ISSUES, THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS GOING TO BE HANDLED IN A DEMOCRAT WAY OR A REPUBLICAN WAY.
THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW IT WAS HANDLED.
I THINK IF WE DO NOT ALLOW THE VOTERS TO ULTIMATELY MAKE THIS DECISION, THEN THE IRONY IS, THE PARTIES WILL HAVE MADE IT.
AND WHILE MR.  -- SOME OF THE SPEAKERS MIGHT BE CORRECT THAT THE PARTIES WILL SIMPLY ENERGIZE THEIR FOLKS AND GO OUT THERE AND THEY'LL VOTE AND SAY, NO, NO, WE NEED TO KEEP THIS PARTISAN, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, MORE PEOPLE ARE MOVING AWAY FROM REALLY AFFILIATING TO THEIR PARTY.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO LOCAL ISSUES.
THEY'RE TIRED OF THE PARTISAN BICKERING.
WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH FLOODING.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH WATER, AND THEY REALLY DON'T CARE WHAT PARTY SOMEONE IS.
THE OTHER OBSERVATION IS THAT IF WE REALLY WANT TO OPEN UP THE SYSTEM TO GET THE MOST VARIETY AND DIVERSE FOLKS TO RUN FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSION, THEN WE HAVE TO GET AWAY FROM THE PARTISAN ELECTIONS.
BECAUSE THAT WAY WE CAN HAVE TWO OF ONE PARTY AND ONE OF ANOTHER RUN FOR THE SAME SEAT.
AND THOSE DIVERSE IDEAS CAN BE PUT OUT THERE.
NOW WE ONLY CAN HAVE ONE OF ONE PARTY AND ONE OF THE OTHER.
SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION PROBABLY TO THE DISMAY OF MANY OF MY FELLOW PARTY FRIENDS, BUT I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT IT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY, I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE DECISION.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. BELTRAN AND THEN MR. BALLARD AND MR. BEDKE.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I CONCUR WITH MR. HURLEY.
I DISAGREE WITH THE MOTION, BECAUSE I FEEL THAT PARTY SYSTEM -- PARTISAN HAS BEEN IN THE COUNTRY SINCE DAY ONE AND PEOPLE VERY WELL ACQUAINTED WITH THE SYSTEM.
I RAN IN THE SITUATION THE SAME, AND YOU'LL BE SURPRISED.
PEOPLE STILL THINK PARTY WAY.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR AND SO ON.
PEOPLE ARE HERE TO SAY, WELL, THIS IS GOING TO HELP US AND THIS OTHER ONE ISN'T.
AND, FOR EXAMPLE, I AM THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT I DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE PARTY.
BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE DO.
AND I LIKE TO GIVE THEM A CHOICE.
THAT'S WHY I FEEL THAT I'M VERY MUCH AGAINST THAT.
>>TERRY BALLARD:  YES, I WOULD SUPPORT THIS GOING OUT TO THE VOTERS.
AND THE REASON FOR IT, THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTY ARE NONPARTISAN.
I SAT ON THE BOARD IN PLANT CITY FOR 13 YEARS, NONPARTISAN, NO PROBLEMS.
AND I'VE SEEN IT WORK, AND I'D LIKE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VOTERS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO VOTE ON IT.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  I THINK YOU CAN ALMOST SUM IT UP IN TWO WORDS.
TUNE AND TONE.
I THINK ONE OF THE MESSAGES OF THIS NATIONAL CAMPAIGN IS WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE THE TONE OF GOVERNMENT.
I BELIEVE THAT.
BUT I THINK WE DON'T JUST NEED TO CHANGE THE TONE IN WASHINGTON.
WE NEED TO CHANGE IT HERE AT HOME.
MOVING TO A NONPARTISAN BALLOT I THINK WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THE TONE.
AND THE TUNE, WELL, I THINK, UNFORTUNATELY, HALF THE TIME, HALF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM TUNE OUT BASED PURELY UPON THE PARTY LABEL OF THE PERSON SPEAKING.
AND I THINK BETTER IDEAS WILL COME ABOUT AND THEREFORE BETTER SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS FACING THIS COMMUNITY IF WE MOVE TO NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
>>JAN SMITH:  ANY OTHER COMMENT?
BOARD MEMBERS, I'M GOING TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT IT, AND -- I'M SORRY, DEE.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  THE TERM THAT IT DOES NOT TAKE A DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN OR WHATEVER ELSE TO FILL A POTHOLE SOUNDS VERY FAMILIAR.
ED TURANCHIK SAID THOSE VERY WORDS TO ME IN THE BACK OF THIS ROOM FIVE YEARS AGO.
THIS HAS COME UP AT EVERY CHARTER REVIEW BOARD SINCE I HAVE LIVED HERE.
I, TOO, WENT TO MY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING THIS WEEK TOO.
AND I MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT AS TO WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DISCUSS TONIGHT, AND I SAW SOME OF THE PEOPLE I KNEW CAME HERE TONIGHT TO SPEAK AGAINST NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
I ALSO HAD A LADY IN THAT GROUP WHO STOOD UP AFTER I MADE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT AND SAID, I HAVE BEEN ACTIVE IN POLITICS IN FLORIDA SINCE 1962.
I WAS REPUBLICAN WHEN IT WAS NOT EVEN POPULAR TO BE ONE IN FLORIDA.
AND SHE SAID IN COUNTY AFTER COUNTY, I HAVE SEEN THIS VERY THING HAPPEN, THAT WHEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY STARTS TO MOVE IN AND GET SOME ELECTED OFFICES AND START TO GET SOME POWER, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE WANT TO GO NONPARTISAN.
BUT IT SEEMED LIKE ALL THOSE YEARS WHEN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY WAS IN CONTROL, WE DIDN'T HEAR THIS MUCH BLABBER ABOUT IT.
FIRST THING, THERE'S NOT SUCH THING AS NONPARTISAN.
EVERYBODY HAS A POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY.
AND IF THEY COME TO ME AN WANT ME TO SUPPORT THEM IN AN ELECTION, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS.
AND I THINK THE VOTER HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS.
AND EVEN IF YOU HAVE NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS, THEY FIND OUT WHAT YOU ARE.
THEY BROADCAST IT.
I REMEMBER WHEN KEN ANTHONY RAN FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
KEN IS A REPUBLICAN.
THEY PUT OUT AN 8.5 BY 11 SHEET OF PAPER, HE'S A REPUBLICAN, LIKE HE HAD SOME KIND OF DISEASE.
SO THIS IS A MISNOMER.
I DON'T CARE HOW YOU PUT IT AND I CAN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WELL, THE ONLY THING RELATED TO THAT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT APPOINTED THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD AT THE TIME WAS MAJORITY DEMOCRAT.
AND I WILL SAY THAT THE MAJORITY -- THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD ARE REGISTERED REPUBLICAN.
YES, IT IS.
AND SO -- BEG YOUR PARDON?
>> DID YOU GO AND CHECK?
>>GERALD WHITE:  I'M LIKE THE MAYOR.
I DO A LITTLE CHECKING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT TO EVEN THE PLAYING FIELD RELATED TO THOSE REMARKS.
