Tampa Urban League's future unclear
Years-old financial problems plague the local organization, and those outside it can't figure out what it wants to do.
By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published June 30, 2006
TAMPA - Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League leaders were not accepting visitors, a receptionist said Thursday.
Signs hint that the 84-year-old institution may dissolve, according to government officials and its flagging finances. But outside, at the corner of Howard Avenue and Cherry Street, a thin wood sign still hangs above two tall poles: "Future Home of the Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League."
The League is in limbo.
Its leaders won't speak publicly. Problems began with high ambitions for its brick headquarters, the historic Centro Espanol de West Tampa building. A renovation mired the League in debt, which ballooned to $3.1-million.
Joanna Tokley, who served as League chief executive officer for two decades until she retired in 2004, said it's her "fervent prayer and hope" the League will survive. In a statement she released Thursday, she said she doesn't know where the League stands anymore. Last week, leaders said they would take 30 days to assess its future.
But Tokley explained how things went awry years ago. When the city gave the Urban League its building, defects, construction delays, increasing material costs, change orders and other unanticipated costs pushed the $3.1-million project over $5-million.
The League raised more than $4-million for the renovation, Tokley said. Unable to raise additional money needed, it faced a tough choice: Finish or try to return millions of dollars of state and federal money already spent.
The League chose to continue.
"It is my understanding that the board of directors borrowed money to pay off construction costs and delinquent payroll taxes from my tenure," Tokley said.
Tokley said the League needed to raise $10,000 a month to cover mortgage payments and operating costs to survive.
"It is obvious the League has not been able to lease space in the building nor raise the necessary operating funds," Tokley said.
The League is trying to sell the building, but renovation grants make that tough, stipulating that the building be used only for public service.
Two years ago, the county proposed a way out. Eric Johnson, county director of management and budget, said he and administrator Pat Bean talked to League board member Bob Morrison about buying the building and leasing space to the League. The discussion came as an alternative to the county giving the League more than $400,000, which it ultimately did.
"The bottom line was the League wanted to own their building, and you don't blame anyone, but it was a money pit for them," Johnson said.
Whether the county would make the same proposal again is up to commissioners, Johnson said.
The League limps on with just two programs after it announced last week the transfer of two services to Derrick Brooks Charities.
A $97,000 race relations program remains. The county was supposed to fund it, but payment requires a copy of the League audit - seven months overdue.
Regardless, the Urban League sent the county invoices last week asking for the money, saying the program has met other requirements.
Johnson said the county won't pay without the audit.
Fran Davin, special assistant to the mayor, said League board chairwoman Lois Davis last told her the organization may seek bankruptcy. That was in April.
JoAnn Carrin, spokeswoman for the Florida attorney general, which funded former League programs, said her office was told the League would dissolve.
The National Urban League didn't return telephone calls. In March it sent the Tampa chapter a letter asking it to cede some control to the Pinellas County Urban League.
The directive was rescinded when the Tampa leaders asked for 30 days to think about it, Pinellas County Urban League president Herman Lessard said. It's been months.
"That's what we've been doing all along," Lessard said. "Waiting to hear what direction they're going to go into."
Justin George can be reached at jgeorge@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3368.