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Transit officials oust attorney

The Crosstown Expressway Authority goes against its hiring board's recommendation.

By S.I. ROSENBAUM
Published August 29, 2006

TAMPA - Ignoring its own hiring committee, the Tampa-Hillsborough Crosstown Expressway Authority on Monday followed the lead of board member Bob Clark and ousted its longtime lawyer, who had raised ethical concerns about Clark.

The vote left one member threatening to resign. A staff member said she feared for her job.

Lawyer Steve Anderson, who served the authority for nearly a decade, warned Clark in 2004 that he was in "significant potential danger" of committing ethical violations if Clark voted on projects that could lead to lucrative deals for his company, Tampa Steel.

That issue came to light last week, as the board was considering whether to renew its contract with Anderson's law firm, Ruden McClosky, or choose one of three others.

At Monday's meeting, the board's hiring committee named Ruden McClosky as the top choice, followed in order by Gray Robinson and two other firms.

The ranking was based on an application package and an interview with each firm.

Board member Thomas Scott, who had served on the committee, moved that the board accept the recommendation. But the measure was defeated 4-3.

Then Clark spoke up.

He said he had read the applications. He ranked Gray Robinson first and relegated Ruden McCloskey to the third choice.

Scott protested, saying the reversal would open the board to criticism.

"You just opened up a major sore, a major wound, that's going to follow the board in the days and years to come," he said.

Board Chairman J. Thomas Gibbs said: "Nobody has asked me to do anything. When I came in here today, I knew how I was going to vote, and I voted this way for a number of reasons."

He did not elaborate. Instead, he added, "Nobody can question my integrity, ever. Ever."

The board voted 5-2 to award the contract to Gray Robinson.

Scott and member Gwendolyn Miller voted against the measure.

After the vote, Scott stormed out, saying he might resign.

As he left, he passed executive director Ralph Mervine, who also sat on the hiring committee. Mervine had not backed Scott in the debate.

As he neared Mervine, Scott hissed: "I lost a lot of respect for you."

The third hiring committee member, staff legal affairs director Mary Hall, followed Scott out of the room.

"This is going to cost me my job," she said, her voice shaking.

She added, "I've never seen anything like this. We have a very strong (hiring) process. We followed it to a T."

[Last modified August 29, 2006, 01:03:21]