AND I DID POLL THE DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT WASN'T A FORMAL VOTE, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY, BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO THAT DIRECTION AS WELL, I WILL SAY, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO THAT DIRECTION AS WELL.
BUT I'M WILLING TO GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I HAVEN'T MADE A FINAL DECISION ON IT, BUT I AM WILLING TO GIVE THE PUBLIC A VOICE ON THIS ISSUE.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  MADAM CHAIR, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT THE CITIZENS SHOULD MAKE THIS DECISION.
SO AFTER YOUR COMMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE QUESTION.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
MY COMMENT IS THAT 1991, I SERVED ON A CHARTER REVIEW BOARD, AND AT THAT TIME, I THINK THE ONLY REPUBLICAN ON THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WAS JIM SELVY, WHICH MEANT THAT THE REST OF THEM WERE DEMOCRATS OR NONPARTISAN AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE DEMOCRATS.
THAT CHARTER REVIEW BOARD THAT YEAR INITIALLY VOTED 13 TO 1 TO HAVE NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
THE ONLY REASON IT CHANGED AND IT CHANGED DRASTICALLY AT THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE THE HEADS OF THE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES CAME DOWN AND MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THEY WOULD OBJECT TO ANY OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WERE BEING PUT ON BY THAT CHARTER REVIEW BOARD IF THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE.
AND SO IT WAS IMMEDIATELY VOTED -- TURNED AROUND TO BE 13 TO 1 THE OTHER WAY.
SO THAT IS AN ISSUE TO ME THAT WHEN THE BOARD WAS MOSTLY DEMOCRAT, THERE WAS STILL A DISCUSSION OF HAVING NONPARTISAN.
ALSO, FROM MY EXPERIENCE IN WORKING IN VARIOUS CAMPAIGNS, THE FILING FEE THAT IS PAID TO RUN FOR OFFICE AS A MEMBER OF A POLITICAL PARTY, I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME IT'S ABOUT -- IT MIGHT BE THREE AND FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER PRECISELY WHAT IT IS.
BUT I HAVE -- I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE TIME THAT I'VE SEEN ANY OF THOSE POLITICAL PARTIES GIVE MONEY BACK TO LOCAL PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE.
THE MONEY THAT YOU PAY TO RUN AS A COUNTY COMMISSIONER TO PAY THAT FILING FEE ALMOST TOTALLY GOES TO STATE AND NATIONAL OFFICERS.
SO THE MONEY THAT IS COLLECTED ON THE BASIS OF RUNNING FOR THAT OFFICE ISN'T EVEN SPENT BY THE PARTIES ON THOSE LOCAL OFFICES.
SO, IN FACT, AS A REPUBLICAN, WHO HAS WATCHED THE REPUBLICANS BECOME A MORE POWERFUL FORCE IN THIS COMMUNITY, I WOULD SAY THAT I THINK THERE PROBABLY USED TO BE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS IN DEMOCRATIC COATS ON THE BOARD BECAUSE I KNOW A FEW PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY REPUBLICANS THAT ARE REGISTERED DEMOCRAT AND PROBABLY VICE VERSA.
SO IN MY OPINION, I PERSONALLY WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE IT TO PUBLIC HEARING, WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE PUBLIC COMMENT, AND I ULTIMATELY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTY THE RIGHT TO VOTE ON IT.
AND PART OF THE REASON I FEEL SO STRONGLY ABOUT IT IS BECAUSE I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE OVER THE LAST THREE TIMES THAT I'VE SERVED ON THIS BOARD, AND PEOPLE TELL ME TIME AND TIME AGAIN, THEY DON'T LIKE THE ANGER.
THEY DON'T LIKE THE ADVERSARIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THESE MONIKERS, THESE TAGS GIVE TO PEOPLE.
AND SO THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO SEE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT REGISTER NONPARTISAN RUN.
BUT THERE IS ALSO -- AND I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE HEARD, DON'T KNOW IT BECAUSE I'VE NEVER RUN FOR OFFICE, BUT IT IS HARD TO RAISE MONEY IF YOU'RE NOT PARTY AFFILIATED.
SO THERE'S PROBABLY A CATCH-22 THERE, BUT I WILL SUPPORT THE MOTION.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER COMMENT --
>>GERALD WHITE:  I DO HAVE ONE CONCERN THAT JUST COME TO MY MIND.
>>JAN SMITH:  EXCUSE ME.
SHE HAD CALLED THE QUESTION.
I HAVE TO -- SO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE CALL OF THE QUESTION.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO CALL THE QUESTION SAY AYE.
ALL OPPOSED SAY NAY.
ALL RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO ROLL CALL THAT ONE, PLEASE.
>>JOHN BALES:  NAY.
>>TERRY BALLARD:  AYE.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  NAY IN THE TIME IT'S GOING TO TAKE US TO VOTE ON THIS, WE COULD HAVE LISTENED TO JERALD.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  NO.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  AYE.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  NAY.
>>DENISE LASHER:  AYE.
>>JAN SMITH:  NO.
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  YES.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  YES.
>>GERALD WHITE:  NAY.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  NO.
>>RECORDING SECRETARY:  THE MOTION FAILS FIVE TO SEVEN.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE.
THE ONLY REASON WE HAD TO DO THAT WAS PROCESS.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I PULLED ORANGE COUNTY'S CHARTER AND THIS WAS PUT INTO THEIR CHARTER IN 1992 RELATED TO NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS.
BEFORE WE VOTE ON NONPARTISANSHIP, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE ELIMINATING THE PRIMARY PROCESS OR YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU WANT TO HAVE ELECTIONS TO HAVE ONE ELECTION AND THEN HAVE THE -- IF THERE WAS A RUNOFF, TO HAVE THAT DURING THE GENERAL ELECTION.
I THINK THE BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NONPARTISANSHIP, HOW IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE ELECTION PROCESS.
>>JAN SMITH:  YOU LIMB NATE ONE RUNOFF, BASICALLY.
>>GERALD WHITE:  IF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY COULD RESPOND TO THAT.
>>COUNTY ATTORNEY:  I BELIEVE GENERALLY YOU HAVE YOUR PRIMARY AND THE RUNOFF IS IN NOVEMBER.
IT MAY BE DIFFERENT FOR JUDICIAL OFFICES OR SOME OTHER KIND OF OFFICES BY STATUTE.
BUT I BELIEVE THAT'S -- I'D HAVE TO REALLY GO AND RESEARCH THAT.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND IT IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY ELECTIONS ARE HELD IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
>>JAN SMITH:  AND RUNOFF ELECTION DO COST A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY.
SOMETIMES THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON.
MR. BALES AND THEN MS. LASHER.
>>JOHN BALES:  ONE GENERAL STATEMENT, I ALWAYS ERR ON THE SIDE OF LETTING PEOPLE SPEAK, AND I HOPE WE DO THAT IN THE FUTURE INSTEAD OF TRYING TO CALL THE QUESTION ON PEOPLE.
ON THIS IDEA OF NONPARTISANSHIP, I DISAGREE WITH SOME OF MY FELLOW MEMBERS THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT PARTY THEY'RE FROM BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO VOTE FOR THE PERSON'S IDEAS AND NOT BE A LABEL.
