Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times article on Carly Fiorina:

Carly Fiorina speaks in Tampa, ‘very seriously considering’ presidential run

• By Rachel Crosby, Times Staff Writer

Thursday, March 19, 2015 5:41pm

TAMPA — Carly Fiorina wants to “unlock potential.”

Those two words were the subject of the possible Republican presidential candidate’s talk Thursday afternoon in Tampa. Yet in front of about 300 local business leaders — almost all women — the former Hewlett-Packard CEO hinted at her own ambitions.

“When did we decide only professional politicians can run for office?” Fiorina asked a filled ballroom at the Floridan Palace Hotel. “There are lots of experiences and perspectives that are valuable in public life.”

Her own experiences are overwhelmingly in business. She became the first female CEO of a Fortune 50 company before the turn of the century — a point of pride for Fiorina, who graduated from Stanford with a medieval history and philosophy degree before a series of stumbles.

She dropped out of law school, because she said she hated it. She was fired from her executive position at HP after a failed merger with Compaq. She was diagnosed with breast cancer months before she lost her 35-year-old stepdaughter to the “demon of addiction.” And then she lost her Senate campaign in California about five years ago.

But the calm, collected conservative is still fighting. Maybe it’s her name — Carly means “small champion” — or maybe it’s her “potential.”

Throughout her 30-minute address, she repeated the word many times. She stressed community involvement. She touched on foreign policy. And she reminded the crowd of her successes.

Fiorina earned a master’s in management from MIT. She climbed the ladder at AT&T and jumped to corporate operations at Lucent. Then Fiorina landed at HP.

The crowd on Thursday was speckled with local leaders, like Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman and Tampa police Chief Jane Castor.

One woman, Selena Ward, brought her 12-year-old daughter, Jonnee, who was on spring break from Tampa Preparatory School.

“I think it’ll be a great experience for her,” the 40-year-old said, “to see women in leadership.”

Though the words “unlocking potential” are common, in usage the phrase is something Fiorina has sort of coined. It’s the title of her Super PAC, a women’s engagement initiative, and it’s among a set of words she has accused Hillary Clinton of stealing: The former secretary of state recently told about 5,000 Silicon Valley female tech professionals to “unlock our full potential.”

But on Thursday, Fiorina said, “I agree with Hillary Clinton,” even though she has publicly condemned the potential Democratic presidential candidate.

“Maybe it’d be a good idea to have a woman in the White House,” she said.

When asked if she could be that woman, Fiorina said, “Maybe.” But will she run?

“I’m very seriously considering it,” she said, adding that she will announce a decision in April or May. “Very seriously considering it.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this WUSF News article on the Women’s Leadership Conference:

Thu March 19, 2015

New Women’s Leadership Conference Announced

By Daylina Miller

March 20, 2015

Hundreds of business women gathered Thursday at the Floridan Palace Hotel in downtown Tampa for a luncheon, guest speakers and special announcement.

The announcement was tucked inside a black, matte envelope and covered in orange, purple and pink chevron print with a quote from Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling.

The news? A new conference aimed at helping Florida’s professional women network and find resources to empower them to take on leadership opportunities.

The first Women’s Conference of Florida is planned for May 2016 in Tampa, and will include workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities for professional women around the state.

Arlene DiBenigno, CEO and president of the conference, said the event has been in the works for a long time. She enlisted her friend, business woman and conservative political pundit Carly Fiorina to be the keynote for the luncheon.

“We’ve always had the conversation of how she was a secretary and rose to the ranks of being a CEO,” DiBenigno said. “But in her career, looking around, there aren’t many women that have been able to do that and why is that?”

“We have always come back to the same conversation and three weeks ago I called her and said, ‘I’m going to do this’ And she said, ‘I will be there and help you.’”

Carly Fiorina, political pundit and former CEO for Hewlett-Packard, was the keynote Tuesday for a business women luncheon.

