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Status quo sought for public boards

The Tampa City Council moves to block a law that would give the county more votes.

By JANET ZINK
Published December 22, 2006

TAMPA - The City Council on Thursday passed a resolution opposing legislation that would give Hillsborough County government more votes than the city on two public boards.

Republican state Rep. Kevin Ambler of Lutz has suggested boosting the county's representation on the Tampa Sports Authority and Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission.

He argues that unincorporated Hillsborough has far more residents than Tampa, and the county provides most of the financial support to the two organizations.

"That concept, however, is a false premise," City Attorney David Smith told the council.

The Sports Authority and planning commission were created to give both the county and city equal representation to protect the interests of both jurisdictions, he said.

The formula has worked well for decades, Smith said. The changes would give the county six of 11 appointments on both boards.

That could lead to rivalry, Smith said.

He pointed out that when the Tampa Sports Authority was created in 1965, most county residents - 63 percent - lived in Tampa. But city officials accepted an equal distribution of appointments on the authority.

"To create a system where certain regions have a controlling vote is a recipe for future problems," said City Council member Chip Fletcher.

Council member Shawn Harrison disagreed with Fletcher. The Metropolitan Planning Organization that he chairs consists mostly of county appointees, he said, and the city does fine.

"We always have our interests protected," he said.

Still, Harrison voted to oppose Ambler's bill, saying because he has never heard about problems with the way the Sports Authority and planning commission function, so the makeup should be left as is.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.

[Last modified December 22, 2006, 05:54:01]