Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on texting during meetings:

Hillsborough commissioners advance plan to ban texting with lobbyists during meetings

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 11:36am

TAMPA — Hillsborough County Commissioners took a step Wednesday to ban texting with lobbyists during meetings, a move that would echo similar reforms coming to Tallahassee.

In a 5-1 vote, commissioners asked county staff to draft an ordinance that would prohibit electronic communications with registered lobbyists during county board meetings or other committee meetings where there’s a quorum. If a lobbyist or commissioner violated the policy, the communication would have to be disclosed immediately.

But even as they moved ahead, several commissioners criticized the proposed ban as toothless and unnecessary. And it’s unclear if it will pass when it comes back to the county for final action.

For one, there are no plans to punish commissioners who violate the ordinance.

“It’s symbolism over substance. This is attempting to solve a problem that does not exist here,” Hagan said. “I don’t see the value in a policy that not only doesn’t have any teeth but also allows a lobbyist to text us at 8:59 a.m. … but between 9 a.m. and 12 they can’t?”

Commissioner Sandy Murman, who proposed the ban, said it would ensure the public that commissioner won’t be influenced during meetings.

“I do believe this is really important for us to make a statement to our county,” Murman said.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this SPB article on Kevin Beckner’s departure:

Hillsborough County Commissioners honor Kevin Beckner as he departs the board

MITCH PERRY

Kevin Beckner was feted with plaudits and awards by his colleagues on Wednesday, his last day on the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners.

“My service was never about me, it was always about we,” the 45-year-old Indiana native said at a ceremony celebrating his eight years of service on the board. Term-limited out of his seat this fall, he had hoped to continue his political career by running for the Hillsborough Clerk of the Circuit Court seat, but lost in a bitterly contested Democratic primary to incumbent Pat Frank. 

Beckner was extremely productive during his tenure on the board. He helped lead a push to regulate and shut down abusive pill mills, create a juvenile task force, pass legislation to stop insurance fraud via staged auto accidents, and pushed for a wage theft ordinance passed in the county to protect low-income workers.

But it was his work on bringing the county back in the 21st century on gay rights that he will forever be remembered for.

The first openly elected gay lawmaker in Hillsborough County, Beckner worked to repeal discriminatory gay-rights ordinances that previous boards have passed, including restoring gays, lesbians, transgendered and bi-sexual people back into the county’s human rights ordinance, as well as reversing the notorious 2005 ban on “gay pride” events introduced by Ronda Storms and passed on a 5-1 vote.

As one of only two Democrats on the board throughout his time in office, he frequently battled with his majority GOP colleagues. And all of them showered him with warm words upon his departure, none more effusive than from Sandy Murman.

“There aren’t enough words to say how much I admire you,” Murman said. “You brought diversity to our county that was sorely needed.” She went on to say that he was also “the most determined, the most resolute, most willing person to go the extra mile.”

Murman added that his efforts in ensuring that everyone in the community is treated with dignity will be his everlasting legacy.

“We were at times on the opposite sides of issues, but I can tell you that you made me a better commissioner because of that,” said Ken Hagan, who along with Al Higginbotham were members of the board throughout Beckner’s reign on the BOCC. “I knew that if you were on the opposing side, you had to do your homework and come prepared in order to debate with you.”

Higginbotham said that Beckner was a true fiscal conservative when it came to “minding and tending to the public trust, the way we spend their money.”

“You have been an incredibly effective commissioner, and you are to be commended for that,” said Stacy White, who like every other member of the  board, prefaced his praise by admitting that often they weren’t always on the same issue.

Commissioner Victor Crist gave Beckner a pin of “absolute statesmanship” that he said he was originally given by former Governor Lawton Chiles two decades ago. “I believe you are a statesman,” offered Crist. The two had some serious knock-down, drag-out confrontations on the board over the years, but Crist insisted on Wednesday that “we are good friends, and I’m proud of our friendship.

It was a decade ago when Beckner met up political consultant Mitch Kates and said he was seriously considering running for the District 6 countywide seat that would be open in 2008. In running to be the first openly elected gay official in a county that just a year before had passed a ban on “gay pride, Kates told this reporter in 2013 that many other reporters and Democrats told him in off the record conversations that while Beckner was impressive, “There is no f-ing way that he can win.”