I HOPE SOME PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.
I DON'T CARE IF SOMEBODY IS DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN OR GREEN PARTY OR ANY OTHER PARTY, IF THEIR IDEAS ARE GOOD AND THEY WILL SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL, THEN I'LL VOTE FOR THEM AND I HOPE WE ALL DO THAT.
THE OTHER ONE IS, THAT'S TRUE.
BY HAVING NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS, ARE WE GOING TO ELIMINATE THE PARTY SYSTEM?
NO.
ARE WE GOING TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, NO.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO DE-EMPHASIZE IT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DE-EMPHASIZE IT SO THAT WE CAN GET TO THE ISSUES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY THIS COMMISSION.
SO I'M IN FAVOR OF IT.
>>DENISE LASHER:  JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
THE REGISTERED VOTER MAKEUP, THE LARGEST SECTOR THAT'S GROWING IS THAT SECTOR THAT'S UNAFFILIATED OR NONPARTY DESIGNATED THAT MAY BE DUE TO MOTOR VOTER AND HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE ACTUALLY VOTE.
THAT COULD BE ONE REASON WHY WE'RE SEEING A DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE GOING TO VOTE BECAUSE OF -- YOU KNOW, THEIR REGISTERING, GETTING REGISTERED WHEN THEY GET THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE.
BUT UNAFFILIATED IS THE LARGEST GROWING PERCENT OF VOTERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
BUT I DO THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON IN THE POSITION AND NOT THE PARTY.
I JUST FEEL -- I DON'T THINK THAT COMMISSIONERS ARE VOTING ALONG PARTY LINES.
I SEE DEMOCRATS VOTING FOR MOTIONS THAT ARE MADE BY REPUBLICANS AND VICE VERSA.
SO I DON'T SEE THIS PARTISANSHIP THAT SOME PEOPLE SEE ON OUR COUNTY COMMISSION.
I THINK A GOOD COMMISSIONER WILL BUILD COALITIONS AND CONSENSUS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
REGARDING THE FILING FEES, THAT HAS CHANGED WITH THE CONSTITUTION REVISION THAT WAS MADE AT THE LAST ELECTION.
SO THAT YOU CAN, THROUGH BALLOT INITIATIVE OR GETTING PETITIONS, PETITION INITIATIVES, YOU DON'T HAVE TO -- IF YOU GET A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF SIGNATURES AND THAT PERCENTAGE NOW IS MUCH LOWER THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN.
IT'S A VERY SMALL NUMBER THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY A FILING FEE.
SO PARTIES THIS YEAR SAW LOT LESS INCOME FROM FILING FEES THAN IN PRIOR YEARS.
SO THAT ISSUE I DON'T THINK IS AS BIG OF AN ISSUE NOW HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
I HAVE AN OPINION REGARDING PARTISAN VERSUS NONPARTISAN.
I'M IN FAVOR OF KEEPING IT THE WAY IT IS.
BUT I'M ALSO IN FAVOR OF HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.
AND I WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ON THIS.
THOUGH I PERSONALLY, AT THIS TIME, SUPPORT KEEPING OUR COUNTY COMMISSION ELECTIONS PARTISAN, I STILL WANT TO OPEN THAT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND PERHAPS AFTER HEARING FROM THEM, I MAY CHANGE MY MIND.
I'M NOT SURE.
>>JAN SMITH:  THE MOTION ON THE TABLE IS TO SUPPORT A RECOMMENDATION TO CHANGE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY'S ELECTION PROCESS FOR THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS FROM PARTISAN TO NONPARTISAN.
I'D LIKE TO DO THIS BY ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
>>JOHN BALES:  IN FAVOR OF.
>>TERRY BALLARD:  YES.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  YES.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  NO.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  NO.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  YES.
>>DENISE LASHER:  YES.
>>JAN SMITH:  YES.
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  YES.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  YES.
>>GERALD WHITE:  YES.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  NO.
>>RECORDING SECRETARY:  MOTION CARRIES EIGHT TO THREE.
>>JAN SMITH:  IS IT 12 TO 3?
9 TO 3?
>>RECORDING SECRETARY:  YES, I'M SORRY.
9 TO 3.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
OKAY.
BOARD MEMBERS, WITH THAT IN FRONT OF US, THEN I THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO APPOINT A COMMITTEE TO WORK ON WRITING A RESOLUTION AND DRAFTING LANGUAGE THAT WE WOULD TAKE TO PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MR. BEDKE, YOU MADE THE MOTION.
DID YOU CHAIR THE LAST COMMITTEE OR DID KEVIN AMBLER?
>>MIKE BEDKE:  ACTUALLY THE LAST ONE WAS CHAIRED --
>>JAN SMITH:  I'M SORRY.
I MEANT THE AUDITOR.
I APOLOGIZE.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  IT WAS KIND OF CO-CHAIRED.
>>JAN SMITH:  SUGGEST THAT, MR. BALES, YOU CHAIR THE COMMITTEE, IF THAT'S OKAY.
>>JOHN BALES:  I'D --
>>JAN SMITH:  IS THERE A VOLUNTEER?
>> [ INAUDIBLE ]
>>JAN SMITH:  WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE?
>> GIVE BE THE NATURE OF THE QUESTION, I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER IF COULD I HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE OPPOSITE PARTY WORK WITH ME ON THAT.
>>JAN SMITH:  I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE A COMMITTEE TO GET THROUGH THE RESOLUTION AND WORK WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY TO WRITE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I WILL VOLUNTEER TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE, MADAM CHAIR.
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  I'LL SERVE.
>>JAN SMITH:  MARY LOU TUTTLE, THE FOUR OF YOU OVER THERE.
HOW'S THAT?
>>MARY LOU TUTTLE:  HE DIDN'T WANT TO.
>>JAN SMITH:  THEN WE'LL LEAVE IT WITH THE THREE MEMBERS.
THREE WILL BE SMALLER.
>> NOT REALLY.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. LaBOUR, IF YOU WOULD SERVE AS CHAIR, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT SO YOU COULD PUSH IT THROUGH.
AND ANY MEMBER OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MAY ATTEND.
THE MEETINGS MUST BE PUBLICLY NOTICED.
THE MEETINGS WILL BE TAPE-RECORDED.
AND SO THE THREE OF YOU WILL GET TOGETHER WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY INDIVIDUALLY WITH YOUR SCHEDULES SO THAT YOU CAN WORK IT OUT.
MS. MERRITT AND MARY HELEN CAMPBELL OR KEN TINKLER WILL BE WORKING WITH YOU.
>> I JUST HAVE ONE REQUEST, BEFORE WE TAKE IT TO PUBLIC HEARING, CAN WE DECIDE IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS WE WANT TO TAKE TO PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME?
>>JAN SMITH:  YES.
CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT OTHERWISE.
>> I WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MEETING, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS ON THE ELECTION TIMES, GENERALLY WHAT YOU HAVE IS THE FIRST ELECTIONS WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR FIRST PRIMARY THERE AND THE RUNOFF IS NORMALLY WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR GENERAL ELECTION.
