Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tribune article on HART, PSTA merger:
Merger of Pinellas, Hillsborough transit agencies studied
By TED JACKOVICS, The Tampa Tribune
October 16, 2012
If the Hillsborough County and Pinellas County transit agencies were to merge, they would buck a national trend, according to a consulting firm.
The Florida Legislature is requiring the transit authorities in both counties to report by Feb. 1 on a potential merger, additional consolidation or reorganization of each agency. Legislators hope one or more of the options would result in lower costs.
The two agencies already share intercounty bus routes and buy fuel together to trim costs.
Of eight merger or consolidation attempts studied by McCollom Management Consulting of Darnestown, Md., all but one resulted in no changes or only small steps toward consolidation.
“It’s remarkable how many cities have considered transit consolidation, but Hampton Roads, Va., is the only one that’s done it,” said Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority chief executive Brad Miller.
During a joint meeting Monday of the agencies’ boards, Miller and Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority chief executive Philip Hale outlined the next steps the two agencies will pursue.
The consultant will produce a report this month for the two agencies, which will evaluate the merger scenarios and present their findings to an oversight committee.
Drafts of the findings will be presented at a HART meeting on Dec. 3 and at a PSTA meeting on Dec. 5. The boards will discuss the issue on Dec. 10, with final recommendations on Jan. 14.
“Obviously, the public is going to be very concerned,” HART board member and Hillsborough Commissioner Sandy Murman said in calling for open comment at the meetings.
It’s possible a merger would require approval through a public referendum, depending on how revenue from the counties would be managed.