Credit Daylina Miller/WUSF News

Fiorina spoke to the audience before the conference announcement was made.

She previously served as CEO of Hewlett-Packard from 1999 to 2005 and in 2014, launched the Unlocking Potential Project. Fiorina discussed her own experiences as a CEO and issues that face women every day.

“When we talk about how important it is to engage women, it’s not because women are more important than men or better than men,” Fiorina said. “It’s because women represent half the potential in the world.

“And we know that when women get engaged in anything- in poverty alleviation, in disease eradication, in illiteracy- you get a woman engaged in the world’s problems or in business or in politics, everything gets better.”

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman is chairing the conference because she believes women need a way to build themselves up in a world that teaches them to tear themselves down.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman is chairing the conference.

Credit Daylina Miller/WUSF News

“Through my 20 years of private stay at home to a successful business career and then 20 years in public service, I have seen women tear themselves down,” Murman said. “For 40 years. And I knew I had to commit to do something about it.”

The Women’s Conference of Florida will not end after its two-day premiere in downtown Tampa next year, DiBenigno said. She said it will be a self-sustaining organization that raises awareness of issues important to women.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this WTSP article on firefighters:

Commissioners concerned with firefighters’ activities

Mike Deeson, WTSP

6:44 p.m. EDT March 18, 2015

And Union President Derrick Ryan has a contract that secures a six figure salary as a firefighter without ever stepping foot in a fire station. (Photo: International Association of Firefighters)

Tampa, Florida — There was strong reaction Wednesday from a Hillsborough County commissioner after a 10 Investigates report of firefighters getting paid with tax dollars to campaign for politicians.

We found some firefighters are campaigning while on the clock which violates county and state law. There also were firefighters who are taking additional time off when there is no union business happening and that is violating their own contracts with the county.

And Union President Derrick Ryan has a contract that secures a six figure salary as a firefighter without ever stepping foot in a fire station.

His contract also allows him to bank vacation time and sick hours, and cash them out when he retires, ultimately costing you the taxpayer even more money.

There was strong reaction Wednesday from a Hillsborough County commissioner after a 10 Investigates report of firefighters getting paid with tax dollars to campaign for politicians.

We brought these issues to the commission meeting Wednesday and Hillsborough Commissioner Kevin Beckner says he’s concerned.

Beckner says, “I understand what you have identified and obviously if that is certainly occurring that is certainly troubling and should not be occurring and again it’s something that we probably need to tighten up and re-address with the chief as well as with the union contract negotiations.”

Meantime, Commission Chair Sandy Murman tells 10 Investigates that the county attorney insists union time off is like vacation pay and comes from a separate union account.

However, the former union president was fired for taking vacation during union leave, and a circuit court judge also ruled the pay was coming from county tax dollars for fighting fires, not union business.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on homeless audit:

Hillsborough administrator apologizes for homeless program’s continued problems

WILLIAM R. LEVESQUE

Tampa Bay Times

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 6:14pm

TAMPA — A new internal audit of Hillsborough County’s homeless program shows the county failed to conduct all required inspections of housing where the homeless are referred, a deficiency that occurred despite promises by county officials to fix and rebuild the troubled program.

County Administrator Mike Merrill apologized to commissioners Wednesday, saying he was “very disappointed and upset” at the audit’s findings given his previous assurances to remedy program ills.

Merrill said it was particularly galling that inspections did not take place because that specific problem is what led the Hillsborough Homeless Recovery program to unravel after a 2013 Tampa Bay Times investigation documented slumlords getting public cash to place families in unsafe living conditions.

“Even though no clients were put in harm’s way in this case, that is not an excuse,” Merrill said at the commission’s regular meeting. “There is no excuse for not inspecting properties the way that we had promised that we would, that I had promised you and the community. And so I apologize for that. It’s my responsibility to make sure that this gets cleaned up. And I will do that.”

