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Committee says 'no' to housing allowance for TSA candidate

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By MIKE SALINERO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 20, 2009

TAMPA - The Tampa Sports Authority's executive committee rejected a $10,000 housing allowance requested by the front-runner for the authority's vacant executive director post.

Eric D. Hart, president and CEO of the Lansing (Mich.) Entertainment and Public Facilities Authority, asked for the housing allowance to lighten the burden of paying two mortgages while he tries to sell his house in Michigan.

Another committee of the board, the executive search committee, had OK'd the housing allowance last week along with a base salary of $170,000 and pay incentives if Hart can generate more business for the authority.

"He coming from Lansing, Mich., and you know houses are not moving anywhere," said Tom Scott, head of the authority's search committee and a Tampa city councilman.

Scott noted that former executive director Henry Saavedra made $210,000 a year.

But Vin Marchetti and Jim Norman, members of the three-member executive committee, voted against giving Hart the allowance. Andy Scaglione, the third member of the committee, voted for the package.

Marchetti and Norman also voted against giving Hart six months severance pay. The authority had offered 12 weeks severance. The full board will make a decision on the package next Monday.

"There's no way we should be paying for somebody's mortgage when people are losing their homes and those people are paying that tax bill" to support the sports authority, Norman said.

The sports authority manages Raymond James Stadium and three Tampa golf courses.

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

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