Letter to Editor on “Elections Chief Meets with the NAACP”
The recent comments to a reporter for the St. Pete Times by the county administrator appointed by the Board of County Commissioners that if an elected county mayor becomes law in November, “the average person would lose services” is so far from any basis in truth or in fact and so misleading that such cannot go without a response. It is inappropriate to blame budget cuts on a citizens’ initiative that gives the people the right to vote on the form of government they want to take them into the 21st Century.
The current Charter of Hillsborough County provides that the appointed county administrator shall not take part in any political activity other than voting. Statements made by the appointed county administrator, either for or against the amendments to the Charter violate the charter and go far beyond providing citizens with information on the issue.
Government cannot have it both ways. It cannot argue that Amendment 1 and a sluggish economy are the reasons that services are being cut and then turn around and argue that if the people vote in an elected county administrator (mayor) that “the average person will lose services.”
Where were those concerns for citizens who from 2001 to 2007 watched the property tax revenue grow by 93.1% while inflation rate grew by 15.6%? Those taxes came out of the pockets of the residents of Hillsborough County while the population growth during the same time grew by 16.2%. Where were the efforts to hold down governmental spending then?
Now government has to live within it means. Contrary to the arguments by opponents that an elected county mayor will increase bureaucracy and increase government costs, the opposite is true.
The truth is that the elected mayor amendment provides for a one-for-one replacement – replace the position of a county administrator appointed by the Board of County Commissioners and place an elected county administrator (mayor) elected by the people into the same position. Such an action insures accountability to the people. The second amendment gives the county administrator (mayor) veto power over the legislative actions of the Board thereby creating a system of checks and balances promised by our forefathers.
The second statement that a “county mayor would result in decreased representation because voters would have to vie for time with one person who represents everyone, instead of approaching their district representative is another misleading statement. If something is to be done on the administrative side of government today, who do the people “vie for time” with? Or, is this an admission that the executive branch does not deal with the people or their concerns today? The same position would still exist after the amendments become law except rather than an appointed county administrator, it would be an elected county administrator (mayor). The amendments do not change the way in which the county commissioners are elected or interfere with the representation of the constituents in their districts. There will still be 7 elected county commissioners, three of which represent the entire county.
The comment ignores the current provision in the Charter which provides that “no person belonging to one branch shall exercise any powers appertaining to the other branch”. The elected county mayor would have no legislative powers and would not be able to enact any ordinance or raise taxes. Those powers do and will continue to be vested in the Board.
We face serious issues that cross county lines including transportation, environment, water and a host of other problems that have become more complex. Hillsborough County would have a mayor for the entire county that could reach across regional lines and represent Hillsborough County to resolve these difficult issues. There is no provision in our charter today that gives anyone the authority to be the Leader for all of the people.
The questions we should be asking our county government officials are: “Why did Orange, Broward and Dade County Charter Review Commissions or the Boards put the issue of an elected county administrator (mayor) on the ballot for their constituents?”; “Why did it take a citizens’ initiative to accomplish the same thing in Hillsborough County?” And finally, “Why did the Board of County Commissioners in Hillsborough County seek to authorize the expenditure of public funds and the use of county staff to advise the public that the Board did not find the change to the charter to be in the public’s best interests?”
For more information please visit: www.countymayor.com
Mary Ann Stiles, Chair, Elected County Mayor Political Committee
