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Budget ax may hack chunk out of EPC

File photo from CAMP BAYOU

The EPC monitors air and water pollution, and issues permits for filling wetlands, dock construction and mangrove trimming.

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By MIKE SALINERO

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Published: July 12, 2009

TAMPA - For 40 years, Hillsborough County's environmental agency has been annoying developers and their legislative allies by strictly enforcing laws that protect wetlands and other natural resources.

Strong public support stymied several attempts to weaken or dismantle the Environmental Protection Commission. Now, however, budget cuts threaten to cripple the agency's mission in a way its opponents never could.

County Administrator Pat Bean has proposed cutting the EPC budget next year by 21 percent, followed a year later by a 14 percent reduction. Bean, who could not be reached for comment, has said all departments have to share the pain of a $110 million budget shortfall.

EPC officials say the cuts will be devastating, especially coming after two years of budget reductions the agency has absorbed. Those cuts came while overall county government spending increased, EPC officials say.

"At least let us be treated on parity with everybody else," said EPC's executive director, Rick Garrity.

The EPC monitors air and water pollution, and issues permits for filling wetlands, dock construction and mangrove trimming. The agency also responds to toxic chemical spills, hazardous-waste fires and fish kills.

Developers have long chafed under EPC's insistence that they redraw construction projects to avoid wetlands. Other agencies, such as state water management districts, let developers fill the wet areas and balance the damage by creating a wetlands elsewhere.

Public protest

The agency's hard line on wetlands protection was challenged two years ago when a majority of the county commission voted to eliminate the EPC wetlands division. A public uproar saved the department, but EPC had to streamline operations as its staff dropped from 175 employees to 150.

Garrity argues that those reductions and others taken during the past three years should shield the agency from Bean's proposed 21 percent cut next year.

County Commissioner Rose Ferlita agreed.

"If we impose an overly rigorous reduction given what they've already done in the past couple of years," Ferlita said, "I really don't know how well Dr. Garrity and his staff can do at overseeing and letting us know that, environmentally, Hillsborough is going in the right direction."

County budget director Eric Johnson, however, said that if the EPC's cuts are reduced, some other department - services for children or the elderly, perhaps - would have to take a bigger hit.

"We have horrendous cuts in all sorts of areas," Johnson said.

Johnson said Bean assigned each department a 20 percent cut based on available money. Then, department heads were given an opportunity to show how that 20 percent would affect services to residents.

Garrity did not share that information, Johnson said.

Johnson credited the EPC with shaving its budget the past two years, but he also noted that the savings were achieved under pressure from county commissioners.

Otherwise, Johnson said, EPC has been slower than other agencies to streamline operations in the face of falling property taxes.

"I would simply argue that other organizations enacted efficiencies in earlier years," Johnson said, "and EPC appears to be picking a period of the past two years that is advantageous to their argument."

What will a 21 percent cut do to environmental protection? For one thing, Garrity said, wetlands protection would be reduced. Eight employees will be let go, including engineers who make sure developments don't pull water out of wetlands on neighboring property.

"We're already eating into our minimal service level," Garrity said. "If we go further, you're not going to be able to respond to wetlands complaints or any other department complaints in a timely fashion."

Also affected would be the agency's tracking and monitoring of 150 abandoned landfills across the county. The EPC maintains a database of the landfills and monitors them for groundwater contamination or to make sure they are not developed.

Reorganization proposed

Garrity has taken a counterproposal to county commissioners, proposing that his budget be cut by 14 percent next year and 11 percent in 2011.

In return for scaling back the budget reductions, Garrity told commissioners he will reorganize the agency, eliminating two top director positions and laying off seven additional employees. Six directors will give up their car allowances, worth about $15,000 a year, and all employees will take 12 unpaid furlough days.

His presentation attracted early support from Ferlita and Commissioner Mark Sharpe.

"The mission of EPC is a very important one for our community," Sharpe said. "I just wanted to make sure they are capable of fulfilling their obligations."

Commissioners will discuss the budget again Thursday. The public hearing will be at 6 p.m. in the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd.

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

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