THAT WAY YOU GOT THE MOST VOTERS AT BOTH THERE.
THAT'S MY ONLY COMMENT.
THANK YOU.
>>JAN SMITH:  AND I AM CURIOUS, MS. LASHER, I KNOW IN THE PAST AND AS LONG AS I'VE VOTED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT THERE HAS BEEN THE ABILITY OF PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO RUN THROUGH THE PETITION PROCESS.
WHAT IS THE AMOUNT THAT HAS CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY THAT CHANGES THAT?
>>DENISE LASHER:  THE PERCENT, AND I'M NOT SURE.
I THINK IT'S LIKE 1%.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. MERRITT, CAN YOU GET THAT PERCENTAGE FOR US?
THANKS.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT.
>>DENISE LASHER:  IT'S CHANGED SIGNIFICANTLY.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU RAN COUNTYWIDE, IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT.
AND THIS YEAR YOU FOUND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE RUNNING COUNTYWIDE THAT QUALIFIED BY PETITION AND DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY THE FILING FEE.
>>JAN SMITH:  YOU MIGHT ALSO, MS. MERRITT, WHEN YOU LOOK INTO THAT FIND OUT IF THAT PETITION CHANGES, THE RECALL PETITION NUMBERS ALSO.
THANK YOU.
MR. HURLEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT ON OPEN PRIMARIES TOO.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO TERM LIMITS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING AS WELL CAN GO TO COMMITTEE AND HAVE THE COMMITTEE DRAFT TWO PROPOSALS, ONE WITH THE EXISTING COUNTY COMMISSION STRUCTURE WE HAVE IN PLACE NOW AND ONE WITH THE PROPOSAL THAT'S ON THE TABLE BECAUSE I AM CONCERNED IF YOU RECALL, I GAVE YOU ALL A NEWS ARTICLE RELATED WHEN DOTTIE BERGER HAD SERVED IN A DISTRICT SEAT AND THEN SHE QUALIFIED AND RAN FOR A COUNTYWIDE SEAT.
SO SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN -- IF SHE HAD GOTTEN ELECTED, SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SERVE A TOTAL OF 12 YEARS.
AND AN ADDITIONAL CONCERN RELATED TO TERM LIMITS IS THAT YOU HAVE THE TWO-YEAR TERM.
AND SO YOU HAVE SOME COMMISSIONERS THAT SERVE EIGHT YEARS AND SOME COMMISSIONERS THAT SERVE TEN YEARS.
I WOULD LIKE TO ELIMINATE THE TWO YEAR TERM AND HAVE COMMISSIONERS SERVE ONLY A TOTAL OF EIGHT YEARS.
AND SO WHAT WILL RESULT FROM THAT IS ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WILL BE ON THE BALLOT AT THE SAME TIME.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT DONE AS WELL TO HAVE ALL COMMISSIONERS COME UP FOR REELECTION AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE CITY OF TAMPA, ALL OF THEIR CITY COUNCILMEN ON THE BALLOT AND THE MAYOR AT THE SAME TIME.
THE REASON I RAISE THAT CONCERN, THIS PAST ELECTION, YOU HAD SITTING COMMISSIONERS ENGAGING IN CAMPAIGNS WHILE THE OTHER COMMISSIONER IS RUNNING.
AND I THINK IT'S JUST -- I JUST THINK IT'S NOT FAIR.
IT'S AMERICAN POLITICS, BUT I STILL THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO HAVE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SITTING ON THE BOARD RUNNING FOR REELECTION AND COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE NOT UP FOR REELECTION OUT THERE CAMPAIGNING AGAINST THOSE COMMISSIONERS.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION THAT CREATES PROBLEMS, CONFUSION, AND FRUSTRATION AND THE BOARD MEMBERS NOT GETTING ALONG.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE MOST PROTECTED FREE SPEECH THAT THE CONSTITUTION MENTIONS IS POLITICAL FREE SPEECH.
SO I DON'T THINK I WANT TO GET INTO ANYTHING WHERE I SAY YOU CAN'T CAMPAIGN FOR SOMEBODY.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MR. LaBOUR HAS BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR SOMEONE I'VE NOT BEEN CAMPAIGNING FOR BECAUSE I GOT AN INVITATION TO THE FUND-RAISER WHERE HE WAS ONE OF THE COHOSTS.
AND I'M NOT OFFENDED BY THAT, NOT AT ALL.
THAT'S THE PROCESS.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PROCESS.
MR. LaBOUR PROBABLY IS NOT -- WELL, MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE ONE WHO PUT MY NAME ON THE LIST.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM.
>> [ INAUDIBLE ]
>>DAVID HURLEY:  DIDN'T WANT TO MEET YOUR PARTY.
I DIDN'T COME.
WITH REGARD TO TERM LIMITS, IT'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO HEAR ALL THAT.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TERM LIMITS IN THE UNITED STATES, EVER SINCE THE CONSTITUTION WAS WRITTEN.
IF YOU GO THROUGH ARTICLES ONE THROUGH THREE, YOU'LL FIND THEY HAD TERM LIMITS.
THEY CALLED THEM ELECTIONS.
AND THEY STILL HAVE THOSE THINGS THEY COME UP EVERY FOUR YEARS, EVERY TWO YEARS FOR SOME PEOPLE.
AND THAT IS TERM LIMIT.
AND THE VOTERS SHOULD GET OUT THERE AND HAVE THOSE TERM LIMITS.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE THE TERM LIMITS NOW AND ACTUALLY, EVEN THOUGH I'M PHILOSOPHICALLY OPPOSED TO TERM LIMITS, I AM ALSO PHILOSOPHICALLY OPPOSED TO THE WAY THE CITY COUNCIL PUT IT ON THE BALLOT.
SO I'M GOING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING THE TERM LIMITS, EVEN THOUGH I VOTED AGAINST IT ON THE LAST THING.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE TERM LIMITS THAT WE HAVE.
THE FACT THAT DOTTIE BERGER COULD HAVE SERVED FOR 12 YEARS, WELL, SHE DIDN'T, FOR ONE THING.
NUMBER TWO, IF COMMISSIONER PLATT GETS REELECTED SHE'LL HAVE SERVED ON THE COMMISSION FOR 24 YEARS.
HOW MANY COMPLAINTS HAVE WE HAD FROM THAT?
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IS IT THIS SIDE OR THAT SIDE?
AND I THINK THAT THE COUNTY COMMISSION, IF YOU CAN RUN FOR A DISTRICT SEAT AND THEN SWITCH TO AN AT-LARGE SEAT, VICE VERSA, I DON'T SEE THAT AS A MAJOR PROBLEM.
YOU HAVE A TOTAL OF 16 YEARS.
IF YOU GET ELECTED FOR THAT FINE.
ELLSWORTH SIMMONS SERVED FOR 21 YEARS, 17 YEARS AS CHAIR.
SO I'M NOT REAL EXCITED ABOUT THE TERM LIMITS.
>>JAN SMITH:  ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS EVENING THAT MIGHT HELP US TO GET CLOSER TO WHERE WE ULTIMATELY WANT TO BE AND THAT'S FINISHED, IS -- EXCUSE ME, PLEASE, MR. WHITE.
