The consulting group hired by HART and PSTA said a blending of the two transit agencies could save approximately $2.4 million in years to come. The savings would come from eliminating 22 redundant positions.
But that doesn't mean a merger is imminent.
Members of both boards spent more than two and a half hours on Monday morning discussing what the report — prepared by McCollum Management Consulting — said might happen if the two agencies form some type of legal partnership.
While the PSTA board seems eager to embrace the idea, Hillsborough's board remains divided. When County Commissioner Sandy Murman called for a motion that would authorize the state Legislature to conduct an audit on how exactly a partnership would be created, it was barely approved by HART members in a 6-5 vote. Meanwhile, PSTA board members unanimously voted in support of the motion.
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2012.