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County's Role On Boards Debated

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By RICH SHOPES, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 15, 2008

Updated: 01/15/2008 12:14 am

TAMPA - Lutz Republican state Rep. Kevin Ambler got an earful from people who complained Monday about his bill to beef up Hillsborough County's membership on two local boards.

The bill, to be introduced this upcoming legislative session, would increase the county's presence on the Tampa Sports Authority and the Hillsborough Planning Commission, giving the county a slight membership edge over Tampa on both boards.

One after another, residents and board members took turns urging legislators to rethink the bill. Of the 40 who testified, most opposed it.

"This is not a board in crisis," said Bob Buckhorn, a member of the sports authority and a former Tampa city councilman.

Unlike other agencies, he said, the sports authority doesn't squabble along city-county lines, and tinkering with its composition could jeopardize members' ability to work together.

The authority oversees Raymond James Stadium, the St. Pete Times Forum, Legends Field and three golf courses.

But county officials, including Administrator Pat Bean, argued that changing the boards' composition is justified because the population of unincorporated Hillsborough County is twice the size of Tampa's and the county shoulders most of the board's operating costs.

"This is an issue of equity and fairness," she said.

Ambler's bill would boost membership of the planning commission to 11 by adding one more county appointee. It would keep the sports authority unchanged at 11 members by giving the county another appointee and removing one from Tampa.

The Environmental Planning Commission, meanwhile, would be changed to nine members from seven. The county would lose two appointees, Tampa would gain two and Temple Terrace and Plant City would each gain one. The EPC now has no city representation.

Though the Environmental Planning Commission sparked a firestorm this summer over its plans to eliminate the wetlands division, no one at the three-hour meeting testified about the proposed changes at the EPC. Instead, speakers focused on the sports authority and planning commission.

Activists, including Kelly Cornelius of Lithia, said enhancing the county's representation on the planning commission would compromise the group's fairness in land-use decisions.

"You would be taking this away from the citizens and giving it to developers."

Reporter Rich Shopes can be reached at (813) 259-7633 or rshopes@tampatrib.com.

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