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For Hillsborough Commission: Sharpe, Rustmann, Crist and Miller

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 25, 2010

The jolting deceleration of the economy has put county government under unprecedented strain.

High unemployment and falling tax revenues leave the Hillsborough County Commission no margin for error in providing essential services and stimulating job growth. The budget will be the tightest in memory.

That means much is at stake in upcoming elections. Five of seven commission seats are on the ballot this year, and up to four races could essentially be decided in the Aug. 24 primary.

Because the two Democrats running in districts one and five were tardy in filing some of their paperwork, the Republican Party is suing to disqualify them. A court loss for Democrats would mean that aside from central Tampa's District 3, Democratic voters would be left without a single commission candidate to support in the main election in November.

Although only one in three voters registered in the county is a Republican, the party is positioned to wield disproportionate power, giving the primary extraordinary importance.

Countywide

The incumbent in countywide District 7, Mark Sharpe, is facing well-organized opposition from Josh Burgin, a former executive director of the Hillsborough County Republican Party.

Sharpe is an energetic commissioner who has led the local effort to bring more high-tech and bio-medical jobs to the county. Burgin gives Sharpe credit for that but faults him for supporting a transportation initiative.

Hillsborough is losing business, Burgin says, to counties in other states, such as Tennessee, with low taxes and lax rules. He favors across-the-board cuts for county departments.

Sharpe, a former naval intelligence officer and natural leader, avoids simplistic solutions, such as flat cuts on various county functions.

"Some things we should do better," Sharpe says, "and some things not at all."

Sharpe has been brutally forthright in voicing his opinion of leaders when he concludes they deserve to be replaced. Most recently, he led the effort to require County Administrator Pat Bean to resign. He has been relentless in cutting waste and seeking to streamline operations. He consistently challenges the status quo.

He wants to make all department heads reapply for their jobs and get rid of deadwood.

While a proven fiscal conservative, Sharpe broke ranks with some Republicans to support giving county voters a chance in November to increase the sales tax.

The revenue would be used mostly to improve buses, pay for long-delayed road projects and begin a rail service. Most business leaders, including the Tampa Bay Partnership, support a plan they believe will generate jobs and attract new businesses to a county whose traffic congestion is considered among the worst in the nation.

Sharpe shares that belief but stresses the ultimate decision should be taxpayers'. Regardless of the outcome of the transportation vote, he can be counted on to be an enterprising leader in bringing jobs and businesses to the county.

Sharpe has worked tirelessly to make the county more appealing to new employers in life-sciences and other fields and has helped repair the county's relationship with USF.

He is open, accessible and independent.

Burgin, a one-time aide to former County Commissioner Brian Blair, is an engaging young man, but his resume is slender.

In the general election the winner of the Republican primary will face Neil Cosentino, running with neither party affiliation nor much visible support and a write-in.

The Tribune strongly urges Republican voters to give Mark Sharpe a chance to continue providing the thoughtful, courageous leadership needed in uncertain financial times.

Peninsula and coast

Two strong Republican candidates are vying to replace Commissioner Rose Ferlita, who is leaving District 1 to run for mayor of Tampa. The district includes the Tampa peninsula, most of the airport area and the entire coast from Upper Tampa Bay Park to Cockroach Bay.

The winner will face Democrat John Dingfelder should Dingfelder remain on the ballot.

The GOP candidates, former state Rep. Sandra Murman and political newcomer Trey Rustmann, have very different strengths.

Murman has long been an advocate for children and has taken the lead on many community projects, most recently the Children's Museum.

In her campaign for county commission, she stresses the need to cut spending and promote in-fill development. She opposes the transit-tax referendum yet says she favors the transportation plan the tax would fund.

Murman's strengths are her political experience and a good working relationship with community leaders.

Trey Rustmann, a former leader of a Marine scout-sniper platoon who fought in the invasion of Iraq, would bring leadership and analytical skills that would benefit the county.