The audit also noted “monitoring procedures are incomplete” to ensure program compliance with county rules and charities working with Hillsborough sometimes did not conduct required criminal background checks on those seeking services.

A 2013 Times investigation of the county’s Homeless Recovery program found that Hillsborough funneled millions in public dollars to slumlords in a program providing transitional housing for the poor. The investigation won a Pulitzer Prize and led the county to the first major reform of the housing program in two decades.

The new audit sampled 25 out of more than 2,000 required inspections in the program for nine months of 2014 and found no evidence in four cases that inspections of housing had taken place. That is 16 percent of the sample.

The housing is provided by three charities under contract with Hillsborough — Metropolitan Ministries, the Salvation Army and the Agency for Community Treatment Services.

“If property inspection are not performed, clients may be living in and the county may be paying for properties which do not meet the minimum housing standards,” the audit said.

The county’s audit rated the homeless program as “satisfactory” overall, meaning that program controls and oversight are adequate but can be improved. The audit said the problems have either already been corrected or were in the process of being fixed.

Merrill said in an interview that the county does not believe any of the housing provided was deficient. But he said he was still angered because this specific issue was a top priority in revamping the program.

“That is the problem we had in the prior program and the one we promised to fix,” he said. “And it’s the one we have the resources to fix. And it should be the easiest to fix. It’s not difficult.”

Merrill said he was particularly disturbed that he found out about the problem only from the audit and not from county staffers working in the program. He said staffers explained they were too busy administering the program and did not discover problems.

“Staff did not perform properly,” Merrill said. “So I need to do something to make sure it never happens again.”

The audit said that of the nine full-time employees in the program, four positions are now vacant. Merrill said that might have been one of the reasons problems were not discovered by staff. He said the manager of the program was doing case work.

“Then again, if they had said to me that they needed to fill the position, I would have filled the position,” Merrill told the Times.

Merrill said he is not yet sure what changes he will make in the program to ensure 100 percent compliance with county rules and policies.

“But again, I will assure you I will get this remedied,” he told the commission.

Hillsborough’s internal auditor, Michelle Leonhardt, told commissioners the audit was “satisfactory” overall and services are vastly improved from a year ago. “There are opportunities to improve,” she said. “But (it’s) a huge difference from where we were to where we are now. Absolutely.”

Commission chairwoman Sandy Murman said she was confident in county staff’s ability to work out any problems in homeless services.

“I know these things do take time,” she said. “Let’s just tighten up the ship. Get it right.”

An April 2014 internal audit found the homeless program in far worse shape. It said the county had not inspected property where it sent the homeless for years and had no policy to respond to complaints that places were filthy and dangerous.

Hillsborough ended up replacing its program by outsourcing it to charities under county contract. As of Sept. 30, the three charities had housed at least 553 people and 275 children, and received $2.2 million in funding, the audit said.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on homeless audit:

Politics

Problems revealed in homeless audit may spark staff shakeup

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: March 18, 2015

TAMPA — Hillsborough County’s Homeless Services program, which had rebounded after a scandal in 2013, failed to perform promised inspections at agencies that contract to house homeless people, according to an internal audit released this week.

The audit also found two agencies that contract with the county, the Agency for Community Treatment Services and Salvation Army, had not done criminal background checks of clients to check for felonies or sexual offenses as required under a federal Emergency Solutions Grant. Housing Services failed to catch the compliance failures through the department’s monitoring process, according to the audit.

“If monitoring compliance with all contract requirements is not performed, ineligible clients may be served and/or eligible homeless clients may not be receiving all services required by the contract,” auditors said in explaining the finding.

In two other, less-severe findings, auditors said Homeless Services did not consistently review invoices from the three agencies that contract with the county — ACTS, Salvation Army and Metropolitan Ministries, and did not make monthly program reports to the county’s Affordable Housing Services Department, the homeless program’s partner in the federal grant. Internal auditors reviewed a sample of nine invoices and found a total overpayment of $1,619.

