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Pulling a fast one in Hillsborough

Hillsborough County commissioners are using the element of surprise to silence the public's voice in policy debates. Cutting bus service, spending millions of tax dollars on sports arenas, scaling back public art - these are just a few of the decisions commissioners have added to the agenda at the last minute.

This tactic is not new or unique to Hillsborough. Sandbagging opponents is a time-honored way to cover a weak argument. Yet it's a trick commissioners increasingly employ in making even large decisions on growth, transportation and tax policy. Commission Chairman Jim Norman pulled it twice in recent months, first to line up a high-priced ballpark and then to steer $70-million in taxes to the county's three pro sports venues, one of which is not even the taxpayers' obligation to upgrade.

Public outcry over Norman's maneuver caused both efforts to backfire. Now he must defend the pet projects in hearings this summer and fall. But it's unclear whether Norman, or other board members, actually learned a lesson. Policy decisions with major implications, from investments in essential public facilities to housing assistance, conservation and the design of buildings and park space, are being made with only perfunctory discussion and without soliciting public input. This is a good way to adopt policies that five, 10, 20 years down the road Hillsborough will regret.

[Last modified May 19, 2006, 06:05:04]