But Beckner did win, handily, over former pro wrestler Brian Blair, 55-45 percent. He won another four year term in 2012 by defeating Republican Margaret Iuculano by more than 15 percentage points.

“You have that bulldog approach, and once you grab ahold you don’t turn loose,” said Commission Chairman Les Miller, who said he used the same phrase more than a decade ago when bidding adieu to Debbie Wasserman Schultz when she departed the state legislature for a (successful) run for congress.

In addition to the tribute from his colleagues and County Administrator Mike Merrill and Attorney Chip Fletcher, a five-minute video clip was aired showing some highlights during his two terms in office.

“It’s amazing the things that we accomplished because we were able to set aside our differences and focus on really what’s important to our community, and how is it that we can come from different backgrounds, have different opinions, and come to the table to provide solutions to make this place a better place,” Beckner said.

He gave praise to his parents (who he said always previously loathed politicians), and the man who he called “the love of his life,” his husband Gil Sainz, who he called his most trusted adviser.

Becker will be succeeded by fellow Democrat Pat Kemp. His future political plans are unknown at the moment, but there’s another state and local election coming around in 2018, of course.

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times article on the Cross Bay Ferry:

Altman: Advocates use ferry test to push for MacDill route, too

• Howard Altman, Times Staff Writer

Thursday, November 17, 2016 5:29am

With an Air Force career that saw him rise to the rank of major general, Dave Scott is more used to flying over water than sailing on it.

But that’s not stopping the Apollo Beach resident from being a strong advocate for waterborne transportation. He started up the Tampa Bay Citizens for High Speed Ferry to help get commuters off the bridges and onto the bays.

Earlier this month, Scott, along with scores of other local VIPs, community leaders and military personnel, got a chance to see for himself what it would be like to ride the waves to work.

On Nov. 1, the Cross Bay Ferry, a $1.4 million pilot program to link St. Petersburg and Tampa, made its inaugural run. Two days later, the ferry took a demonstration trip to the waters off south Hillsborough County to show how effective water transportation could be for people who work at MacDill and live in places like Riverview, Apollo Beach, Ruskin and other parts of the county.

Scott, who used to commute to MacDill daily from his home in Apollo Beach, was among those on both trips.

On Nov. 3, as the ferry left for the demonstration run, Scott stood at the back of the ship and followed speakers like ferry advocate Ed Turanchik, U.S. Rep Kathy Castor and County Commissioner Sandra Murman to talk about his support.

During a recent flight from Key West back to Tampa, Scott said he was struck by the small bridges and vast expanse of water.

With so few ways to get across, “something is wrong,” he said.

Scott’s vision is an easier commute for those who work at MacDill.

Castor said she shares that vision.

“We have a $5 million federal grant that is pending and a local commitment to get that done,” said Castor.

There are roadblocks.

HMS Ferries, which runs the pilot program, also is working with Hillsborough County on one that would connect the south shore area near Apollo Beach to MacDill Air Force Base. But it will be years before the county completes the necessary environmental impact studies to unlock those dollars.

As the ferry left the channel and headed out into the bay, where it can do a top speed of nearly 40 mph, Turanchik urged riders to head to the bow to get a real taste for how quick the commute might be.

“If you have long hair, go up in front,” he said. “It’s going to whip around.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog article on AirPorter service to TIA:

HART officials discuss proposed ‘AirPorter’ dedicated bus service to Tampa International from downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg

MITCH PERRY

At Monday’s joint HART-PSTA meeting, HART CEO Katherine Eagan introduced a proposed dedicated bus service that would connect downtown Tampa, downtown St. Petersburg, and the Carillon area of St. Petersburg to Tampa International Airport on Monday.

Called “The AirPorter,” the service would use a “premium vehicle” that would run every 15 minutes during rush hour (6 a.m. to 9 a.m., and 4 to 7 p.m.), and every half hour at other times, up until 9 p.m. on weeknights and 9:30 p.m. on weekend nights.

“I think this is a great start for us,” enthused Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murmanat a joint meeting of members of HART and PSTA in Ybor City. “We can really partner in advocating with the Legislature.”

Eagan said the plan emanated from a desire by Tampa International Airport head Joe Lopano’sdesire for such a direct bus service to go to TIA. She said the first stop for the bus coming off of I-275 would be to the Marion Street transit way in downtown Tampa, “but then you could do a pretty precise link through town in front of featured hotels in downtown Tampa.” Board members said they could see plenty of potential private interests in downtown Tampa wanting to contribute financially to the project.