The findings embarrassed County Administrator Mike Merrill, who apologized to county commissioners at their meeting Wednesday. In September 2013, Merrill fired managers and reorganized the former Homeless Recovery Program after it was disclosed the program paid Republican fund raiser William “Hoe” Brown $625,000 to house clients in substandard rooms and apartments.

“Even though no clients were put in harm’s way in this case … there is no excuse for not inspecting properties the way that we had promised that we would, that I had promised you and the community, and so I apologize for that,” Merrill said.

After the meeting, Merrill said he may restructure the homeless department once more. Merrill said he was angered more that his managers did not report the missteps to him than about the actual deeds themselves.

“The thing that really disturbed me was that the first time I found out we hadn’t met the commitment is when I got the audit,” Merrill said. “Tell me what the problem is. Don’t wait until it becomes a problem. That’s what I expect of all my staff.”

The findings were especially disappointing, Merrill said, because of the progress the county government has made in helping homeless clients since the Hoe Brown scandal. The Emergency Solutions Grant, which the county was awarded last June, provided $157,787 to rapidly find new housing for 56 families — 142 people — from June 3 through Sept. 28.

Then in November, the county partnered with the city of Tampa to address the plight of homeless veterans through Operation Reveille. In one day, the city and county were able to rehouse 52 homeless veterans in units furnished by Ashley Furniture. Each of the 11 families helped by the program got a case manager and 12 months assistance with rent and utilities.

“They’ve done so many good things,” Merrill said, speaking of Operation Reveille. “The problem is that all that gets overshadowed when something like this happens. It’s just stupid.”

Commissioner Sandra Murman, who has made helping homeless residents one of her missions on the board, called the audit findings a “blip in the screen” of an otherwise solid program.

“I’m not worried about it, overly concerned, because no one slipped through the cracks, no individuals,” Murman said. “But let’s just tighten up the ship, get it right, steer it forward and let’s do what we have to do again to get the job done.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on the Port:

Port Authority Board votes to authorize building new refrigerated warehouse

JAMAL THALJI

Tampa Bay Times

Tuesday, March 17, 2015 12:05pm

TAMPA – The Tampa Port Authority’s governing board on Tuesday authorized spending $20.8 million – half from the port, half from the state – to one day build a new refrigerated warehouse to bring back perishable foods Tampa’s docks.

Port officials said that they’re also negotiating with several companies looking to move their food products through Tampa.

“We’re very close,” said port CEO Paul Anderson.

The port voted to seek matching state funds, and committed to spending $10.4 million of its own money on the project. The board did not vote to actually start construction.

The board may wait to do that until it finds a food importer willing to sign a contract to commit to using the facility But the board could, in the future, also decide to launch the project without having a customer lined up.

The board also approved spending millions of port and state dollars to get the site ready for that future warehouse: moving utility lines, extending a rail line and dredging improvements. That work will start as soon as possible to get the site ready for the warehouse project.

“These items you’re approving today will support us in the coming months and years,” Anderson told the board.

Decades ago, Tampa’s port was known for its iconic banana docks. It was a thriving hub for imported fruit up until the 2000s. That’s when the business dried up. The last fruit importer left in 2009 and the port tore down its old, deteriorating fruit warehouses.

Port Manatee has supplanted Port Tampa Bay as the region’s hub for imported fruit. Tampa is trying to change that. But that would require building a new, modern refrigerated warehouse on Hookers Point to store those perishable foods.

Attracting new cargoes like imported fruit and cars have been a priority at the port since Anderson took over in 2013.

Hillsborough County Commission Chairwoman Sandra Murman, who sits on the port board, said she knows that the port’s negotiations with these potential customers are secret. But she’d still like to start learning more about these potential deals.

“I would really like to see the big picture,” she said. “I know some of these things are confidential … but we are doing great things, we are marketing and bringing people in, but I don’t have any quantifiable numbers.”

