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Payoff For City-County Teamwork Will Be Painless Tax Savings

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2007

City of Tampa and Hillsborough County officials should not let past conflicts between the governments derail the effort to merge services and cut costs.

The two jurisdictions are holding discussions on consolidating certain operations.

But initial talks have not produced much and appear be tainted by the bad blood between the jurisdictions that has surfaced in such issues as wastewater reuse, the establishment of community redevelopment areas and the funding of repairs to the Tampa Convention Center.

Now the two governments don't even agree on how the talks have been going.

Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean says the county contacted the city about reviewing the consolidation of service, since it was clear, regardless of what lawmakers did on property taxes, more budget cuts were coming.

The county suggested combining efforts in areas that would eliminate duplication but not affect constituents. Bean points to the fleet department, which could maintain vehicles for both governments, reducing personnel costs and achieving economies of scale.

But Bean says the city administrative staff appeared more interested in shifting costs to the county than in sharing expenses. She also said city officials insisted the word 'cooperation' be used instead of 'consolidation.'

She says though more meetings are planned, the consolidation effort seems dead.

City officials, in contrast, are upbeat, if cautious. They acknowledge an aversion to the term consolidation, which still has a negative connotation to long-time residents, who voted down city-county consolidation proposals in the 1960s and '70s.

And Darrell Smith, Mayor Pam Iorio's chief of staff, says the city remains committed to teaming with the county.

But he also notes that 'because of our respective jurisdictions, it's going to take time.'

Perhaps the city has been too wary. Perhaps the county has been too suspicious. But what's important is, as Smith say, 'We have started down this way. It's a good start to an evolving process.'

It's encouraging that Tampa officials readily agree with Bean that there are areas, particularly in procurement, where the two governments can team up to cut costs.

Sometimes even a modest collaboration can achieve significant savings. Hillsborough Tax Collector Doug Belden says sharing his phone server with Supervisor of Elections Buddy Johnson's operation should help save at least $200,000.

Surely the city and county can find numerous similar areas for partnership.

It doesn't matter if the effort is called consolidation or cooperation. Iorio and Bean should make sure their respective governments continue the talks, work through the friction and together produce a laundry list of savings for taxpayers.

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