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Commissioners may not get stipend

The court clerk says the county charter mentions nothing about admission costs for community events.

By BILL VARIAN
Published January 10, 2006

TAMPA - The proposed $625 monthly stipend Hillsborough commissioners are considering giving themselves to cover admission to community events and charity dinners appears in jeopardy.

Hillsborough Clerk of the Circuit Court Pat Frank said the stipend would violate the county charter - a sort of constitution for government. Among other issues, the charter spells out how much commissioners are paid and says their salary will serve as compensation "for all services and expenses."

The charter says commissioners also may receive reimbursements for mileage and expenses while traveling out of Hillsborough County on official business. It makes no mention of the cost to attend community events.

"It doesn't include anything else," Frank said. "So far, it's rather clear that it wouldn't be legal."

A former commissioner, Frank said she found the proposal hard to justify given the salaries of today's public officials. Hillsborough commissioners make $88,919 a year and receive a $300 monthly car allowance in lieu of mileage.

The chairman receives 10 percent more salary than other board members - spelled out in the charter - partly in recognition that he often represents the board at community events.

Hillsborough County Attorney Renee Lee said she agrees with Frank's assessment. She expressed reservations about how a stipend would be enacted when commissioners tentatively approved the concept last week.

Lee said she thinks she still can craft something in which commissioners are reimbursed for attending events that serve a public purpose. The definition of public purpose would need to be spelled out in an ordinance.

"We're not far enough along to say exactly what the program will look like," Lee said. "But I do agree that it will probably not be a stipend."

Commissioners took up the issue last week while voting conceptually to follow state legislators' lead in banning gifts from registered lobbyists. Commission Chairman Jim Norman had asked the administration to recommend something for the board.

County Administrator Pat Bean recommended the stipend in recognition that a gift ban might preclude commissioners from attending events that charge admission, which is often waived for dignitaries. She said Monday she didn't realize the charter was so specific about compensation.

Some of the commissioners who initially favored the stipend said Monday that they hadn't decided anyway whether to support the proposal when it came to a final vote.

"Obviously, if it's against the charter, I don't think we can do it," Commissioner Mark Sharpe said. "Our vote, at least my vote, was nothing more than to allow the attorney to review all of this."

[Last modified January 10, 2006, 01:51:15]