Eagan says ideally the bus would then park at the airport’s consolidated rental car facility (or ConRac) that is currently under construction. It would then travel to Pinellas County, going first to the Carillon/Gateway area of St. Petersburg to pick up or discharge passengers, then on to downtown St. Petersburg, before traveling across I-275 to Tampa again.

The item is expected to be one of the top “asks” of HART to the Legislature for funding in 2017. The estimated cost of the service is $3 million.

“I’m intrigued by this idea,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long, who was part of a delegation of PSTA members who came across the bay to Tampa for a rare joint meeting between the Hillsborough and Pinellas County transit agencies. Long said she hoped that PSTA would be able to partner with HART to team up to lobby for funding for the project. “I do see this … as a great opportunity to define clearly our financial partners,” Long said.

Eagan says ideally she’d like to get the AirPorter up and running by the end of 2017 or early 2018.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this StPetersBlog article on Council of Governments:

Janet Long unveils a proposed Regional Council of Governments model for the Tampa Bay area

MITCH PERRY

Under a proposed regulation coming from the U.S. Department of Transportation, regional Metropolitan Organizations should merge into one large such agency. That’s prompted officials in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties to have some tentative discussions about such a merger.

In that spirit, Pinellas County Commissioner Janet Long unveiled a proposal at a joint meeting of the transit agencies of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties for a “Regional Council of Governments,” which would include having the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority sign an interlocal agreement.

“This is an idea whose time is right,” said Long, who was re-elected to another four-year term on the county commission earlier this year when she failed to draw a Republican opponent.

Under the proposal, this board would consist of mayors, county commissioners, city council members, members from the business community, and officials from the business community representing Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties. It also would have a policy advisory committee comprised of professional staff from culled from the various MPO’s and local governments, as well as planners. It’s focus would be on building consensus; developing short -and long-range strategic plans; and providing information and leadership on a broad range of topics, including affordable housing, regional economic development, land use and redevelopment, as well as transportation.

It would also consolidate organizations like TBARTA inside this newly proposed council.

Four years ago, Pinellas County-based state legislator Jack Latvala created legislation mandating that a study be conducted about the benefits of merging HART and PSTA. Ultimately, two studies were conducted, both showing there would be some reduction of costs. Nothing’s ever happened on that front since, but Long suggested that it made sense that the agencies should make formal a closer relationship before they’re mandated to do so.

HART board member Kathleen Shanahan applauded the proposal, calling the idea of an interlocal agreement “a small step and a big statement.” Noting how significant the Tampa Bay region is to the current presidential election, she said that the region has true clout, and Long’s proposal was “an opportunity” that should be pursued.

Long did get significant pushback from HART board member Karen Jaroch, who said she didn’t like the idea of creating another layer of government. “We do have to have these discussions about regional connectivity, but you also have to have government closest to the people,” she stressed.

Jaroch then referenced SANDAG, the San Diego Association of Governments, as a bad model to emulate. SANDAG is comprised of 18 different cities and counties in the San Diego region. “The city of San Diego went bankrupt,” Jaroch said.

Actually, San Diego never went bankrupt. It did have serious economic problems four years ago, mostly related to its outstanding pension obligations.

Long said she wasn’t calling for the creation of another big government agency, but instead was calling for a new model to bring in the various local transportation agencies to all work together to leverage the power of the region when trying to procure more federal and state funding.  She also said listening to Jaroch reminded her of President Dwight Eisenhower‘s plan to create the interstate highway system in the 1950s, who, she said, undoubtedly received criticism from some states who didn’t want the federal government creating roads in their regions.

“At the end, we do have a calling to a higher standard to be leaders for our entire community,” Long said. “There are many people in Pinellas County who drive every day over to Hillsborough to work, and vice versa, and up and down Pasco County, and so, don’t we have an obligation to figure how we make that work? And how we do it in a better and more concerted way? So that we can receive the best that we can get for our kids and our grandkids? That’s what matters to me.”

PSTA executive director Brad Miller said that in theory, having an interlocal agreement signed between HART and PSTA “makes a lot of sense.”

