The latest news in the will-they-or-won't-they agree to merge saga between the Tampa Bay area's two biggest regional transit authorities — the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) — continued today with PSTA's board meeting. This was the first time PSTA's board met since HART's board rescinded a joint-vote last month to continue the study of a possible merger (PSTA members affirmed their earlier vote in support for a second study).
The two agencies were scheduled to meet today in Tampa for their final meeting before agreeing on recommendations to send the state legislature by Feb. 1. That would be the last step since the agencies were called to meet, pay for a consultant's study, and examine the ramifications for cost savings if they were to merge — all called for in a bill (that passed last year in Tallahassee) sponsored by Pinellas lawmakers Jack Latvala and Jeff Brandes.
But earlier this month, PSTA Executive Director Brad Miller cancelled today's meeting due to HART board members' decision to rescind their earlier support for a "desk audit," as originally agreed upon on Dec. 10.
However, today, the PSTA board agreed to meet HART's board in Tampa on Monday, Jan. 28 (the exact time is undecided).
But Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch doesn't understand why the boards need to meet again.
This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2013.