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County Mayor Effort Aims For 2010

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: November 16, 2008

TAMPA - Fresh from a victory at the polls on Nov. 4, advocates of a change in Hillsborough County's style of government are setting their sights on 2010.

That's when they're hoping, once again, to put the question to voters of whether the county should replace the appointed county administrator with an elected mayor.

"People are ready for a change," said Bob Buckhorn, a member of the Elected County Mayor Political Committee, the group behind the effort. "We saw the sentiment of the voters in the general election and we're firmly committed to getting it on the ballot."

If that happens, and voters approve it, the mayor would have far-reaching powers.

In the general election, a question asking whether the county mayor, if adopted, should have veto powers over the county commission passed by more than 26,000 votes.

It was one of two charter amendments proposed on the county mayor question. The other asked voters if they wanted to create the position, but that was knocked off the ballot after a court battle over an incorrect date on the petition residents had signed.

The group will need to gather 27,202 signatures on a new petition to get on the ballot in the 2010 election. The signatures gathered for the ballot this year cannot be counted for the 2010 initiative.

Currently, the county is run by a seven-member commission that hires an administrator to run the daily operations. Under a county mayor form of government, an elected mayor would become Hillsborough's most powerful politician and chief administrator.

Supporters argue that an elected county mayor would provide stronger leadership. Opponents say the position would concentrate too much power in one person.

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