what if there was a county mayor
tommyThe BOCC decided to find out the effects of having a county mayor. Trib: Commission OKs Study Of County Mayor Idea
Three guesses as to what the outcome of this report might say.
Tags: hc bocc, tampa
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pinellas
March 2nd, 2006 at 6:30 pm
Nashville/Metro Davidson County Tennessee has had a county wide mayor for ages. I haven’t lived or worked there since ‘93 but it seemed to work pretty well then. Wouldn’t it be both cost effective, and provide for a lot more coherent growth/transportation planning if we just had one city/county council and a county wide mayor?
March 2nd, 2006 at 10:00 pm
this has nothing to do with having a county mayor, but do you happen to know what happened to the “interbay superstar/midnight culmination†blog? anyone?
thanks- sorry to hijack your post
March 2nd, 2006 at 11:00 pm
County Mayors/Chief Executives seem to work pretty well in other areas too. Back in Detroit where I am originally from, county chief executives are an integral part of local government. They offer the benefits you would expect of any executive post in a governmental unit, from city level on up to the national level.
Layers of government can cut two ways: having several municipalities AND a strong county government, like back in Michigan, can be costly. But they also provide the ultimate in local control, and city and county governments wield a great deal of control over development and the quality of life in their jurisdictions. Given the low tax burden we enjoy in Florida, I think it’s a fair tradeoff to pay a little more in order to enjoy a greater degree of control over the community.
I also agree with PortTampa re: city/county consolidation. It has done wonders for Jacksonville, although certainly the situation there is different. My suggestion would be to split current Hillsborough County in half, with Tampa/New Tampa/Temple Terrace etc in one half and Brandon/Ruskin etc in the other, and then merge Tampa and the northern half of Hillsborough. Temple Terrace could stay independent as the Jacksonville Beaches opted to do.
March 3rd, 2006 at 7:56 am
while i do agree that having a county mayor sounds like a good idea, i wouldn’t go around using detroit as a positive example of sucess…i too lived there and would basically model everything as “do the opposite of detroit” in order to ensure good decisions!
March 16th, 2006 at 10:12 am
[...] The first vote demands a study on the issue of a County Mayor. This vote clarifies an earlier directive, and we already know how this will come out. This “study” will tell us how bad, bad, bad this county mayor idea is. That, of course, will give the BOCC ammunition to kill the idea. Frankly, I don’t care what Pat Bean decides I just hope she provides a fair and accurate report. Changes to the county charter can be expensive mistakes I suppose. [...]
March 16th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
HEY JOE!…
(I know this is long, but try this…)
I believe there should be a third choice for voters come this November.
Observe: Jacksonville/Duval County, who’s millage rate of just over 18.5 for ALL county services, including schools and their bonds, libraries, mass transit, air and sea ports, water management authority, ad nauseam.
There, cheaper tax rates apply in all but one of four small municipalities and there is no “Ruskin-like†threat to secede from the county of Duval.
It’s called “a consolidated government†and it doesn’t exist anywhere else in Florida.
Yes, there should be a third option for Hillsborough County voters come this November.
Imagine, for a moment, if you can, one government…
Imagine: One government for all the county and the city. Imagine: One government - for all county and city residents. Imagine: One Mayor - with one budget. Imagine: One board of “district†representatives - instead of two constantly bickering over who-pays-for-what and what-benefits-whom. Imagine: One police force and one fire department.
Imagine: Lower taxes.
Go ahead, imagine that.
I believe there should be even a third proposal to consider this November’s ballot.
I realize nobody in Tampa wants to live in Jacksonville, including me. I know - I’ve lived there. We shouldn’t have to move to Jacksonville to enjoy better government services for less taxes. We just have to swallow our pride, and vote most of our current bunch of “spineless politicians†out of office (they are our biggest impediment to reforming our local government). And then, simply adopt a simpler, smaller, and cheaper alternative to our current governments “in-action†- in spite of all the cry-baby incumbents and bureaucrats warning us of doom and gloom and “the end is near!†It certainly would be — for them.
Imagine: Calling a government office and NOT being told, “You live in the City? Call them.†Imagine: NOT being told, “Sorry your house burned down, but you live in the county.†Imagine not driving past the county dump as you to drive to a downtown solid waste transfer station. Imagine residents paying equally fair shares for solid waste, water and sewer, stormwater, and street lighting. Imagine having just one district-elected representative, with no excuses about “the other local government.†Imagine just one zoning code, one set of hearing masters, and just one set of local codes and statutes. Too hard to accomplish? That is what they want us to believe.
At least one commissioner, Tom Scott, had the right idea, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.
There should be at least one more proposal on the ballot this November:
One government.
Comment by Forest Hills Larry — March 16, 2006 @ 6:14 pm at: County Mayor and you stupid voters
March 16th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
And previous comment to PortTampa too…
March 19th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
Currently the commissioners have said on this subject,
the voters of tampa dont read the petitions that they sign, will go into voting booths and just press buttons not knowing what they are voting for, and last dont want to discuss it because it just legitimizes an issue no one cares about. Yet they are trying to amend the charter to make it harder for voters to have a say.
It would be nice to have someone to represent us in the county government rather than their own agendas. I have already signed the petition, knew what I was signing, and definately know why I vote the way I do! Its time to focus these people in the direction of real issues and problems that we face as a county!
You can find the petition here as well as make contributions to the cause. It is definately time to make your voice heard. If not then the commissioners will have every right to continue to believe the things that they said this past week.
http://www.takingbackhillsboroughcountypoliticalcommittee.com/
April 21st, 2006 at 9:48 am
[...] Yesterday our favorite elected board got together to discuss the effects of a county mayor on the Environmental Protection Commission. As happens with this board from time to time, the conversation degraded into insults. [...]
April 28th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
County Mayor is a stupid idea. The last thing we need is another politician. You voters that supported pregnant pigs should stay home on election day. Maybe we should elect a pregnant county mayor pig. Yeah.
May 10th, 2006 at 1:12 pm
[...] But it’s not all silly ideas in the article. Both SoCal and North Central Texas have organizations that bring area communities together and oversee things like spending of federal transportation money. We’re still not sure about the county mayor idea, but a group like this in our area may not be such a bad thing. [...]