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Fix It; Don't Eliminate It

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 17, 2007

Brandon, FL - Brandon, FL - For those wondering if we'd see a more subdued, more reticent Ronda Storms as a state senator,
think again.

The former Hillsborough County commissioner put all speculation to rest Saturday when she blasted the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority for its "outrageous" spending habits.

Ronda was her usual no-holds-barred self at a meeting between the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation and expressway authority officials to discuss proposed legislation affecting the authority, including a bill to abolish the authority.

Among other things, she pointed to the recent Lee Roy Selmon Expressway toll increase from $1.25 to $1.75, a 50-cent increase for the trip from Brandon to downtown Tampa, saying that's a lot of money to people who "are not driving around in fast cars and wearing silk stockings and thousand-dollar suits."

That toll increase caught my husband unawares Saturday night when we headed downtown for Bob Seger's first concert in Tampa Bay since the '80s.

"A dollar seventy-five!" he exclaimed to the toll booth operator. "When did that happen?"
Of course, he didn't blink twice when it came to paying $50 to valet park his precious Land Rover at
the Forum.

"I'm not parking in an unsupervised lot!" was his reasoning, as he handed the valet a $10 tip to ensure his Rover was returned sans scratches.

The last I recall, Ronda was driving an aging SUV with a huge dent in the side panel. I doubt she was referring to my husband when she was sympathizing with drivers burdened by the toll increase.
I know she wasn't referring to the expressway authority's attorney, Rhea Law, because, true to form, Ronda mentioned her at the meeting Saturday. She made sure it was on the record that Law
drives a Corvette.

Despite the problems plaguing the expressway authority, I'm not convinced that wiping it out is in the county's best interest as Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, proposes. Fasano wants to put the expressway authority's responsibilities into the hands of a regional transportation authority.

Ron Pierce, who served as aide to former Sen. Tom Lee, R-Brandon, and now serves on the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce's government advisory council, is involved with the Tampa Bay Partnership, a business group that's been the moving force behind the establishment of the regional authority.

"Whatever happens with this regional transportation authority will have a huge impact on east Hillsborough County," Pierce said.

The proposal is intended to get governments to think about transportation in terms of regional impact rather than local impact, which is a good thing. We should be looking at the big picture. The regional authority would include seven counties, including Hillsborough, and two DOT districts.
However, former state Rep. Sandy Murman, incoming chairwoman of the Brandon chamber, fears the regional authority could mean a loss of local control over our road systems and, even more crucial, our road dollars.

She points to the Tampa Bay Water Authority. Like transportation, the water authority was established because we needed to think regionally so we could provide the entire Tampa Bay area with a reliable source of drinking water. However, Hillsborough ended up providing a far greater share of the resources than the other members – the desal plant, well fields in Hillsborough pumping water to Pinellas, a major reservoir in Lithia and now talk of building a second reservoir.

By dissolving the expressway authority and placing the responsibility in the hands of a regional authority, Murman said we run the risk that our $1.75 tolls could be used to improve some road in Polk County.

Back to the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority, one of the most vexing issues has been the fact that there's been little local control over the authority because the governor appoints the majority of the seven members.

A bill proposed by Sen. Victor Crist, R-Tampa, would permit the county and cities of Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace to appoint members and recall those members if they're up to anything fishy. It could give local elected officials the control they currently do not have. It's worth a try.

If you're interested in finding out more about this issue, the chamber is hosting a transportation forum Jan. 30 at noon at the Brandon Elks Lodge, 800 Centennial Lodge Drive. Members of the Tampa Bay Partnership will be on hand to discuss the proposal for the regional transportation authority.
In addition, Martin Stone, planning director for the expressway authority, has agreed to attend to talk about the expressway issues and the proposed Brandon Beltway project. This would be a loop somewhere south of Brandon designed to take interstate traffic off Brandon roads.

Ned Baier, manager of transportation planning for the Hillsborough County Planning and Growth Management Department, will tackle questions about various road projects in the Brandon area, and Scott Passmore, project leader for the Lithia-Pinecrest Road widening study, will update residents on the study.

Registration is required. The cost is $18 for chamber members, $23 for nonmembers. Call 689-1221 or visit www.brandonchamber.com.

D'Ann White is editor of The Brandon News

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