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Parks Agencies Merger Urged

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By MIKE SALINERO, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 4, 2008

Updated: 02/03/2008 11:44 pm

TAMPA - Two Hillsborough County commissioners say they want to talk with the city about merging the two parks and recreation departments to save money and soften the effects of coming property tax cuts.

Commissioners Rose Ferlita and Al Higginbotham said Friday that Tampa and the county must put aside their longstanding animosity to deal with the financial fallout from Tuesday's passage of Amendment 1. The property tax-cutting measure is estimated to reduce county revenue by $70 million and city revenue by $12 million.

"We have to put the turf wars aside," Higginbotham said. "We have to find out what services we're duplicating and work under a common umbrella."

But Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio rejected the parks and recreation merger idea. She said the city's parks are neighborhood-based and the city is in a good position to respond to suggestions and complaints from residents who use them.

"If our well-run department were to be merged into the larger bureaucracy of county government which serves its residents throughout the unincorporated area, we would lose out in determining the quality of our parks and programming as well as responsiveness to our citizens," Iorio said in an e-mail.

Iorio went further, alluding to a controversy two years ago when the county commission, led by former Commissioner Ronda Storms, voted not to allow any gay pride displays at libraries in the consolidated city-county library system.

"This I very much disagreed with," Iorio wrote, "and think it set the wrong tone for the whole community. ... The county's lack of tolerance toward a segment of our community cannot be allowed to affect the services provided by Parks and Recreation."

Ferlita, who as a Tampa City Council member sometimes clashed with Iorio, said it's time the two governments quit bickering and deal with property tax cuts. She said the mayor's initial rejection shouldn't stop city and county officials from talking about merging some services.

"Because she disagrees with me, it's not like we're going to take our basketball and go home," Ferlita said. "Let's create a spirit of cooperation."

Ferlita and Higginbotham said they suggested merging the parks and recreation departments because savings could be realized in areas such as buying equipment and awarding maintenance contracts. Higginbotham compared it to him and his neighbor each buying a lawn mower, when one mower could do the job on both lawns.

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

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