Five races on the Aug. 31 primary ballot give voters a chance to bring new blood and vision to the Hillsborough County Commission. The board is divided as ever over growth, transportation, urban renewal and environmental protection. With two experienced commissioners leaving the board and county staff headed by a new administration, this year's election will shape politics in Hillsborough for a decade to come.
Tom Jones District 2, Republicans
Tom Jones is the only Republican in this race who acknowledges that sprawl is lowering the quality of life in suburban north Hillsborough County. He has a serious agenda: to ease traffic congestion, better manage growth and involve neighborhoods more in the decisionmaking process.
Jones, 65, a retired Army colonel who manages a Carrollwood-area homeowners association, has a firm grasp of how county government works and a common-sense approach to budgeting and planning. His years as a community activist and service on county advisory boards give Jones the ability to see the district's most immediate needs. His focus - to plan for development, and to improve the delivery of essential public services - should be welcome to District 2, where residents are overburdened with traffic and grapple for their share of parks, roads and public safety improvements. Jones' background in administering contracts and fostering small business give him a solid grasp of budgeting. His listening skills would well serve constituents and could help improve the county's relationship with other public and private-sector agencies.
The incumbent, Ken Hagan, has contributed little of real value since joining the board in 2002. Asked to list his accomplishments, Hagan noted his support for increasing security at County Center and fashioning a foster-family program for pets of active-duty military personnel. These pursuits hardly compare to the serious challenges facing north Hillsborough. The district commissioner should be focused on managing growth. Even Hagan's agenda for a second term revolves more around downtown and the port than on growing pains in his suburban district. That might be why developers, builders, Realtors, attorneys and contractors have contributed much of the $140,000 Hagan has raised so far.
A third Republican, Rod Gaudin, a Lutz restaurateur, has also focused on growth-related issues, but Jones has a better grasp of details.
The district needs a representative who will be responsive in meeting a heavy backlog of needs. For Republicans in District 2, the Times recommends Tom Jones.
Dennis Cadle District 4, Republicans
Residents in east and south Hillsborough County should wonder what Ronda Storms has to show after six years in county government. Her penchant for getting the commission off-point on petty, divisive controversies doesn't serve residents mired in traffic and other growth-related problems.
Two Republicans say they want to move east Hillsborough in a new direction. Dennis Cadle, a 30-year-old computer consultant, is the better alternative. Cadle justly criticizes the board for allowing unchecked growth to spoil the rural lifestyle in District 4. He would steer development instead back into the urban corridor, where roads, utilities and other infrastructure already exist. His plan to acquire right-of-way for transportation improvements would help ease traffic congestion and save the county millions of dollars in long-term roadway spending. Cadle also recognizes the importance of representing his constituents with dignity. Storms' confrontational style hurts the people she is there to serve.
A third Republican in the race, retired Hillsborough County Sheriff's Capt. James Tagliarini, also frames his campaign on the need to manage growth and repair the commission's image. But Cadle is more familiar with the issues. The Times recommends Cadle to Republicans in District 4.
Brian Blair District 6, Republicans (countywide)
It is difficult to tell whether Brian Blair has moderated or just repackaged his image in this latest run for office. In this primary, Blair is the best choice. He voices support for responsible growth, understands how county government works and contributes to his community.
Blair narrowly lost a commission race in 2002, and he is back with heavy financial support from developers, contractors and others with a heavy stake in worsening urban sprawl. To be fair, these interest groups contribute to front-runners in both major parties, and Blair has called for managing growth in a "plan-driven," not "developer-driven," way. He would have the county work closely with the city of Tampa on urban renewal projects. He favors acquiring right-of-way now for rail and mass transit and working with other regional governments on health care, solid waste and transportation planning.
Blair, 47, is a former professional wrestler and gym owner who has a footing in management and budgets. He is opposed to funding public-access television, but said he would not risk sparking a costly lawsuit over constitutionally protected speech. Asked if he supported the county's indigent health care tax, Blair said: "I wouldn't take it away."