Anderson said those deals will become public as soon as the ink hits the contracts.

“We have skin in the game on all these projects,” he said. “We are not going to miss an opportunity.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune column by Chris Ingram on clubs inviting criminal behavior:

Commentary

Chris Ingram: Time to crack down on clubs that invite criminal behavior

Published: March 13, 2015

Two weeks ago Saturday, Angel Reyes, 22, was shot dead outside a Town ’n Country strip club. The shooting occurred in the parking lot, when a brawl inside the strip club spilled outside. A bouncer shot Reyes after he pulled out a laser pointer that looked like a handgun. Sheriff’s officials say Reyes had a substantial criminal history.

The shooting was at Thee Crazy Horse bar on West Hillsborough Avenue. It is located in a run-down building with a mostly dirt parking lot. On any given day, the lot is packed with patrons as late (or early) as 5 a.m.

But the patrons at that time of day, according to Col. Greg Brown of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, aren’t at Thee Crazy Horse, which has to close at 3 a.m. because it serves liquor. Rather, Brown says, they are at the “bottle club” next door called Glo — which is owned by the same people who own Thee Crazy Horse.

Between the two, there is a lot of crime, ranging from multiple shootings, drugs, brawls, battery, vehicle theft, fraud and pickpocketing.

According to Tribune reports, sheriff’s records show about 130 calls for service over the past 13 months at the address of the two clubs, though many were traffic stops in front of the clubs unrelated to the goings on at the bar.

Regardless, neighbors have been complaining about the crime and noise from the parking lot for years.

Sheriff David Gee told me, “Bottle clubs are typically worse than strip clubs. There is even more lewd behavior there than at strip clubs, because the bottle clubs tolerate it. Most strip clubs don’t have a lot of calls for [law enforcement] because they do a good job self-policing.”

Gee says Glo bottle club is one of just three such clubs in the county, but there were 11 when he first took office. “It’s tough to get their licenses [revoked]. But the county assures me they will never again issue a license for a bottle club,” he said.

Residents in the upscale waterfront community around Thee Crazy Horse and the Glo bottle club are fuming at all the crime, and many have contacted their county commissioners.

Commissioner Sandy Murman says she has received many calls and letters, and is working with code enforcement and the sheriff’s office to find a solution. But, she says, “To shut a business down, you have to go through a process.”

Processes aside, strip clubs and bottle clubs that invite criminal behavior are a blight on the community of Town ’N Country and Hillsborough County.

Unfortunately, when establishments like these are closed down, another one (often with the same owner) pops up in its place at the same location. Law enforcement officials say many such clubs do this never-ending game of changing owners (often to family members) to avoid scrutiny from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. I suggest to the county commission that the county should explore offering a tax cut, tax credit, millage reduction or other type of financial incentive to the landlords of properties housing strip clubs or bottle clubs if they do not re-lease their property to other such establishments after a previous strip or bottle club has closed, been shut down, or lost its lease. Furthermore, the county should establish that bars, strip clubs, bottle clubs and the like cannot be within a prescribed distance from a residential neighborhood.

In the meantime, all that residents of Town ’N Country can do is hope the sheriff’s office and code enforcement find something that will stick and lead to these scabs of the community being shut down. In all likelihood, they will, as it is unlikely Glo or Thee Crazy Horse or others like them are going to change their ways of doing business and attracting the riffraff that patronizes them.

As of press time on Thursday, the State Attorney’s Office had not announced whether charges would be filed against the bouncer who shot Angel Reyes.

Chris Ingram is a columnist, political consultant and political analyst for Bay News 9. Follow him on Twitter at: @IrreverentView.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this PRNewswire report on Xcelience expanding HQ operations to Tampa:

Xcelience to Expand Headquarter Operations in Tampa

International pharmaceutical development and manufacturing company will create 100 new jobs, capital investment of more than $9 million

TAMPA, Fla., March 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the expansion of Xcelience, an international contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) servicing the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Xcelience will expand product development services and manufacturing operations in Tampa, creating 100 new jobs and retaining another 100 jobs. Xcelience will also invest $9 million in the region as part of the expansion.

