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Hillsborough Auditor's Vegas Trip Raises Eyebrows

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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: April 2, 2009

Updated: 04/02/2009 12:41 pm

TAMPA - Hillsborough County Commissioner Rose Ferlita on Wednesday wanted to ask some hard questions of Jim Barnes, the commission's internal performance auditor.

Barnes had approved a meeting about the county budget hosted by his deputy at a downtown Tampa condominium and attended by just four people who received e-mailed invitations. Ferlita thought the scenario violated the spirit, if not the rule, of open government.

But when it came time for Ferlita to ask her questions, she had to settle for Barnes' deputy, Kenneth Gentile. Barnes, unbeknownst to some commissioners, was at a conference in Las Vegas.

The trip, which Gentile said was a professional conference, annoyed some commissioners, who may have to approve as many as 1,000 layoffs this year to cover a $110 million budget deficit.

"It doesn't look good," said Commissioner Al Higginbotham, one of Barnes' most vocal supporters. "The timing is terrible to go on a trip."

Higginbotham said he didn't learn about Barnes' trip until Barnes didn't show for Wednesday's meeting.

Commission Chairman Ken Hagan approved the trip. Hagan did not return several calls for comment Wednesday.

Ferlita criticized Gentile for holding the budget meeting with little public notice and in a conference room at the condominium where he lives. She also accused Barnes and his staff of trying to take over the budget process from County Administrator Pat Bean, whom the county charter designates as the budget officer.

Bean also questioned the appearance of taking a trip to the country's gambling capital in the midst of deep budget reductions.

"There are a couple of places when you travel on county business that you know are sensitive and people are likely to criticize you," Bean said. "One is Las Vegas; the other is Hawaii."

Bean attended the National Association of County Administrators Conference this year, a trip that she estimated cost taxpayers about $1,500. But when she attended the NACA conference in Hawaii, she paid all her expenses.

Barnes makes $110,593 a year. Soon after he was hired in 2007, he wrote a memo stating that the commission should give him an $18,000 raise. He rescinded the request.

Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303.

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