Hillsborough Commissioner Sandy Murman, up for re-election to her District 1 seat next week, said that she’s heard from the community, and “People want progress. They want results.” She said she wanted to take a non-binding vote to support Long’s proposal, and will do so at HART’s regular board meeting.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on ferry:

New Tampa Bay ferry to make its maiden voyage on Tuesday

• Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer

Monday, October 31, 2016 11:57am

Starting this week, people will finally have a way to cross Tampa Bay that doesn’t involve driving on one of the area’s congested bridges.

The Cross-Bay Ferry departs on its maiden voyage at 10 a.m. Tuesday from the Vinoy Basin in St. Petersburg. But that trip is only for elected officials, transportation leaders, business groups and other designated “VIPs.”

The general public will have to wait until Friday to test out the region’s latest transportation option. For the first three weeks, anyone can ride the ferry on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; the other days of the week are reserved for investors, businesses and other designated groups.

The 98-foot catamaran will carry up to 149 passengers on a 50-minute trip across the bay to a dock adjacent to the Tampa Convention Center.

Trips will be free the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, though the ferry will not operate on the holiday.

Regular service for the pilot project will start Nov. 26 and run through April 30. Tickets cost $10 each way and go on sale Tuesday, either online or at the dock.

“This will be the first premium transit project in our region,” Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman said. “Now we’re going to get to see how the community receives it and how well it does.”

Those looking to try out the ferry without shelling out $20 round trip can do so for free on every third Sunday, as part of a sponsorship from Frontier Communications. The special runs every month during the pilot program.

The catamaran will run two round trip routes on Fridays and Sundays and three on Saturdays. The latest trip from Tampa to St. Petersburg will depart at 10:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. on Sundays.

The ferry will also run two round trips Monday through Thursday, though those will start earlier: departing St. Petersburg at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. and returning from Tampa at 9:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

Part of the purpose behind the pilot program is to test to see if commuters will use the ferry, Kriseman said.

“We’ll be evaluating that real world experience,” Kriseman said. “What kind of ridership is there going to Tampa in the mornings and coming back in the afternoon? There’s going to be a lot of surveying going on.”

Organizers haven’t announced any commuter deals yet, but have indicated specials will be announced sometime in November. The potential commuter draw is also why some business groups are booking special VIP trips in the first three weeks, Kriseman said.

“If you get businesses that have people that live on one side of the bay and work on the other to see what it’s like, they may be more inclined to give the commuter part of the program a fair test,” Kriseman said.

But the main draw, Kriseman said, will likely be tourists and residents looking for entertainment options in downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa.

“I think the most natural, and probably what will be the most successful at least in the short term, is those of us who want to go back and forth in the evenings or on the weekends, whether it’s for a Lightning game, dinner, shopping or museums.”

Several businesses will offer deals for those who use the ferry, such as a free yoga class at Body Electric Yoga Company in St. Pete, $5 off a bottle of liquor at Tampa Cane Distillery or 15 percent off the best-available room rate at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Ybor. That could help make the $20 round trip ticket more appealing.

And advocates are hoping to extend service hours on some nights to coordinate with events such as Lightning games.

Because it’s a pilot project, Kriseman said there’s flexibility when it comes to departure times.

“We have the ability and flexibility to make changes,” he said. “We’ll try these set times in the beginning and see what the response is and then we may make some adjustments and tweaks based on feedback.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on City roads:

Would Tampa take over Hillsborough roads in the city? No chance, Buckhorn says

• Steve Contorno, Times Staff Writer

Monday, October 24, 2016 10:50am

TAMPA — The hundreds of cars that zoom along Bayshore Boulevard each day may be driving in the city of Tampa, but that’s a Hillsborough County road.

The same goes for Bay to Bay Boulevard, Armenia Avenue and Westshore Boulevard.

In all, there are about 60 miles of county-owned roads in Tampa. And some Hillsborough officials would like to see them turned over to the city.

“It’s really important because it’s causing confusion with taxpayers and residents,” Commissioner Sandy Murman said at a recent county board meeting. “People on Bayshore don’t know who to call when there’s a problem.”

But asked if he was willing to take on that responsibility, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said absolutely not.

“We have enough on our plate with the roads we’re obligated to fix that we own,” Buckhorn said. “It’s one thing if the roads were in good condition, but largely they’re not. … Bay to Bay is a minefield.”

