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TBARTA Picks A Boss, Now It Needs Funding Source

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: October 25, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The region's transportation authority finally has a permanent executive director, but his tenure will depend on whether the governmental agency can get funding.

Members of the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority voted Friday to hire Bob Clifford, planning director for the Department of Transportation's District 7 in Tampa. Clifford has been acting executive director since the formation of the seven-county agency in June 2007.
Board members must negotiate with him on contract and salary, which is expected to be in the $150,000 range, board members have indicated.

One of his roles as the director likely will be formulating a public relations campaign to boost public support for what might be a sales tax referendum for mass transit.

"We're not all on the same path right now, but we'll get there," Clifford said before the board voted. "This is an exciting time for us, but a challenging one. We all need to work together."

TBARTA was created by the state Legislature and is working on a mass transit plan for Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando, Manatee, Sarasota, Polk and Citrus counties.
State legislators this year gave the authority a one-time infusion of $2 million. Board members hope to find a dedicated funding source before that money runs out.

Mayor Pam Iorio, a board member, didn't vote on Clifford. She was concerned about hiring a new executive director without knowing where the authority would get the money to pay his salary. "We're spending money that we don't really have," Iorio said.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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