Governor Scott said, “We are proud to announce that Xcelience is adding 100 new jobs in Florida because we know that every new job helps a family in our state. We are glad that Xcelience has continued to invest and expand in Florida, and it is announcements like this that are helping our state become the global destination for jobs.”

Xcelience will increase capacity in their manufacturing facilities with a 6,000 square foot expansion at their 5415 W. Laurel Street location. In addition, Xcelience will expand its pharmaceutical development labs in a new 71,000 square foot headquarters at 4910 Savarese Circle in Tampa to support future company growth. The positions will include staff for pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, quality assurance and packaging.

“Tampa is a great place to build a base of scientific capabilities,” said Derek Hennecke, President & CEO of Xcelience. “The warm climate attracts a stable workforce, and the government at all levels is eager to help us grow and prosper. Our location puts us just a mile from the airport, making it easy for out of state clients to find us. Exciting things are coming down the pipeline for Tampa, for Xcelience, and the exciting new medical treatments we are developing with our clients.”

Xcelience provides preformulation, formulation development, analytical services, GMP manufacturing, small-scale commercial manufacturing, and global clinical supplies packaging and logistics to help companies move a drug into clinical trials. The company continues to be recognized as a leader in the industry and will be receiving six Leadership Awards at next week’s Life Science Leader CMO Award Reception in New York.

“Hillsborough County offers the workforce talent, lifestyle, and culture of innovation that global companies like Xcelience need to thrive,” said the Hon. Sandy Murman, Chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. “We are committed to supporting their growth and appreciate their investment in our community.”

“Xcelience’s expansion of their global headquarters here is a testament to Tampa as a top life sciences and manufacturing destination,” said City of Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. “The word is out about our city as a great place for science and technology professionals to live, work and play – and that excitement is driving the growth of key innovation sectors.”

Florida’s manufacturing sector ranks among the top 10 nationally with more than 18,200 companies employing some 317,000 people statewide. In 2014 the sales tax on manufacturing equipment was temporarily eliminated, and this year Governor Scott is working with the Florida Legislature to permanently eliminate it. Also, Florida has established itself as a premier location for life science clusters, and is home to world-renowned biomedical research institutes and nearly 1,000 biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Secretary of Commerce and Enterprise Florida President & CEO Bill Johnson said, “Today we celebrate Xcelience’s expansion in the state of Florida, and applaud their creation of 100 new jobs. Florida has become a well-known destination for both manufacturing and life sciences companies, and Florida’s pro-business climate will allow the state to become even more competitive.”

This project was made possible by the close partnerships between Enterprise Florida, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, CareerSource Florida and the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation.

Florida Department of Economic Opportunity Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “Xcelience’s expansion is another positive chapter in Tampa’s economic turnaround the last few years. The Scott administration will continue to support pro-growth policies that help the manufacturing and biotech sectors thrive in Florida. Successes such as these move us closer to our goal of making Florida the best state in which to live, learn, pursue a career, and start or grow a business.”

“Successful companies such as Xcelience know their current and future competitiveness in the global marketplace is linked to their ability to maintain a highly skilled workforce,” said CareerSource Florida President & CEO Chris Hart IV. “The training funds we are providing from CareerSource will help ensure employees at this expanding biotech business have the right skills at the right time to prosper.”

Xcelience joins an increasing number of life sciences and manufacturing industry companies that have decided to expand in Tampa and Hillsborough County, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Covidien, HealthPlan Services, Synergy Health, Smart Science Labs, and LifeLink.

Rick Homans, President & CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, said, “Xcelience is another prime example of a locally headquartered company with a global reputation whose growth is helping to shape Hillsborough County’s economic future. The strength and diversity of our manufacturing, life sciences, and technology sectors are attracting more world class companies and talent to Tampa each year.”