I THINK WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE ISSUE OF WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO EXPAND THE BOARD TO NINE MEMBERS.
AND I THINK IN DOING THAT, YOU MIGHT COME TO SOME THOUGHT ON HOW YOU FEEL OF AN ELECTED EXECUTIVE.
AND I THINK IT MIGHT ALSO THEN LEAD YOU TO A DECISION ON TERM LIMITS BASED ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU DECIDE TO ADD INTO EITHER STRUCTURE THE CHAIRMAN.
MR. BALLARD.
>>TERRY BALLARD:  YES, FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE AN OPPOSITE VIEW OF MR. WHITE REGARDING -- YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY COME UP FOR ELECTION AT THE SAME YEAR.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE STAGGERED FOR THE EXPERIENCE AND THE CONTINUITY AND IT SAVES A LOT OF TURMOIL.
THE SECOND THING IS ON THE NUMBER OF COMMISSIONERS.
I'VE SAID BEFORE I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT AT SEVEN.
MOST OF WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT I THINK THAT THE PUBLIC WAS SAYING KEEP IT AT SEVEN.
PICKED UP ONE OR TWO MAYBE EXPAND IT.
BUT THAT'S THE WAY I INTERPRETED TONIGHT.
I MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  WELL, FROM WHAT I HEARD TONIGHT AND PREVIOUS NIGHT, EVERYBODY IS IN FAVOR TO KEEP WHAT WE HAVE.
AND WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE BECAUSE I THINK WE SAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO THE COUNTY, PLUS IF THEY WORK THEMSELVES TO WHERE THEY CAN PRODUCE AND GET ALONG WITH THEMSELVES, I THINK WE CAN HAVE A GOOD GOVERNMENT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD ADD MORE.
WE SHOULD KEEP WHAT WE HAVE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE CHANGES THAT WE CONSIDER THE ONE WE ALREADY HAVE.
INSTEAD OF BRINGING THESE CHANGES.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  I WANTED TO -- GERALD MENTIONED THE TWO YEARS.
I THINK THE REASON THAT TWO-YEAR TERM IS THERE IS IT TIES IN WITH THE CENSUS, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PEOPLE IN SOME OF THE DISTRICTS COMING UP, AND RONDA STORMS COMES TO MIND, IS THAT DISTRICT WILL CHANGE IN 2002.
BECAUSE OF THE MAKEUP OF IT AND SOME OF THE OTHERS --
>>JAN SMITH:  ALL SINGLE MEMBERS.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  BECAUSE OF THE MAKEUP OF IT, THEY'LL BE SERVING TWO-YEAR TERMS.
>>GERALD WHITE:  THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT TIME TO CHANGE IT.
IF MY MEMORY SERVE ME CORRECTLY, THE NEXT ELECTION, ALL THE COMMISSIONERS WILL BE ON THE BALLOT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. WHITE --
>>GERALD WHITE:  I APOLOGIZE FOR SPEAKING OUT OF TURN.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. LaBOUR HAD HIS HAND UP.
FINISH YOUR COMMENTS AND THEN --
>>GERALD WHITE:  I THOUGHT -- THE REASON I'M RESPONDING TO WHEN A BOARD MEMBER RESPOND BECAUSE LAST MEETING, MR. LaBOUR AND MS. WALDRON ENGAGE IN A DIRECT CONVERSATION AND YOU ALLOWED IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  THAT'S BECAUSE WE SET THE MEETING -- PLEASE FINISH YOUR COMMENTS AND THEN MR. LaBOUR.
>>GERALD WHITE:  YOU DID ALLOW THAT.
AND YOU DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO INTERRUPT THAT.
>>JAN SMITH:  ARE YOU FINISHED?
>>GERALD WHITE:  NOW, I AM.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU.
MR. LaBOUR.
WAIT A MINUTE, WERE YOU FINISHED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  WELL, NO, BECAUSE ALL PEOPLE WILL NOT BE UP FOR REELECTION IN 2002 BECAUSE THE AT-LARGE CANDIDATES, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THEM.
SO, OKAY, MS. PLATT, FOR EXAMPLE, OR WHOEVER GETS ELECTED TO DISTRICT 6 THIS TIME, THEY WON'T BE ON THE BALLOT IN 2002, YOUR AT-LARGE CANDIDATES WHO ARE RUNNING COUNTYWIDE.
THE CENSUS DOESN'T AFFECT THEM.
>>COUNTY ATTORNEY:  THE WAY THE STAGGERED TERMS WORKED OUT, IN 2002, EVERY SEAT IS UP EXCEPT FOR DISTRICT 6.
IT JUST HAPPENS THAT THE TWO AT LARGE HIT IN 2002.
AND YOU'RE CORRECT, BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS AND REQUIREMENT FOR REDISTRICTING, THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE SINGLE MEMBER SERVING TWO YEARS, FOUR YEARS AND FOUR YEARS STAGGERED SO THAT YOU DON'T GET ELECTED BY PEOPLE AND THEN THE DISTRICT CHANGE AND THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED YOU ARE NO LONGER IN YOUR DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT WAS SET UP IN THAT MANNER.
>>JAN SMITH:  MS. WILLIAMS, DID YOU HAVE OTHER COMMENTS?
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  NO, THAT'S FINE.
THAT ACCOUNTED FOR THE TEN-YEAR TERMS.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  THE CHALLENGE I PERSONALLY HAVE ABOUT STRUCTURE IS THAT -- AND I'M JUST WRESTLING WITH IT, IS IF WE'RE GOING TO GO TOWARDS HAVING ELECTED CHAIR, THEN I'M MORE IN FAVOR OF DOING NINE.
IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO ELECTED CHAIR, THEN I BELIEVE WE CAN LOOK AT THE SEVEN.
FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I STRUGGLE WITH IS FOR ME IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS, WELL, DO YOU WANT TO EXPAND OR NOT.
IF WE REALLY DO WANT AN ELECTED CHAIR, PERSONALLY I'D HAVE TO SAY YES, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND TO NINE.
IF WE'RE NOT DOING THAT, THEN I THINK WE COULD ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING WITH SEVEN.
MAYBE -- INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, MAYBE FUNDAMENTALLY -- IT'S INTERESTING, IF YOU REMEMBER BACK AT THE FIRST COUPLE OF MEETINGS WE HAD, WE HAD THAT WONDERFUL VOICE ABOVE US THAT WAS STILL ECHOING FROM THE STATE LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION SAYING EITHER THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD DOES SOMETHING OR WE'RE GOING TO DO IT FOR THEM.
AND IT'S INTERESTING THAT NOT ONCE HAVE WE HEARD STRONG ADVOCACY FOR A STRONG MAYOR.
AND ALL THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT AT THE VERY LEAST OF EXPANDING AS FAR AS POWER TO ANY ONE PARTICULAR PERSON ON THE COUNTY COMMISSION IS A CHAIR.
AND UNDER WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING, IT'S NOT A SEPARATE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
IT IS A PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.