Under an interlocal agreement between the city and the county, Tampa maintains the roads and foots the bill up front. The county then reimburses the city.

The agreement was extended last month through 2017.

Getting the county to pay Tampa back for the work it completes is like pulling teeth, Buckhorn said.

County commissioners approved a $1.08 million payment to Tampa in September for 2016 roadwork, and set aside $1.7 million for next year after a “testy” meeting between the two sides that finally forced the money to flow, Buckhorn said.

“They’ve proven to be an unreliable partner and I’m not inclined at all to assume any of their responsibilities,” he said.

County staff provided an invoice from the city for $1.08 million on Sept. 20. The invoice was paid by check in nine days, but the county administration did not have further comment.

Murman was caught off guard by Buckhorn’s position.

“I know they probably don’t want one more thing on their plate either, and I get it,” she said, “But that’s the first time I’ve heard those concerns. If that’s an issue obviously we’ll address it.”

At 9.8 miles, Armenia is the longest county-owned road, followed Columbus Drive at 8.54 miles. But they can be as short as a 0.04 mile stretch of 30th Street near Fowler Avenue. The state also owns roads in the city.

The spat over county-owned roads is magnified by Buckhorn’s resentment over Hillsborough’s decision not to raise the sales tax by a half cent to pay for transportation needs here. Tampa would have received a piece of the $3.5 billion that a surcharge would have raised over 30 years.

Instead, commissioners recently approved a plan to set aside $600 million out of their budget over the next 10 years to build and fix roads and intersections, mostly in unincorporated Hillsborough.

The project list approved last week includes $56 million for streets within Tampa’s boundaries, though much of that is improvements to county-owned roads.

Commissioners have promised that Tampa, as well as Temple Terrace and Plant City, can ask the county to help fund transportation projects.

“That’s the heart of the problem. It’s always going to be about money,” Murman said. “That’s the big issue. How do you have adequate funding?”

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Creative Loafing article on elections:

Hillsborough elections supervisor: Despite claims, the election won’t be rigged, stolen or hacked

KATE BRADSHAW

 OCT 19, 2016 5 PM

With all of the chatter about rigged elections and Russian hackers, Hillsborough County Commission Chair Les Miller said Wednesday he thought it would be a good idea to invite county elections supervisor Craig Latimer to the dais to explain how nobody’s stealing any election.

So Latimer gave a 13-or-so-minute presentation to the board on all the ways in which it is not possible to rig or steal the election, let alone commit voter fraud.

“There’s a tremendous amount of checks and balances that go into this,” he said. “I take the integrity of this election very seriously, and I want to assure you of that.”

In recent days, Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has told his supporters that the only way he won’t win on Nov. 8, is if the election were somehow “rigged” by some entity manipulating the results — probably Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, despite many polls showing her ahead.

Latimer said that that such a scenario is essentially impossible, given how election equipment is set up and how transparent the vote-counting process is.

He said all of Florida’s 67 counties conduct random samples of their voting machines. In Hillsborough, that equipment that will be deployed to 14 sites countywide for early voting as well as 280 voting sites representing 340 precincts on Election Day. He said that equipment is on lockdown in his office until early voting and/or Election Day. And when it is deployed, it will be set up in large, open rooms where there’s “plenty of visibility,” and not “able to be tampered with in any fashion.”

After the election, his office’s canvassing board will then randomly select a race and precincts and staff will hand count those ballots to ensure the accuracy of the machine count.

And the machines, by the way, are not connected to the internet. And neither is another key piece of equipment.

“The server that houses the election software is not connected to the internet,” he said. “Let me repeat that. My server that houses all of our election management software is not connected to the internet or my intranet. By law, it is a standalone server. It’s under 24-7 video surveillance.”

There will also be two copies of the results for each polling place, he said, one sent to his office and one that is literally posted on the front door of said polling place.

Trump has said Clinton’s crew may have other tricks up its sleeve on Nov. 8, namely voter fraud. Trump surrogate Rudy Giuliani told Trump supporters that “dead people” tend to vote for Democrats.

Latimer said there are multiple safeguards against voter fraud, including “dead” people voting.

Commissioner Sandy Murman said a recently widowed constituent told her she received a ballot for her deceased husband.

Latimer told her that while some voters slip through the cracks, the state Division of Elections nightly checks its voter rolls against death records — and newly listed felons.

