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Toll road agency to keep lobbyist

Despite allegations of questionable practices, the Hillsborough agency votes 5-2 to rehire John Beck.

By MICHAEL VAN SICKLER
Published October 10, 2006

TAMPA - A lobbyist for Hillsborough County's toll road agency has been accused in the past month of questionable billing practices and violating ethics policies and open records laws.

Those allegations helped ensnare his client, the Tampa-Hillsborough Expressway Authority, in a series of state and federal investigations that have frustrated the agency's attempt to develop new road projects.

Yet on Monday, Expressway Authority board members voted 5-2 to keep the lobbyist, John Beck, until at least June.

"John has the political contacts we have needed and utilized," said J. Thomas Gibbs, the authority's chairman. "More importantly, he has the transportation background and knowledge that we need."

Board members Tom Scott, a Hillsborough County commissioner, and Gwen Miller, a Tampa City Council member, voted against keeping Beck.

The hint of impropriety was strong enough to persuade the other board members to reduce his pay and eliminate many of his responsibilities in the coming months.

At $175 an hour, Beck's firm has charged the authority more than $300,000 in the last year.

In recent weeks, details have emerged of questionable billing practices. Beck's firm double-billed for at least $6,500 worth of invoices, agency records show.

Board members voted Monday that he should forgo the hourly rate and charge a flat $15,000 a month, except when the Legislature is in session. In those two months he can charge $20,000. In a typical year, then, his billings would shrink to $190,000.

Also, board members voted to limit his contact with the Expressway Authority to a single person. They have yet to decide who.

They also scaled back Beck's responsibilities. They eliminated open-ended tasks in his contract, such as "promoting the general interests" of the authority and consultation "as may be required."

But many of his responsibilities will remain. Beck will still lobby state and local officials, assist with future road projects, consult on developing partnerships with private companies and advise on pending litigation.

His continued role bothered the only elected officials on the board, Scott and Miller. They said keeping Beck undermined the public's trust in an agency beset with doubts.

[Last modified October 10, 2006, 01:26:12]