Individuals interested in open job listings may refer to the company’s career website at http://www.xcelience.com/careers/.

In January, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and the Tampa City Council approved a combined local incentive package of $100,000, supporting a commitment of $400,000 from the State of Florida through the Qualified Target Industry (QTI) program. The total QTI allocation of $500,000 will provide the company with support for up to 100 of the new, high-wage positions. The incentives, to be distributed over a period of six years, are performance-based, meaning funds are only paid after the jobs are created at the wages promised. The incentivized jobs will pay a minimum average wage of $56,000.

In addition, the State of Florida will provide Xcelience with $135,000 in Quick Response Training (QRT) program funds for the reimbursement of training costs for new employees and $585,000 in sales tax exemptions for the purchase of qualified manufacturing equipment as well as machinery and equipment used predominantly for research and development.

Xcelience offers a suite of services enabling clients to partner with a single CDMO for all of their clinical outsourcing needs. Services include preformulation, analytical services, formulation development, GMP manufacturing, small-scale commercial manufacturing, and clinical supplies packaging and logistics. Xcelience takes pride in delivering the highest standards in science and service with an emphasis on quality, cost and speed.

The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation is the lead economic development agency for Hillsborough County and the cities of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace. Established in 2009 as a partnership between the public sector and private corporate investors, the EDC works to develop and sustain a thriving local economy through the attraction, retention and expansion of high wage jobs and capital investment within targeted industry sectors. Working with C-level executives, site selection consultants, commercial real estate professionals, and other influential decision makers, the EDC provides customized, confidential relocation services to domestic and international companies interested in growing within Hillsborough County.

The Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation exists because of the generous support of nearly 100 corporations, Hillsborough County, and the cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on conservation lands:

Politics

County land conservation program’s well is running dry

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: March 8, 2015

TAMPA — Hillsborough County’s land conservation program is a voter favorite, winning 70 percent approval on three different occasions.

With that bedrock of voter support, the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program has purchased more than 61,500 acres of environmentally sensitive lands. These pristine tracts, protected from development for posterity, are popular getaways where people can hike, camp, canoe or fish. The land also protects watersheds from pollution and maintains corridors for wildlife.

But now, in its 25th year, the program commonly called ELAPP is at a crossroads. Money to make new land purchases is running short, and county commissioners, in a slow-to-recover economy, are loath to pass even a small property tax to fund future bond issues.

“We have a lot of A-rated sites,” said Jack Berlin, a businessman and member of the ELAPP general committee. “If they became available and we don’t have the funds to buy them, I suspect there would be a revolt of the environmental community.”

ELAPP’s current problem sprang from the 2008 election when voters authorized up to $200 million in bond issues to buy land. Unlike earlier successful ELAPP referendums, the 2008 ballot language did not include a small property tax of up to 0.25 mills — about $25 a year for the owner of a $150,000 house, with homestead exemption. In past elections, the tax had been included to provide money to pay off bonds.

ELAPP general committee chairwoman Jan Smith said she and other environmentalists wanted the property tax included in the 2008 referendum. They were opposed, however, by county commissioners who didn’t want to put an ELAPP measure on the ballot at all.

“In order to get anything, we had to cave to the county,” Smith said. “A large group of us worked … to get an ordinance written in such a way to be acceptable to everybody.”

With no revenue stream, ELAPP is in jeopardy of becoming irrelevant. Just $3.5 million remains in the ELAPP fund from a $59 million bond issue approved by county commissioners in 2009. The other $55.5 million was used to buy 17,000 acres of undeveloped land, including the 12,800-acre Lower Green Swamp Preserve, formerly called Cone Ranch.

“If we said we wanted to have another $59 million, would the county commission be willing to raise the millage across the board so that money can be bonded?” Smith asked.

