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Restored Hillsborough County Funds Aid Children, Elderly

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By MIKE SALINERO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

TAMPA - Money for programs that help children, the elderly and business groups was restored Thursday by Hillsborough County commissioners as they struggled over what to cut and what to keep in a tough budget year.

The programs and employees that were saved, at least through September 2009, had been part of $87 million in budget cuts recommended by County Administrator Pat Bean. The cuts were made necessary by property tax reductions and declining sales tax collections.

The commissioners were able to continue the programs because the county got additional money when the property appraiser updated property valuations July 1. After reductions for lower-than-anticipated sales tax collections and other offsets, commissioners had nearly $5 million to offset recommended cuts.

The commission will hold public hearings on the budget Sept. 9 and 18 before a final vote that month.

Commissioners agreed to reinstate about $2.4 million to continue popular after-school and summer recreation programs. The money will be used to keep 25 full-time parks department employees who were slated to become part time. Dozens of part-time employees who were to be laid off will stay on.

The commission also tentatively agreed to charge parents a weekly fee of $5 to $20 for children in the after-school program, and a $5 to $30 weekly fee for the summer program.

Other funding that was restored: $1 million to keep staff in the Aging Services program; $72,000 for the Tampa Chamber of Commerce; $166,277 for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, which provides suicide intervention; and $225,000 for construction of Mary Lee's House, a refuge for children who have been physically or mentally abused.

Commissioners also agreed to fix a faulty ventilation system at the county animal shelter that has caused overheating in dog kennels. Acting Animal Services director Dennis McCullough said county engineers are working on a new design to replace the ventilation fans installed in 1993. The cost is yet to be determined.

In another budget addition, commissioners voted to give combat veterans who rent homes in Hillsborough County a $750 grant to help pay rent.

Commissioner Jim Norman said troops who rent are not able to take advantage of recent property tax reductions. The new grant will be similar to one already available for combat veterans who own a home. To be eligible, a veteran has to have been in a combat zone for 45 days or more.

Among the cuts made Thursday was $534,000 sliced from the Communications Department budget. Norman had pushed for the department to reduce its budget by $1 million, but other commissioners worried that cutting too deeply would hurt the county's ability to communicate with residents, especially through the county television station, HTV.

"You still have senior citizens, you still have a lot of people who are going to be looking at the county only through the lens of the Communications Department," said Commissioner Rose Ferlita.

Norman agreed to the smaller cut after Communications director Lori Hudson said her department would be returning $300,000 to the county budget.

The money is a one-time payment from a cellular phone company in return for the county agreeing not to use a broadband signal. Hudson said the county can't use the signal with its new, digital equipment.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib

.com.

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