SO THE CHAIR, FOR INSTANCE, COULDN'T MAKE DECISIONS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITHOUT THE PUBLIC KNOW BEING IT.
COULDN'T STRONG ARM COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
IT WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED.
IF THE MAYOR -- THE MAYOR OF TAMPA CAN CALL ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IN AT A TIME AND STRONG ARM THEM.
HE JUST CAN'T CALL TWO OF THEM AT THE SAME TIME.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE ADVOCATING.
I WOULD ALMOST LIKE TO START WITH A VOTE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THAT WE ACTUALLY MAKE A MOTION AND SAY WE ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF A STRONG MAYOR.
AND I THINK GET THAT OFF THE TABLE.
SO NO ONE HAS ANY KIND OF -- I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE NOT CONTEMPLATE ANY KIND OF STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS FOR A STRONG MAYOR FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE COUNTY.
>> SECOND.
>>JAN SMITH:  IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION?
THERE'S A MOTION ON THE TABLE BY MR. LaBOUR, SECOND BY MR. HURLEY THAT THIS BOARD NOT CONSIDER STRONG MAYOR.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THAT MOTION SAY AYE.
ANYONE OPPOSED, SAME SIGN.
>> NAY.
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  I CAN'T BELIEVE -- WE SETTLED TWO ISSUES ALREADY.
THANK YOU FOR THE BOARD INDULGING ME.
>>JAN SMITH:  WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUT ANOTHER --
>> CAN YOU WHITTLE IT DOWN A LITTLE MORE?
>> JUST KEEP GOING, STEVE.
WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. HURLEY, THEN MR. BALES.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  I THINK -- I APPRECIATE THE MEMO I THINK EVERYBODY GOT THAT STEVE WROTE.
HE KIND OF LOOKED AT SOME DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, AND THE WORD I KEEP HEARING ABOUT THE ELECTED CHAIR IS POWER.
STEVE POINTED OUT OR MR. LaBOUR WAS TALKING ABOUT AN ELECTED CHAIR THAT'S STILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS LEADERSHIP.
AND IF HE'S A STRONG ENOUGH LEADER, HE CAN ATTAIN POWER, BUT IT WILL TAKE HIS LEADERSHIP ABILITIES TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HAVING THE ELECTED LEADERSHIP, BUT I DO THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY, FROM SOUTH COUNTY TO LUTZ, SENATOR HARGRETT AND RUDY BRADLEY WERE HERE.
WE HAD SEVERAL FROM ALL OVER THAT HAVE TALKED ABOUT GETTING BETTER REPRESENTATION.
MIKE CARDUCCI AND HIS GROUP HAS BEEN HERE SEVERAL TIMES.
AND THE REPRESENTATION IS THE ISSUE.
THAT SEEMS TO COME THROUGH ALL OF IT.
AND I THINK YOU CAN ONLY ACCOMPLISH THAT WITH SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
I DON'T THINK -- HOWEVER WE APPORTION AT-LARGE DISTRICTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH THE REPRESENTATION AT A LEVEL THAT IS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO ACCEPTABLE.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE WAY OUR COUNTY COMMISSION IS SET UP, IF WE'RE AT A MILLION POPULATION, EACH ONE OF THEM IS REPRESENTING A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE THAT ARE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
THAT WOULD BE LIKE ONE COMMISSIONER FOR TEN PLANT CITIES, 15 TEMPLE TERRACES, OR SIX COMBINED PLANT CITIES AND TEMPLE TERRACES.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR ONE PERSON TO SAY THEY'RE ADEQUATELY REPRESENTING.
EVEN IF WE WENT DOWN TO EIGHT SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS LIKE WHAT MY PROPOSAL WAS, THAT'S 125,000, THAT'S FIVE PLANT CITIES, AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
DO YOU KNOW?
FIVE ON THE CITY COUNCIL IN PLANT CITY.
BUT EVEN IF THEY CUT IT IN HALF, THAT'S FIVE TIMES THE POPULATION OF PLANT CITY.
SO IT'S 25 TIMES THE POPULATION THAT ONE COUNCILMAN IS REPRESENTING IN PLANT CITY.
IT'S A PHENOMENAL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE, AND I COULD GO WITH THE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS WITHOUT GIVING ME A LOT OF HEARTBURN OR SIX SINGLE MEMBER AND ELECTED CHAIR WOULDN'T GIVE ME A LOT OF HEARTBURN.
I THINK WHETHER IT EXPANDS OR NOT, I'M BASICALLY LOOKING AT THE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AS THE KEY TO REPRESENTATION.
BECAUSE REPRESENTATION AND LEADERSHIP ARE THE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND I DON'T THINK -- I MEAN, I'VE HEARD EVERYBODY TALK -- I HEARD A FEW PEOPLE SAY I REALLY LIKE VOTING FOR A MAJORITY AND I GUESS THAT'S WONDERFUL, BUT I'M GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO VOTE FOR 218 U.S. REPRESENTATIVES SO I CAN VOTE FOR A MAJORITY OF THE HOUSE.
I THINK THAT WE'RE -- I THINK THAT'S AN -- IT'S ONE OF THOSE FEEL-GOOD AND SOUNDS-GOOD, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY ACCOMPLISH A LOT.
>>JAN SMITH:  THANK YOU, MR. HURLEY.
MR. BALES.
>>JOHN BALES:  I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT ON MY VOTE.
THE REASON FOR MY VOTE --
>> YOU DON'T NEED TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME.
>>JOHN BALES:  I WANT TO EXPLAIN IT.
IT'S A PROCEDURAL VOTE.
AS I SIT HERE TODAY, I SAID I DON'T CARE IF YOUR A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, I'M LISTENING TO YOUR IDEAS.
I DON'T KNOW -- WELL, I HAVE A FEELING MANY OF YOU -- REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, THAT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE MADE SURE I KNOW.
BUT I DON'T CARE.
I'M INTERESTED IN YOUR IDEAS.
AND ANOTHER THING I'M AGAINST, I'M NOT IN FAVOR, EXCEPT VERY EXTREME CASES OF CALLING THE QUESTION.
QUITE FRANKLY, EACH OF YOU IN YOUR OWN WAY HAS INFLUENCED MY DECISIONS IN EACH VOTE.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID HERE.
NOT ALWAYS AGREEING WITH EVERYTHING THEY'VE SAID, BUT THEY'VE SAID THINGS THAT HAVE AFFECTED ME.
SO I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF CUTTING PEOPLE OFF.
ANOTHER THING I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF, LET'S NOT START VOTING -- I KNOW IT WAS MEANT FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT, LET'S NOT VOTE ON THINGS WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO.
WE'RE A POSITIVE BOARD, LET'S VOTE ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, NOT WHAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO.
AND THAT'S THE REASON I VOTED NEGATIVELY JUST TO SAY LET'S NOT START THAT.
LET'S VOTE ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
SO LET'S MAKE IT A POSITIVE MOTION.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT.
WITH THAT SAID, I WISH WE WOULD FOCUS ON THE ISSUE OF THE CHAIR NOT STRONG MAYOR, THE CHAIR, BECAUSE I WOULDN'T SUPPORT THAT EITHER, BUT THE CHAIR, AND LET'S START WITH THAT BECAUSE I THEY'RE BOUNCING AROUND.
