Today's recommendations are scheduled to be considered by the entire HART board for final approval at its Jan. 7 meeting. A Joint Powers Agency was a way to execute one of the consolidation scenarios - formal partnering -- presented in the HART/PSTA consolidation study. A JPA would create a third layer of transit government, formed by the two agencies as a single management and administrative staff that operates through that agency. The JPA would serve the purpose of a merged agency, without conducting public referendums normally required to establish a truly merged agency. Lastly, HART and PSTA would lose direct local control of transit operations for their communities and exist mainly to collect ad valorem taxes. A JPA would not create a new revenue stream for HART or PSTA.

These recommendations were unanimously supported by HART Board members present at today's meeting:  Director Wallace Bowers, Commissioner Kevin Beckner, Director Josh Burgin, HART Chair Fran Davin, Director Karen Jaroch, Director Anne Madden, Director John Melendez, Dr. Steve Polzin, Tampa City Councilman Mike Suarez, and Temple Terrace City Councilman Eddie Vance.

HART Board Chair Fran Davin opened the discussion to rescind last week's motion. In her remarks, she stated:  "I was stunned by the suggestion last week that we create a Joint Powers Authority so it would allow us to get around a voter referendum. I am not willing to be associated with any scheme concocted to circumvent the will of the people we have been put on this board to serve."  

"Secondly, I have read the report several times, and could find no recommendations in it that would add one more bus to our fleet or move one more rider from Point A to B. True, there were some estimates made about money that might be saved by combining positions at the two agencies. But there were no cost estimates about what additional positions would then be necessary to create and fund a Joint Powers Authority."

"So far what I have heard justifying changing the governance of the two agencies is for reasons that sound good, but not for good, sound reasons."

"Regional talk aside, note that PSTA is finishing its Alternative Analysis study of a light rail line. This is a big step for them and will require a referendum. The chosen route runs from St. Petersburg to Clearwater, and nowhere near the Howard Frankland Bridge with no connection point to Hillsborough County at all."

"This is because their AA indicates that the ridership demand does not exist to support rail to connect with Hillsborough County, nor would the federal government fund such a plan until such time that the need could be demonstrated."

She continued, "I don't think it makes sense to ask the legislature for money to study juggling staff positions around. We're in the bus business, not the bureaucracy business."

"If we're going to ask the legislature for anything, let's ask them to give PSTA some real help by approving their tax swap bill. Let's ask them to approve Mayor Buckhorn's request for cities to have the taxing authority to fund transit projects within a local municipality. And, let's ask them to increase the allocation to the Florida Department of Transportation to support intercounty bus service. These could actually help us move towards better service on both sides of the bay."

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