Tampa Rail

Rail is a massive undertaking and a pricey one.  A one cent sales tax is not what these economic times can handle.  Rail is proposed from downtown to USF (only).  Each additional location will require separate financing.  How many people would use this service?  What is the time saved?  What is the cost for ridership (nobody knows)?  How much time will be saved?

I am not against rail service, just against rail in a down economic time and against poor management of this project.  For instance, there is no business plan or similar defining document.  Normally, one who seeks capital funding/loans would be required to present a business plan as part of their application or presentation.  A thorough and detailed business plan is worth its weight in gold.  A banker/loan institution relies heavily on these documents.  A business plan requires a calculated ROI (return-on-investment) and the numbers must substantiate this claim.  What is the ROI for rail?    You don't need an MBA to figure this out!

Also, no environmental survey/analysis has been performed.  How can you predict credible costs when you have not evaluated the primary contributing factors?  Wetlands and environment issues can send costs soaring and can cost budget overruns, unscheduled delays, and construction nightmares.  Environmental analysis is where you start, not end.

This is a tax!  However, some may attempt to have you believe otherwise.  Be educated and apply common sense.  You decide.   

There a seven (7) County Commissioners who make up the Hillsborough BOCC (Board of County Commissioners).  Four of seven commissioners are for including the one cent tax referendum on the ballot for the residents to vote in Novemeber, 2010.   The four commissioners are as follows: Ken Hagan-District 2 and County Commission Chairman, Kevin White-District 3, Kevin Beckner-District 6, Mark Sharpe-District 7.  The three commissioners who are against the referendum are Rose Ferlita-District1, Al Higgenbotham-District 4 and Jim Norman-District 5.  The one cent sales tax would fund rail service from downtown area to USF (only) and for transportation.  The tax would last for 30 years. 

I am a proponent or professional honesty and decisiveness.  I expect this from our leaders.  Commissioner Ken Hagan represents my area and I look to him to represent the interests and welfare of his/my district.  To date, I am not a fan of Ken Hagan.  I have sought Mr. Hagan's view on the rail tax and the answer I received is as follows.  Keep in mind; I seek commitments not wiggle-room.  I am not impressed by this evasive response.  You decide.

Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 8:35 AM
To: Hagan, Ken
Subject: Re: Rail

Ken:  I have been asked about your position on Tampa rail.  Since I reside in your district and am speaking with residents, I am requesting your position; yes or no.  There are many interested residents throughout Hillsborough County.  Please let me know.  I have spoken with individuals that claim you say "Let the residents vote". I must deduct this answer is yes.  However, I am seeking your response. 

 Bill Burda, MBA, PHR, LHRM

Bill,

The short answer is no to rail but yes to letting the public vote on the issue.  I have included a response that I have used in the past:

Thank you very much for your email in opposition to a sales tax increase.  As the only Commissioner who has opposed every tax since being elected, I really appreciate your comments.

I want to ensure that you understand that the Board is not approving a tax increase.  Unlike President Obama and the State Legislature, who recently approved a high-speed rail plan that will cost our state billions of dollars, I believe elected officials should allow the public to vote on this issue.  That is why the Board is approving a referendum to give the voters the authority to determine if they want to pay for transportation improvements. 

Personally, I am not a rail advocate.  In fact, if this were an up or down vote on a tax increase, I would oppose the plan.  But it is not.

However, I do not believe that we can continue to ignore the over $4 billion in unfunded transportation needs that exist, with no possibility of ever funding with current revenues.  And I am not talking about rail or buses but instead roads, intersection improvements, and traffic signals. 

That is why I support letting the voters decide if they want to improve our transportation system.  For what it is worth, I do not believe the voters will approve the plan.  However, I do believe this issue is so important, that the public should have the right to vote on it.

Thanks again for your email.  Please do not hesitate to let me know if I can ever be of any assistance.   

Sincerely,

Ken Hagan, County Commissioner/District 2

I am most concerned about all the monies that have been spent on advertisements, public presentations, program developments, research, travel and the time invested on this rail campaign.  Hillsborough County Government has been subsidizing these costs.  I believe an audit request is in order.  If this fails, and it should, how much money have we wasted?  I want to know and so should you!

I have addressed Mr. Hagan's assertions below.  This proposal is a tax.  A tax is a tax.  Also, the CIT produces funds for transportation improvements and other improvement projects.  Hillsborough County captures this tax revenue (taxpayers) on an annual basis. 

Tax (Encarta Dictionary): an amount of money levied by a government on its citizens and used to run the government, the country, a state, a county, or a municipality

Sales Tax/Retail Tax (Encarta Dictionary): a tax on retail merchandise that is levied by the federal, state, or local government and collected at the point of sale by the retailer

CIT (Community Investment Tax):

Hillsborough County

Since its inception in 1997 through September 30, 2008, Hillsborough County has appropriated $1.1 billion for Community Investment Tax-funded projects. Additionally, the County Commission has committed to funding another $488.9 million in projects between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2016.

Unincorporated Hillsborough County projects that are completed, ongoing, and planned through 2013 include approximately $46.3 million in water/wastewater and reclaimed water projects to meet the needs of our growing community and $79.2 million in stormwater projects to alleviate flooding in the county. In addition, your Board of County Commissioners has added $34.6 million to build, improve, and equip fire stations, $223.9 million in public safety including court improvements and jails, $7.9 million in new social and aging service centers, provided $122.1 million in parks improvements, $82.2 million in government facilities including animal services, and $18.9 million in children services and libraries.

The County Commission also has made a commitment of approximately $976.9 million to improve the County transportation program including bridges, intersections, sidewalks, and road improvements projects.

Some of the major projects that were completed in FY08 using the County’s CIT funds include the Tampa Bay History Center, the new Medical Examiner’s facility, the Brandon Regional Service Center, capital construction improvements at Lowry Park Zoo, Phase V of the Falkenburg Road Jail Expansion, and the new Fairway Boulevard bridge over Flamingo Canal in Apollo Beach.

Contact me at WilliamBurda@aol.com, if you want to join my Independent Group.