AND LET'S GET RIGHT TO THE MEAT OF IT.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LEADERSHIP.
YES, THAT COMES TO BE A PART OF IT.
THAT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON, BUT I'M LOOKING FOR THE VISION.
AND I'M LOOKING FOR A POINT PERSON THAT WE CAN HAVE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK TO A CERTAIN EXTENT.
I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN OVERPOWERING PERSON TO CONTROL ALL.
I'M LOOKING FOR A VISION, AND I'M LOOKING FOR A POINT PERSON.
AND I WISH WE'D GET TO THAT ISSUE AT SOME POINT.
>>JAN SMITH:  LET ME THROW SOMETHING OUT ON THE TABLE THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT, BECAUSE -- AND I HAVE IN THE PAST SUGGESTED THAT I LIKED HAVING THE ABILITY TO VOTE FOR A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD.
I MAY NOT -- I MAY VOTE FOR A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD.
I MAY NOT ALWAYS GET THE MAJORITY THAT I VOTE FOR.
SO SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT AS WONDERFUL AS IT SOUNDS.
I LIKE HAVING SEVEN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND A LOT OF WHAT THE PEOPLE SAID THIS EVENING WAS THAT THEY DIDN'T WANT US TO EXPAND GOVERNMENT.
SO ONE OF THE THOUGHTS I'VE HAD AND -- IS THAT WE ELECT A CHAIRMAN AT LARGE, A VICE-CHAIRMAN AT LARGE, AND HAVE FIVE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
AND THE REASON I SAY THE VICE-CHAIRMAN AT LARGE IS THERE NEEDS TO BE A WAY FOR A PERSON THAT COULD UNDER DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES BECOME THE CHAIRMAN.
AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT VICE-CHAIRMAN TO ALSO BE ELECTED AT LARGE SO THAT IF THAT PERSON HAD TO SERVE IN THE CAPACITY AS CHAIRMAN, THEY WOULD BE ELECTED BY ALL THE PEOPLE.
AND SO WE HAVE NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OR TALKED ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S AN OPTION THAT'S OUT THERE THAT MIGHT ALLOW US TO PROPOSE AN ELECTED CHAIRMAN AND YET AT THE SAME TIME, NOT EXPAND THE BOARD AND THEN HAVE MORE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS THAN WE HAVE NOW.
AND YOU WOULD HAVE TO STAGGER TERMS, BUT I'M NOT -- YOU WOULD PROBABLY DO IT ON THE SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  EVEN THE CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR -- PRESIDENT AND VICE.
THE CHAIR WOULD BE RUNNING AND TWO YEARS LATER, A VICE-CHAIR WOULD BE ELECTED.
>>JAN SMITH:  AND THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS WOULD EMBODY THAT NEED TO HAVE A CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR.
MR. WHITE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I SUPPORT TAKING THE ELECTORATE CHAIR POSITION THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED TO PUBLIC HEARING.
RELATED TO THE VICE-CHAIR POSITION, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE OTHER CHARTERS IN THE STATE, THE REASON THAT THEY DON'T HAVE AN ELECTED VICE-CHAIR, THE POSITION USUALLY IS FILLED BY THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTE OF THE BOARD.
AND IF THERE'S A VACANCY IN THE CHAIR POSITION, THEN IT'S USUALLY FILLED ACCORDING TO STATE LAW.
THAT'S A COUNTYWIDE ELECTED OFFICIAL.
AND IF THERE'S A VACANCY IN THAT POSITION, THEN THE VICE-CHAIR WILL SERVE IN THE CAPACITY OF CHAIR, BUT THEN THE STATE LAW KICKS IN AND FILLS THE VACANCY EITHER BY GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENT OR BY AN ELECTION FOR A CHAIR POSITION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO PUT AN ELECTION ON THE FLOOR THAT WE TAKE THE PUBLIC HEARING -- THE WAY I'M GOING TO DO IT IS I'M GOING TO GO BY THE SECTIONS.
AND PROPOSAL SECTION 4.04, THE ELECTED CHAIR POSITION AS OUTLINED TO PUBLIC HEARING.
AND I PUT THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION.
>> SECOND.
>>JAN SMITH:  WE HAVE A MOTION BY MR. WHITE AND A SECOND BY MS. WALDRON TO SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION IN SECTION 4.04 OF THE DRAFT.
IS THERE ANY COMMENT?
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS HE GOING TO BE -- IS HE, SHE GOING TO BE IN ADDITION TO THE SEVEN COMMISSIONERS?
>>GERALD WHITE:  THAT'S NOT THE WAY THIS PROPOSAL READS.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY SECTION 4.04 READS.
>>JAN SMITH:  BUT THIS DRAFT EXPANDS THE BOARD.
>>DEE WILLIAMS:  I WAS GOING TO SAY, WE BETTER BE LOOKING AT 4.03 FOR DISTRICTS.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WELL, I'VE DECIDED TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE ENTIRE DRAFT TO START OUT WITH ONE SECTION AT A TIME AND THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO ADDRESS 4.04, AND WE COULD DECIDE THE OTHER PARTS OF IT LATER.
SO IF YOU SUPPORT A CHAIR AND ACCOMMODATES CHAIRMAN SMITH IDEA, IT ACCOMMODATES THE COMMITTEE IDEA, IT ACCOMMODATES THE CHAIR POSITION.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. HURLEY.
>>DAVID HURLEY:  I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THAT IS THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF IFs.
THIS IS INTERTWINED INTO THE NUMBER OF SEATS.
SEE, I WOULD OPPOSE A COUNTY CHAIR IF WE HAVE MORE COUNTYWIDE PEOPLE, UNLESS HE'S CALL ADVICE CHAIR, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE, YOU SAY YOU'RE AN ELECTED CHAIR, ELECTED COUNTYWIDE, YOU BRING THE VISION.
WELL, WHAT GIVES HIM ANY MORE RIGHT TO SAY MY VISION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR VISION IF YOU HAVE THREE OTHER PEOPLE OR TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED COUNTYWIDE THE SAME AS HE HAS OR SHE.
AS THEY HAVE.
BUT -- SO I THINK YOU'VE DILUTED ANY LEADERSHIP IF YOU'RE MAKING THAT MULTIPLE COUNTYWIDE.
SO AM I IN FAVOR OF ELECTED CHAIR, IT DEPENDS ON THE REST OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOARD.
SO IT'S VERY COMPLEX IN HOW THAT FITS TOGETHER.
SO TO SAY AM I IN FAVOR, WOULD I VOTE YES ON 4.04, PROBABLY NOT BY ITSELF BASED ON THE FACT THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IN AND OF ITSELF IT ACCOMPLISHES WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I TELL YOU WHAT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE FLOOR FOR 4.04.
LET'S TABLE THAT MOTION AND LET'S GO TO EACH SECTION.
LET'S GOVERN OURSELVES ACCORDINGLY SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS TONIGHT.
>>JAN SMITH:  WHICH IS WHAT I SAID ABOUT AN HOUR AGO.