The answer probably is no. Not only has the commission’s Republican majority been averse to raising the property tax rate, it takes pride in lowering the millage by a fraction every year. In the most recent exercise of this mostly symbolic gesture, commissioners cut the property tax for this year by 0.0017 mills. That’s a reduction of 26 cents for the owner of a house valued at $200,000, with homestead exemption.

❖ ❖ ❖

Even commissioners who say they are strong supporters of ELAPP are not willing to renew the property tax once earmarked to fund the program. Victor Crist, for one, has suggested the county should do more to encourage ecotourism. But when asked about funding for ELAPP, Crist said some yet-to-be-revealed revenue stream will be identified to rescue the program.

“I am for buying more land; I am not for raising any property taxes,” Crist said. “I don’t think we’ve recovered enough for people to afford it.”

Commissioner Sandra Murman said she could not commit to levying a property tax for ELAPP without knowing more about what land would be purchased and checking with her constituents.

“I do think land acquisition is important for the quality of life in our state,” Murman said. “But as a commissioner, I have to balance those priorities.”

The commission’s newest member, Stacy White, recently proved his environmental bona fides when he publicly opposed expanding the county’s urban service boundary, the line beyond which the county will not extend sewer, water and other services.

Pushing water and sewer lines into largely rural areas is seen by smart-growth advocates as a recipe for sprawl.

White, an avid outdoorsman, said he is a staunch supporter of ELAPP and pledged to work for its funding.

“I would say you can never have enough with respect to conservation easements, especially in an urbanized county like Hillsborough,” White said. “We’re renowned because of the land we’ve been able to preserve.”

But when asked about ELAPP’s present predicament, White suggested that as property values rise in a recovering economy, they might yield enough new tax revenue to fund bond issues without raising the millage rate.

Even if commissioners were open-minded about passing a tax for ELAPP, the county has competing priorities that likely will trump land conservation. Fixing the area’s congested traffic system will take billions of dollars, for example — money that only can be raised through a tax increase.

❖ ❖ ❖

A sales tax increase likely will go to a vote in November 2016.

On that same ballot, voters will be asked to renew a property tax that funds the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. Voters first approved underwriting the child welfare agency in October 1988 by passing a 0.5 mill property tax — 50 cents for every $1,000 in property value.

County Administrator Mike Merrill said Hillsborough has so many pressing needs that an ELAPP bond issue is unlikely to make the cut as commissioners work on the fiscal 2016 budget this year.

“It’s the timing,” Merrill said. “If in a couple of three years (finances) get better, absolutely.”

Other current events, however, argue for urgency in solving the ELAPP funding problem. In November, Florida voters approved Amendment 1, also known as the Florida Water & Land Legacy amendment. Passed with a 75 percent majority, the amendment earmarks 33 percent of taxes collected on real estate documents for water and land conservation.

State legislators will decide in the next seven weeks how the money from Amendment 1 will be divvied up. Supporters of the amendment want a large percentage to go to the Florida Forever trust fund for land acquisition. Millions of dollars from the trust fund could then become available for ELAPP projects, but only if the county can come up with matching money.

❖ ❖ ❖

Also looming is the rapid revival of the homebuilding industry and the inevitable development pressures it will put on rural lands. ELAPP’s site selection committee has identified 21 parcels of more than 27,000 acres as priorities for acquisition. Those parcels easily could be developed before ELAPP gets adequate funding.

“Other than a few parcels, we haven’t really done anything since Cone Ranch” in January 2010, said Berlin, the ELAPP committee member. “It would be terrible for one to come up and not have the funds to take advantage of it.”

Berlin, president of the Accusoft software company, criticized county commissioners for stubbornly refusing to even talk about raising taxes for ELAPP. He said the rural lands that shelter wildlife and cleanse rainwater should be seen as investments, just like roads and bridges.

“We want people to come here because of our water and air and our hiking and beaches and fishing and weather,” Berlin said. “We should put our money where our mouth is.”