Blair says his service on Hillsborough's Citizens Advisory Committee "has made me more broad-minded" about the constructive role county government plays. He has his inconsistencies - supporting the purchase of environmental lands even as he claims the problem with water is one of distribution, not supply. Still, he is more prepared than his Republican opponent, J. Steven Cleveland. In this countywide primary, the Times recommends Blair to Republicans.
Ed Austin District 6, Democrats (countywide)
It would be a gamble for Democrats to support an able but first-time political candidate instead of a veteran who'd bring a strong record to a tough general election. But Ed Austin's passion for public service outweighs Bob Buckhorn's experience. Austin's unassuming commitment to improve our community can bring the leadership Hillsborough needs.
Buckhorn, 46, has an admirable record after 16 years in Tampa politics, first as an aide to former Mayor Sandy Freedman and then from eight years as a councilman elected citywide. He is a tireless worker who has brought attention to race relations, neighborhoods, ethics and responsible budgeting. While we opposed some of his anti-nuisance initiatives that infringe on civil liberties, Buckhorn kept a check on the excesses of the Dick Greco administration. His experience in office and in city politics would benefit county government.
What distinguishes Austin is the unequivocating way he approaches politically sensitive problems, a confidence rooted in rich experience. Austin, 52, emigrated to America from Scotland as a child, was raised and educated in New Jersey and came to Tampa in 1975 to play for the world champion Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team. Austin later was marketing director for the Rowdies, director of land management and planning for AAA and chief operating officer of the Tampa Bay Mutiny soccer club before becoming an admissions officer at Saint Leo University.
Austin has complemented his varied business career with 25 years of community service. He helped found what's now a bustling countywide youth soccer program. For 20 years, he has served on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.
Austin would increase impact fees on new construction and channel growth back toward Tampa's urban center. He wants to relieve growth pressure on rural areas, redevelop downtown neighborhoods and use tax incentives to attract investment in struggling neighborhoods.
Austin has a history of improving the image of institutions he represents. His refusal to switch races, after the better-known Buckhorn jumped in, shows an independent streak and resolve. He also does not get sidetracked on smaller issues or make a point of personalizing disputes. A third Democrat, Willis "K.C." Bowick, an east county landscaper, lacks familiarity with the issues. For Democrats in the District 6 countywide primary, the Times recommends Ed Austin.
Mark Sharpe District 7, Republicans (countywide)
Mark Sharpe has matured politically and personally since running in the 1990s to represent Tampa in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since those failed campaigns, Sharpe has become more involved in the community, and his better grasp of local issues shows. His well-rounded views on growth, water, jobs, urban policy and governing make him the most qualified Republican for this countywide commission seat.
Sharpe, 44, a Tampa native, is a former teacher and Navy intelligence officer who works for a pharmaceutical company and serves in the Naval Reserve. He understands the need to work with the city, encourage urban redevelopment, take a regional approach to conservation and fashion a long-term, public-private plan for growth, transportation and jobs. Sharpe is a thoughtful candidate who articulates a common-sense approach to a range of issues. He would encourage development into the urban area to relieve pressure on the outlying county. He supports waiving impact fees in distressed areas and says spending for parks, libraries and health care raise Hillsborough's quality of life.
Deb Oxley, 45, an auditor and longtime business manager who moved to Tampa in 1980, also stresses the need for the county to take a more aggressive approach to managing growth. A first-time candidate, Oxley has a sound understanding of transportation, planning and jobs-creation policy. But she is vague about solutions. Two other Republicans in the race have not worked as hard to reach out as Sharpe and Oxley. For Republicans in this countywide primary, the Times recommends Mark Sharpe.
Opportunity to reply
The Times offers candidates not recommended by its editorial board an opportunity to reply. Candidates for Hillsborough County Commission should send in their replies no later than 5 p.m. Monday to: Philip Gailey, editor of editorials, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Fax: 727 893-8675. They can also be sent through our Web site at www.sptimes.com/letters/ Replies are limited to 250 words.
