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Hillsborough Could Use An Elected Executive

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By FREDERICK B. KARL

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 20, 2008

In the general election in November we will have an opportunity to vote to amend the county's charter to provide for a county mayor. If the amendments pass we will have an improved governance structure that will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of county government. However, if we fail to act in November it may be a long time before we have another chance.

This issue is not about the county commissioners. There is nothing personal about the passionate desire to improve the governance of the county by changing the charter. If the amendments are approved by the people, there will still be a seven-member commission. The commissioners will still be very powerful and busy, what with all the land-use issues, the responsibility of considering and adopting policies for the county and the many authorities they control, in whole or in part, that are empowered to supervise activities in the areas of sports, the port, the airport, the expressway, the hospital, tourism, and planning functions.

Nor is it about the county administrator, who is doing the best she can under a structure that has many, serious workability problems.

Certainly, there is no panacea. No form of government is perfect. Yes, there are risks whenever we make changes in a system that has been in place for a long time. However, none of those concepts constitutes valid reason for opposing the recommended changes to the charter. They have all been around for years and ought to be put away for good. We should not reject the changes based on fear that the wrong person might be elected as mayor. If that were a valid criterion, there could never be changes of any sort in government for fear the people will elect the wrong person. I respectfully suggest we should trust the voters to do the right thing
Hillsborough County's government has come a long way since the scandals that shocked it and led to the adoption of the present charter. That charter was a good start on a high-quality governmental system. Now it is time to take the next important step and provide a structure in which there is a legitimate spokesperson for the county; in which there is improved accountability; and in which the board is not looked upon as seven managers, (seven bosses for the thousands of employees) but as an oversight board that sets policy and leaves to the executive the responsibility of running the day-by-day operations.

Those who still have some doubts about whether the change should be made ought to consider whether they want to generally follow our state and federal structure, in which the chief executive is elected and the powers of government are separated. Or would they opt for a system in which the executive is appointed by and subservient to the legislative branch? Would they think the country would be better served if the Congress appointed the president? Should the Legislature appoint the governor? If they wouldn't want that in the state or federal government, why is it desirable to keep the concept in the county?

The state's founders surely considered what state government would be if the Legislature appointed, and therefore controlled, the governor, and they saw the wisdom of keeping the branches separated so there would be accountability as well as checks and balances. Certainly their decision was not easy, and I'll wager they were warned about all the terrible things that might happen if they selected the separation of powers model and did not give the Legislature both legislative and executive power; but they persisted and produced a system that works very well.

The voters of Hillsborough County have the same opportunity. Let us hope they will be as wise.

Frederick B. Karl is a former state legislator, Florida Supreme Court justice and Hillsborough County administrator.

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