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Unforgettable Phyllis Busansky

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 24, 2009

When Phyllis Busansky first walked into the Tribune Editorial Board in 1988 as a candidate for the Hillsborough County Commission, the odds against her winning either our endorsement or the election were steep.

Her well-known primary opponent, a Tampa city councilman, was setting records for campaign contributions, much of it from influential developers.

While we had doubts about him, we were uncertain Busansky was a viable candidate. She was scarcely known outside county government, where she had been the head of aging services and personnel director. Her fundraising was modest, partly because she limited contributions to $100. And she displayed an unabashed confidence in government, something that worried an editorial board that prizes fiscal conservatism.

But we quickly learned that political labels couldn't define the dynamic Busansky, who, it's fair to say, made a powerful impression.

In our subsequent endorsement we wrote of her "sparkling intelligence, abundant energy and a burning affection for her fellow human beings."

We called her "one of the best candidates ever to run for the Hillsborough County Commission." And we've never had cause to regret those words.

Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Busansky, who died abruptly overnight Monday at age 72, brought energy, enterprise and resolve to every task she tackled.

In contrast to so many politicians these days, she sought to bring people together, not tear them apart.

Her compassion for the poor motivated her to develop Hillsborough's innovative indigent health care plan. But she also helped lead the effort to land the New York Yankees' spring training facility in Tampa. She understood its importance to the local economy.

Busansky's instincts may have been liberal - above all, she wanted to help people. But she wasn't dewy-eyed about it. She understood government's limitations. She hated waste and inefficiency and sought solutions that worked. She often looked to the private sector for ideas or partnerships that would achieve her goals.

Her overriding commitment was to community, not ideology or political party. She wanted results, not talking points. She enthusiastically worked with Republican colleagues, confident that people of diverse views could always find areas of agreement.

After replacing Buddy Johnson as supervisor in January, she quickly began to restore confidence in an office plagued by overspending, secrecy and technical blunders.

She assembled a capable team and brought to the office a much-needed focus on mission, transparency and professionalism.

Her abrupt death means Gov. Charlie Crist must appoint a successor who will serve until 2010, when an election will be held for the remaining two years of the term.

We hope Crist does not make the same mistake that Gov. Jeb Bush did when Pam Iorio resigned the office to run for mayor. Bush was led by politics to appoint former Republican lawmaker Johnson to a job that should be nonpartisan. Johnson's miscues would prove costly to the county and embarrassing to Bush.

Crist would do well to forget about political affiliations, ignore the behind-the-scenes politicking and appoint Craig Latimer, the chief of staff for the elections office, as supervisor. The former sheriff's office major, who has a strong record of community service, has been impressive in implementing reforms under Busansky.

It is painful to think such a decision is necessary so early in Busansky's promising tenure and that Hillsborough has lost such a skilled and visionary leader.

We will miss this charismatic woman who served the people of Hillsborough with such energy, imagination and good cheer. Phyllis Busansky set a standard for service to which all elected officials should aspire.

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