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Let People Decide Whether County Government Works

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By MARY ANN STILES

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

Why don't opponents to an elected county mayor with veto power want to fix an archaic governmental system? Why are they afraid to let the voters decide whether to change the structure of county government?

Former Commissioner Jan Platt, in her tirade against fixing a broken system, argues that the changes will cause the return to a system when some commissioners were taken away in handcuffs. She obviously ignores the news articles on the stronghold that the late Ralph Hughes, one person, held over the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). It will not be that easy to hold such power under an elected county mayor system.

The proposed amendments to the charter do not change the method in which the commissioners are elected nor interfere with access to members of the BOCC. The amendments replace an appointed position with an elected position. It adds no costs to the system. It creates a system of checks and balances. It creates shared power - much like the governor and the Legislature, not power in one person. It creates an avenue for another voice of the people to challenge and recommend to the BOCC ways to move Hillsborough County into the future.

Let the voters sift through the rhetoric. The voters will figure out why opponents such as Todd Pressman or Beth Rawlins, who do not live in this county, are so opposed to change. Let them determine why some of the opponents who lobby before the BOCC are so adamant against letting the voters decide on proposed change to the government structure. Let them determine if the BOCC was correct when it voted to expend staff time and money from the budget for the county administrator to "educate the public" against the charter amendments notwithstanding the fact that the charter states that the county administrator cannot "take part in any political activity other than voting."

In 2003, when the BOCC was considering what to do about our transportation problems, Platt argued to the BOCC: "But I hope you believe, like I do, that the voters are intelligent enough and have ... will be intelligent enough to listen to the arguments, both sides, and make a decision about what they want for their future because every day that transportation right-of-way is delayed, the price is going to go up ..."

Platt, if you felt that strongly about the intelligence of the voting public when you were arguing with the BOCC to let the people decide on how it wanted to fund transportation needs, why not have the same faith in the people to vote on the structure of county government?"

Mary Ann Stiles is chair of the Elected County Mayor Politic Committee, Inc.

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