“I can tell you that the Division of Elections nightly scrubs its voter rolls against the Department of Health’s deceased files as well as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for people that have been adjudicated guilty of felonies,” Latimer said.

And even if someone were to get ahold of the ballot of a deceased person, Latimer said, that person would have to replicate the dead voter’s signature, and if it’s not an exact match or there’s no signature, that ballot is not counted.

“That voter would have had to sign that ballot and the signature on that ballot would have had to match the signature that we have on file to be accepted,” he said. “Or that voter would have had to come in with a photo signature identification and present themselves.”

Despite Latimer’s assurances that the process is safe and transparent, it’s likely many skeptics won’t buy that the process is safe and not “rigged.” Latimer is one of 67 elections supervisors in the state, and each county elects theirs. Latimer happens to be a Democrat, but many other counties have elected Republicans to oversee their elections.

After Latimer’s presentation, Commissioner Kevin Beckner, a Democrat, poked fun at one of the more outlandish rigged-election theories, that Russian hackers will manipulate polling place data.

“I looked at your last name, I did some research, and it doesn’t look like there’s any Russian connection to your name, either,” he said, which Latimer confirmed.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Bay Times article on transportation:

Hillsborough commissioners approve $600 million, road-based project list

• Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, October 19, 2016 2:15pm

TAMPA — Hillsborough County commissioners approved a $600 million list of transportation projects that consists largely of road work, telling opponents they’ll deal later with expanding transit options in the county.

The commission voted in September to set aside the money for the work over the next 10 years, starting with $35 million in 2017 and increasing $5 million each year for a decade.

The projects list commissioners approved Wednesday focuses on safety improvements at intersections and schools, road resurfacing and new and wider roads to relieve congestion in unincorporated Hillsborough.

Major projects include $27 million for the Apollo Beach Boulevard Overpass, nearly $48 million for the Big Bend Road and Interstate 75 Interchange and $12.5 million in sidewalk maintenance throughout the county.

The commission voted 6-1 to approve the plan, with Kevin Beckner dissenting.

Opponents asked why no money was allocated for buses, rail or ferries.

“If we don’t plan for ways to move folks around in the urban core … in something other than cars, we are going to have a serious problem,” said Laura Lawson, chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Citizen Advisory Committee.

As a 10-year plan, commissioners said, it can’t raise enough money for the long-term local commitments required to land major federal transit money.

County Administrator Mike Merrill called the new plan an interim step.

“Transit is a much bigger issue,” Merrill said. “The 10-year time period really makes it difficult to draw down any serious federal money.”

Said Commissioner Ken Hagan, “This is a starting point. We can, and likely will, amend the list going forward.”

The next step, Merrill siad, is to identify funding sources for each project. He expects the process to take 60 days.

The vote comes months six months after the board rejected asking voters for a half-cent transportation sales tax for transportation that would have raised hundreds of millions of dollars for transit projects, including improved bus service and a rail line connecting downtown Tampa and the airport.

The rest of the $3.5 billion that the tax would have raised over 30 years was to be used for a backlog of road maintenance needs and other road projects.

Commissioner Sandy Murman voted against the sales tax referendum twice, but on Wednesday, she acknowledged it promised more benefits than the $600 million list the county settled on.

“We probably could’ve done a little bit more robust plan if we had done my plan or gone back to the half cent sales tax,” Murman said.

In joining the 4-3 majority that rejected the tax, Murman floated her own alternative to use sources such as a gas tax and mobility fees to fund transportation. That plan also left little opportunity for transit.

The project list approved Wednesday is similar to one commissioners considered earlier this year with the sales tax, minus transit options. But many people who spoke at the meeting were concerned the list hadn’t be properly vetted. Commissioners waived their board rules requiring a 10-day review period for the Planning Commission.

“There is no reason why you should slam through a roads-only proposition,” said Kent Bailey, chairman of the local Sierra Club. “Slow this down. Take some time to hear from the people. A 10-day cooling off period is not unreasonable.”

But the Planning Commission still had time to review the plan and did approve the projects, Executive Director Melissa Zornita told the audience Wednesday,

Said Commissioner Hagan, “Today’s plan was essentially taken from what the board approved six months ago. It’s essentially the same list we’ve had for three or four years.”