Lawmakers Ignore, Insult Citizens In Power Grab At Sports Authority

Quick. Fill in the blank. The biggest challenge facing Hillsborough County is ________ ?

Congested roads? Better jobs? Drop-outs?

Wrong.

Lawmakers who represent Hillsborough in Tallahassee say our most pressing problem is the composition of the Tampa Sports Authority - the appointed board that oversees Raymond James Stadium, Legends Field, the St. Pete Times Forum and the city's three golf courses.

The delegation's top piece of legislation calls for upending the authority's city-county balance, an even split that - with an additional gubernatorial appointment - has worked for 30 years.

Senior delegation member Kevin Ambler, a Republican representative from Lutz, wants more members appointed from unincorporated parts of the county. That was his top goal last year, too. That, plus helping a few high school students experience the legislative process.

No wonder Hillsborough's agenda lacks muscle in Tallahassee.

It doesn't have an agenda, at least one that matters much.

Tallahassee Teaches Bad Habits

A surprising ritual has grown up around the legislative delegation's December hearing, its annual open house for local citizens.

The powerful and persuasive all show up with hands held out, and lawmakers spend virtually no time discussing public policy because the highest value is placed on moving quickly through a jam-packed agenda.

Why is it so difficult for "public servants" to engage the people they're supposed to represent?

If the agenda is too full, why not meet a second day? Is that asking too much?

A Ruckus-Rousing Moment

Something happened at last month's annual hearing that won't soon be forgotten.

The incident started when Ambler asked colleagues to waive the rules so that local bills could advance with fewer votes.

Had Ambler returned our calls, he might have argued that the absences of Ed Homan, Charlie Justice and Trey Traviesa made his vote-gathering challenge too great. Ronda Storms also arrived significantly, and habitually, late.

Still, by the time Ambler moved to change the rules, enough lawmakers had arrived to overcome the absences. Problem was, his bill had fractured support. So he invoked a legislative tradition that, no matter where it happens, insults citizens.

Ambler had the bill "temporarily passed," which gave him time to twist arms and round up votes. He made his way around the table, whispering in colleagues' ears. Together, they formed a gaggle that shut out an infuriated audience.

State lawmakers are exempt from Florida's famous Sunshine Law, unfortunately, and they take every opportunity to rub people's noses in it. They relish their right to meet behind closed doors, shut out stakeholders and emerge with half-baked legislation. If someone complains, they arrogantly say that citizens don't understand the rules are different in Tallahassee. According to them, citizens should just get over it.

To fully appreciate the delegation's arrogance, know, too, that Local Bill Number One was scheduled for discussion at 9 a.m., but because Ambler needed more supporters to arrive, he didn't begin his hush-hush journey until well after lunch. Audience members had to sit there all day, never knowing when the issue would be raised.

Norman Seeks County Dominance

For at least three years, Hillsborough Commissioner Jim Norman has pushed to increase the number of county appointees on the Sports Authority. It's rumored he wants to be the executive director, but the term-limited commissioner argues persuasively that his future interests lie in the state Senate.

Nevertheless, Norman remains a reckoning force on the authority. He has been chairman before and wants to be chairman again. And because he helped select the county's appointees, he holds sway over them. It's an influence not shared by Tampa City Councilwoman Gwen Miller, who also serves but had no role in selecting fellow city appointees. That job rests with the mayor.

With his pull, Norman never misses a chance to scratch the scab on the troubled city-county relationship. Novice city councilwoman Mary Mulhern gave him the perfect opportunity when she called for city representation on the county's Environmental Protection Commission. Norman saw a tit-for-tat opportunity to change the balance on the sports authority, too. He knew Ambler, his long-time friend, would help make it happen.

Somehow, membership on the City-County Planning Commission got added in, too.

What? You don't hear people bemoaning the balance of appointments on the planning commission? Neither do we.

Local House Bill Number One is about power in local politics, plain and simple.

Why Norman Is Wrong

Here's Norman's argument: The county deserves greater representation on the sports authority because it owns the stadium and must repay the construction bonds. With more than 70 percent of Hillsborough residents now living in unincorporated parts of the county, the county must protect its assets.

On closer examination, his argument falls apart.

First, while the county writes the check, the money to repay the bonds comes from the tourist development tax, 80 percent of which is collected in the city. Norman and Hillsborough Administrator Pat Bean are less than forthright on this point.

Second, the county took ownership of the stadium after the Florida Supreme Court said any sports facility not owned by a county must pay property taxes. But while the county is now the owner, Norman's grab ignores the city's stake. Tampa donated the land that the stadium sits upon, valued at $79 million in today's dollars. Any suggestion that city appointees would irresponsibly manage their investment is absurd.

Third, the city coordinates traffic management, police and permitting for stadium events. Last year it provided $987,000 in un-reimbursed expenses.

Finally, Local House Bill Number One would cement Norman's antipathy toward city residents. It would prohibit Hillsborough Commissioner Kevin White from appointing anyone from his district, which lies in the city. And it would do nothing to stop the county from double-billing city residents for cost overruns at the stadium, an expense paid just once by county residents.

In the end, Ambler won the day, though no one expects his bill to survive. The Legislature stays away from local bills filled with controversy.

So let death come quickly to Local House Bill Number One.

In the meantime, someone should tell Ambler that membership on the sports authority is not the No. 1 issue facing Hillsborough.

And he would teach his high school proteges a far greater lesson by focusing on solving problems that matter.