LET'S TALK ABOUT SECTION 4.041.
>>GERALD WHITE:  I MAKE A MOTION THAT --
>>JAN SMITH:  THIS ACTUALLY RAISES THE ISSUE OF ALTHOUGH WE VOTED WE DIDN'T WANT A STRONG ELECTED MAYOR, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER A WEAK MAYOR.
>> WHAT DOCUMENT ARE YOU ALL WORKING FROM?
>>JAN SMITH:  DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENT ON 4.041?
>>STEVE LaBOUR:  WELL, THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE IT'S NOT DIRECTLY TO THAT PARTICULAR SECTION, BUT I WILL TRY TREAD ON VERY CAREFUL GROUND HERE, I GUESS.
I THINK FUNDAMENTALLY, PERHAPS IT'S BEST TO START WITH TOTAL NUMBERS.
WELL, YES AND NO.
IT'S TOTAL NUMBERS AND IT'S ALSO -- AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I PUT IT ON THE RECORD FOR ME.
IT'S NOT JUST AS SIMPLE AS A NUMBER AND THEN, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY IS AT LARGE.
DO WE HAVE ALL AT LARGE -- I MEAN, DO WE HAVE A COMBINATION AT LARGE AND THEN HAVE SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS.
I WILL ALSO THROW SOMETHING OUT ON THE FLOOR I WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER IS THAT I THINK IN THE PRESENT PROCESS, THE REASON THAT -- AND I WOULD SUSPECT THIS IS TRUE AND WE PROBABLY HAVE TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO FIND OUT IF IT'S THERE, BUT THE REASON THAT THE VOTERS CAN ELECT A MAJORITY, YOU KNOW, THE PRESUMPTION OF THE THREE AND ONE SINGLE MEMBER IS THAT TECHNICALLY ALL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TODAY ARE EQUAL.
I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT IF WE CHANGE THE STRUCTURE AND HAVE A CHAIR AND THEN WE HAVE SINGLE MEMBER AND AT LARGE, THEY'RE NOT ALL EQUAL ANY MORE.
AND I THINK AS A VOTING PERSON, THEN I'M NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT 4-3 DOESN'T BECOME AS IMPORTANT.
IT'S THE ONE CHAIR THAT CERTAINLY IS IMPORTANT.
BUT THE OTHERS, IT'S DIFFERENT.
IT BECOMES, YOU KNOW, WHO I SUPPORT AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND NO MATTER WHO WE SUPPORT, WE HAVE TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP AFTER THE ELECTION -- GET ELECTED.
SO I'M MOVING AWAY FROM IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ELECTED CHAIR OF BELIEVING THAT WE HAVE TO ELECT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMISSION.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I'M LOOKING MORE SERIOUSLY AT SINGLE MEMBER, BUT I JUST HAVE TO HAVE -- WE HAVEN'T STUDIED THAT ISSUE.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE -- WE'VE HAD PEOPLE COME DOWN AND TELL US WHY THEY LIKE IT, BUT I'M JUST UNCOMFORTABLE TO SAY WHAT RAMIFICATIONS WILL COME ABOUT FROM THAT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M STRUGGLING WITH AND I APOLOGIZE.
>>DENISE LASHER:  WELL, I APPRECIATE OUR CHAIRMAN ALLOWING US A LOT OF LEEWAY TO DISCUSS ALL THE DIFFERENT RAMIFICATIONS AND THE IMPACT OF THIS AND HOW THEY'RE ALL INTERTWINED.
BUT WE NEED TO GET THIS DECIDED AT SOME POINT IN TIME.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO THROUGH THE DRAFT, SECTION BY SECTION, AND I THINK IT WILL TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS.
THAT'S THE FIRST ON THE LIST.
THEN SINGLE MEMBER VERSUS COUNTYWIDE, COUNTY CHAIR, AND I THINK THAT WE COULD GET SOMETHING, PERHAPS, DONE HOPEFULLY A FEW OF THESE KNOCKED OFF TONIGHT TO DETERMINE WHETHER WE WANT TO TAKE IT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND I, AGAIN, BY VOTING FOR A SECTION DOESN'T MEAN YOU SUPPORT THIS SECTION, BUT THAT YOU WANT TO TAKE IT TO A PUBLIC HEARING AND HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN WE WOULD BE VOTING WHETHER WE SUPPORT OR DON'T SUPPORT MAKING THAT CHANGE IN THE CHARTER.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO -- WE'VE HAD A -- TWO MEETINGS NOW REALLY TALK ABOUT THIS EXTENSIVELY.
AND I THINK IT'S TIME TO START TAKING SOME ACTION.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL SECTION BY SECTION AND SEE WHETHER WE HAVE A CONSENSUS ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS.
>>ARLENE WALDRON:  SECOND.
>>JAN SMITH:  WE HAVE A MOTION BY MS. LASHER AND SECOND BY MS. WALDRON TO GO THROUGH THE DRAFT SECTION BY SECTION TO SEE IF WE CAN REACH AGREEMENT ON ANY ONE OF THESE ISSUES.
>>DENISE LASHER:  GET STARTED UNTIL WE WEAR OUT AND THEN TAKE IT UP NEXT MEETING.
>>HENRY BELTRAN:  I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT WE ADD THE PRESENT STRUCTURE TO -- THE STRUCTURE THE WAY IT IS NOW AND THE WAY IT'S WORKING BECAUSE IF IT'S ANYTHING -- NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, WE SHOULD ADD IT TO THIS SECTION THAT WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, SHOULD BE ADDED TO IT.
>>JAN SMITH:  MR. BELTRAN, MR. WHITE AND THEN MR. BEDKE.
MR. WHITE.
>>GERALD WHITE:  OKAY.
BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU CALL ON ME TONIGHT, I'M MAKING A MOTION.
>>JAN SMITH:  NO.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MOTION.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IF YOU'RE SPEAKING TO THE MOTION, IT'S TO GO THROUGH HERE SECTION BY SECTION.
>>GERALD WHITE:  IN THE PROCESS OF TALKING, I'M MAKING A MOTION.
>>JAN SMITH:  NO.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
>>GERALD WHITE:  WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 4.04 BECAUSE THAT'S ALREADY TABLED.
SO I'M IN FAVOR, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, FOR TONIGHT, EVERY TIME YOU CALL ON ME, I'M MAKING A MOTION ON THESE ISSUES SO WE CAN RESOLVE THIS THIS EVENING.
SO I'M READY.
LET'S ROCK 'N' ROLL.
>>MIKE BEDKE:  WELL, I WANT TO MOVE THROUGH THIS, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME AS THOUGH SORT OF THE THRESHOLD QUESTION THAT I THOUGHT HAD BEEN ANSWERED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT I'M NOT SURE IS STILL ANSWERED IS BASICALLY THE NOTION OF A STRAW VOTE ON HAVING A COUNTY ELECTED CHAIR OR AN ELECTED COUNTY CHAIR, BECAUSE I'M STARTING TO AGREE WITH MR. HURLEY AND MR. LaBOUR ON THE FACT THAT THEY AGREE IS A MINOR MIRACLE IN AND OF ITSELF, BUT I'M NOT SO SURE