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Court Keeps County Mayor Proposal Off Nov. 4 Ballot

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

A sign along I-275 between West Shore Blvd. and the Howard Frankland Bridge promotes the Hillsborough County mayor veto question even though it won't be on the ballot.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 13, 2008

Updated: 09/13/2008 12:13 am

TAMPA - The Hillsborough County mayor question won't be on the Nov. 4 ballot.

On Friday, a three-judge panel upheld a circuit judge's earlier ruling to keep it off.

"We conclude that the ballot summary is misleading in that it fails to inform the voter that a county mayor will not be elected in 2008," the 2nd District Court of Appeal wrote.

The county is governed 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 be the top politician and chief administrator.

Advocates argue it would provide stronger leadership. Opponents say it would concentrate too much power in one person.

Tampa lawyer Mary Ann Stiles, the initiative's chief advocate, hoped to have it on the ballot two years ago, but it got delayed. That meant voters would have been asked to elect a county mayor in 2008, when in reality the earliest one could be elected is 2010. Stiles vowed to continue, possibly for the 2010 ballot.

Still, voters will be asked Nov. 4 if they want the county mayor to have veto power, but the question has no relevance now.

Christian M. Wade

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