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Residency requirement added for HARTline panel

The county transit agency's state lobbyist resigns, partly in protest over the formation of the study committee.

By Times Staff Writer
Published October 20, 2005

TAMPA - Hillsborough commissioners empaneled a citizen study committee to review the county's transit agency Wednesday - sort of.

Commissioner Brian Blair, who proposed the committee and will lead it, tacked on a requirement that members of the panel reside in unincorporated Hillsborough County. That may effectively eliminate at least two of the committee members, the ones proposed by the two Democrat commissioners who also happen to be the biggest backers of the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority.

Those appointments were former county commissioner Ed Turanchik, recommended by commissioner Tom Scott, and Gloria Mills, an advocate for HARTline recommended by commissioner Kathy Castor.

Meanwhile, HARTline's state legislative lobbyist, Mary Ann Stiles, announced her resignation from that post Wednesday, in part to protest creation of the study group. In a news release, Stiles said she is concerned efforts are being undertaken to weaken the agency at a time that its services are needed more and more.

As evidence, she pointed to the county's hiring of former HARTline planner John Dausman as a consultant to the study group. Dausman filed and later settled a lawsuit claiming he was fired for blowing the whistle on financial irregularities at HARTline.

She said she hopes to form a group to champion HARTline.

"The initiative is something I've had on my mind for quite some time," Stiles said in the release. "However, the recent actions of the HARTline board, as well as the constant efforts of elected officials to intervene in the agency's management efforts hastened my decision."

The committee is supposed to come up with suggestions for how HARTline can better serve residents of unincorporated Hillsborough, who pay most of the property taxes that pay for bus service. That's why Blair said he invoked the residency requirement.

Blair also said no HARTline board members should serve on the committee. But he then said that that doesn't include three people commissioners voted to appoint to the HARTline board Wednesday.

The new members are David Stork, Edward Guinta and David Heckman, each appointed by commissioners who hope to infuse greater skepticism in HARTline board decisions.

The other committee members are HARTline rider Norbert Gobin, activist Marilyn Smith and Bill Henry, who was recommended by county administrator Pat Bean.

[Last modified October 20, 2005, 01:19:18]