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Parks Agencies Merger Urged
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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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Reader Comments
Posted by ( ad ) on February 4, 2008 at 8:39 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( Charlie ) on February 4, 2008 at 11:05 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Merging the two departments makes as much sense as merging TPD with HCSO.
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Posted by ( Ben ) on February 4, 2008 at 3:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I will agree to a parks merger when the County agrees to call it Tampa Parks and Recreation.
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Posted by ( beerwulf ) on February 4, 2008 at 6:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The last thing we need is the county having any control at all over our parks. Maybe the time has come for Hillsborough to split into two counties - from Tampa west until RaceTrack Road could be West Hillsborough, and from East of Tampa to the Polk County Line can be East Hillsborough. They can run things their way, and we can run things our way, and we'll see who does a better job.
At least then we won't have to listen to Higginbotham and we can kick Blair to the curb with the rest of the trash where he belongs.
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Posted by ( Yankee ) on February 5, 2008 at 11:34 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Pam, with all due respect but your argument is stupid. You are comparing the issue with Rhonda Storms regarding the gay community to saving tax payers money. Your argument is childish and dumbfounded. Grow up!!
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