Hillsborough County Commissioners, following the lead from interim County Attorney Mike Merrill, voted unanimously to oppose a bill being proposed by East Hillsborough GOP state Senator Ronda Storms that would eliminate the county's Public Transportation Commission.
The Commission, the only organization of its type in the state, regulates taxis, limousines, ambulances, tow trucks, and other cars. It has not been without controversy over the years, but to a person, the members – new and old – of the County Commission denounced the idea that it should be eliminated.
In the spirit of cutting costs, Storms said in an interview with the St. Petersburg Times published Wednesday that there was no reason to fund such an agency, and she said that she hoped to find common cause with the members of her party:
"It makes good sense to me. It's what we stand for as Republicans. Less government, more efficiency, more streamlining. It's what the voters want," Storms said of her bill. "What is it that they're doing to justify the additional layer of government?"
Interim County Administrator Mike Merrill said that after he spoke with Senator Storms and reviewed an economic impact statement with Eric Johnson in the county's budget department, he determined that the cost would be higher if the the PTC's duties and responsibilities were transferred to the county, which is what Storms is calling for.
He added that there would not be an opportunity to generate additional revenue for the county, and it would put additional stresses on the board to duplicate the PTC's efforts.
In reaction to criticism of the the performance of the PTC's efforts, Merrill said he suggested to Storms that the most efficient way to handle that would be to commission a performance audit, "and deal with any issues that way."
Merrill's dismissal seemed to carry weight with the board.
Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has served on the PTC representing the BOCC, said that while he admitted to some "process or performance concerns," he said he certainly didn't feel that should be the sole basis for dismantling the board.
Commissioner Les Miller, a former state Senator who will be serving on the PTC, said that "sometimes legislators, in their infinite wisdom, file things without really giving a lot of thought to the process, " a clear dig at Senator Storms, though he immediately suggesting that wasn't the case here. "I see some of my former colleagues looking at me when I said that," he joked, looking over at Sandy Murman, who lost to Storms in a GOP primary for the senate seat that Storms currently holds back in 2006.
Miller also said with tens of thousands expected to descend upon Tampa in 20 months for the Republican National Convention, there was no need to make a change to a committee that oversees cabs in the city. "Let those of us that serve on that commission to take care of any performance issues," he said.
Shortly after that, the board voted 7-0 to not support Storms bill. The issue may come up in a couple of weeks when the Hillsborough legislative delegation meets in Tampa to discuss their priorities for the 2011 Legislative session.
This article appears in Nov 25 – Dec 1, 2010.