He believes in small government and is committed to ferreting out waste but supports the transportation referendum as a way to attract jobs and improve the local business climate. An executive with a staffing company with a master's in business administration from the University of Tampa, Rustmann puts a top priority on job growth and "living within our means." He would try to make local agencies easier to do business with, build a stronger partnership with the city of Tampa and better manage growth.

Murman is a personable, appealing candidate, but Rustmann would bring a much-needed fresh perspective and can-do attitude to the county. In District 1, the Tribune recommends Trey Rustmann.

North Hillsborough

Republican voters have another difficult decision in District 2, which includes the northwest, north-central and most of the northeast parts of the county. Commissioner Ken Hagan is leaving the district to run countywide in District Five, where he has no primary opponent.

State Sen. Victor Crist and urban planner Linda Pearson are both well qualified for the job. In November the winner will face Steven Morris, running without party affiliation.

Pearson, a volunteer on the sign appeals board and code enforcement board, knows how county government works. Her integrity was proved in one of the county's darkest moments. She was a new county staffer for a commission that in 1983 was rocked by a bribery scandal. Three commissioners were led away in handcuffs.

Pearson says she wasn't surprised. She became an aide to a replacement commissioner and also served for two other commissioners. Now a zoning consultant, she is confident she could improve the permitting process to make it easier for companies to relocate here.

Crist, a veteran lawmaker (not related to Gov. Charlie Crist) and head of the Senate's Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations, also puts a priority on economic growth. Crist has been an effective champion of the blighted neighborhoods west of USF and led the effort to build the University Community Center. He understands the need to focus the county's attention on urban redevelopment.

An independent thinker capable of irritating even his friends, Crist throughout his career has put principles of public service ahead of partisanship. He consistently fights for low taxes and efficiency. Both candidates are against the proposed local sales tax increase.

Crist is a workaholic who correctly calls himself "smart enough to listen." In District 2, The Tribune endorses Victor Crist.

Central Tampa

We didn't expect great things from Commissioner Kevin White, but he nevertheless managed to disappoint.

While doing little for his district, White hired an attractive young aide who accused him of sexual harassment. The incident happened in Atlanta on an overnight trip unrelated to county business. It was no surprise that a jury found her more credible than White and awarded her $75,000 plus legal bills. Now the county is suing White to try to recover some of the $425,000 the case has cost taxpayers.

Despite the embarrassment and bad judgment that warranted his apology and resignation, White, a former police officer and city council member, still expects voters to believe he is the victim. Voters who believe that deserve what they get.

But voters have two trustworthy alternatives in the Democratic primary to represent District 3, which includes a big part of the urban heart of the county, including Ybor City and some of the county's poorest neighborhoods.

Former state lawmaker Lesley "Les" Miller would be a wise choice. So would Valerie Goddard, chairman of the Hillsborough County Children's Board. The winner will face only a write-in candidate in the general election.

Goddard emphasizes that she is not a career politician. She promises better relations between the city and county, improved services to children and job creation. She is a good communicator who would be sensitive to community needs.

Miller, who now works for USF after serving 14 years in the Legislature, also promises to bring jobs to the district. He would consider creating enterprise zones to help businesses grow. Miller's wife is Tampa City Councilwoman Gwen Miller.

He understands the need to curtail "wild-willy" development that costs taxpayers and wants to consolidate city-county services where feasible to save money.

All three candidates support giving voters a chance to improve roads and transit.

Miller has a big edge in political experience. He was an effective lawmaker who knew how to work with the opposing party to help his constituents. He promises not to raise property taxes and says, "Times have changed. Government has to change."

In District 3, our support goes to Les Miller.

Districts 4, 5 and 6

Commissioner Ken Hagan is leaving District 2 to run in countywide District 5, a seat now held by state Senate candidate Jim Norman.

Hagan faces no opposition in the Republican primary. Democrats have nominated Linda Saul-Sena, and Jim Hosler is running without party affiliation.

There are no elections this year in eastern Hillsborough District 4, held by Al Higginbotham, and in countywide District 6, held by Kevin Beckner.

Candidate rebuttals should be limited to 200 words. E-mail replies to tribletters@tampatrib.com or write to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 191, Tampa, 33601-0191.

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