Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times article on homeless count:

Volunteers count to end homelessness in Hillsborough

Sue Carlton, Times Columnist

SUE CARLTON Tampa Bay Times

Thursday, February 27, 2014 7:16am

Volunteers gathered before dawn at churches and community centers across Hillsborough County, carrying cups of coffee and pulling on bright yellow T-shirts that read, “I am counting to end homelessness.”

Their task for today and into tonight: To haunt city streets and shelters, makeshift camps and soup kitchens, and tally the number of homeless people currently in the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

“Remember, when you’re talking to people, you’re in their home, even if it’s a sidewalk or a piece of cardboard,” said the Tampa Hillsborough Homeless Initiative’s Melissa Brass as she passed out clipboards and maps to volunteers shivering outside Hyde Park United Methodist Church.

At least 250 volunteers are expected today, among them Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman, Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione and County Administrator Mike Merrill.

“The critical thing about this day is it’s a snapshot of where our community is in terms of homelessness,” said volunteer Mindy Murphy, CEO of The Spring domestic violence shelter, as her group set out for the downtown Tampa bus station. “This is an opportunity to figure out what works.”

They found homeless young and old, mostly men but women, too, shouldering their bedrolls and telling their stories.

Ben Morris, a 66-year-old Air Force veteran — volunteers had specific instructions on getting help for veterans — said he is only one social security check away from getting his car fixed and not having to sleep outside.

“There’s a lot of us out here,” he said.

This year’s count also focuses on finding younger homeless people — “unaccompanied youth” ages 16 to 24 — a population homeless advocates say can be particularly difficult to identify on the streets. “They hide very well,” said Lesa Weikel, spokeswoman for the homeless initiative. “We felt we needed an extra effort because they are the most vulnerable on the street.”

With outreach efforts through Facebook, fliers and word of mouth, advocates hope to get young homeless people to two “youth events” today at The Well, 1300 E Seventh Ave. in Ybor City, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The tally of homeless people won’t be ready for several weeks. Those numbers will be “very critical,” Weikel said. in the roll-out of a new strategy to address homelessness in Hillsborough County.

“This plan is going to have very measurable goals, so these numbers are our baseline,” she said. “This is our starting point moving forward.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on Channelside:

Port commissioner questions doing business with companies that sue

By Richard Mullins | Tribune Staff
Published: February 20, 2014   |   Updated: February 20, 2014 at 10:54 PM

Tribune staff

With all the legal drama over who will control Channelside Bay Plaza, Tampa Port Authority Board Commissioner Patrick Allman had a pointed question: Should the City of Tampa ever do business with a developer who sues governments when they don’t get their way?

Allman came to this question after the latest legal salvo between the Port Tampa Bay board and developers trying to take over Channelside.

On one side, the port already owns the land under Channelside, and is trying to buy the above-ground shopping complex from the bankrupt Irish bank that holds a mortgage on the complex. The port recently offered $5.75 million, and set a deal with the bank. On the other side are two developers, Liberty Group and Convergent Capital, who cried foul because they tried to negotiate a similar deal with the port, but acrimony and accusations helped shut down those talks. Since then, Liberty and Convergent have come to the bankruptcy court with a $7 million bid, and the judge involved says the whole process might need to be re-opened for bidders.

All that didn’t sit well with port leaders who issued a statement, saying in part that “nobody won, everyone lost” with that ruling.

“A bigger question to ask is whether or not local public entities should be doing business with companies whose dominant negotiating style is to use litigation as a means to get more favorable business terms for themselves,” Allman wrote in a statement to the Tribune. “For example, what happens if the City of Tampa doesn’t select the Liberty Group to develop a hotel in Ybor City on its current [request for proposals], will they be sued? If they are selected and can’t force their desired business terms on the City of Tampa will they then sue the City of Tampa?”

Already, Liberty and Convergent are pressing for damages in the courts for what they see as damage to their reputations in town.

Litigation is expensive and causes delays, Allman notes, and he doesn’t like such tactics.

“I am committed to doing what is best for the community in both the short and long run and will not be bullied by the threat of or actual litigation,” he wrote. “I am confident that community leaders of other public entities feel the same way as well.”

Last autumn, the Tampa invited developers to bid on two city-owned pieces of land in the historic Ybor City district. The city pitched a parcel at the northeast corner of Nuccio Parkway and Seventh Avenue as a hotel site — next to the Volunteers of America building and the Marti-Maceo building. The second parcel is at the northwest corner of 12th Avenue and North 17th Street in Ybor City, suitable for apartments or condominiums, the city said.

Liberty Group made a proposal for the potential hotel site, which if successful would add to its downtown portfolio. Liberty and Convergent are presently renovating the former Mercantile Bank building into an Aloft-brand hotel that should open this summer.

Officials with Liberty Group declined to respond to Allman’s comments.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn sits on both the board of commissioners for Port Tampa Bay, and would also have sway over which entity would be picked for a potential hotel site in Ybor City.

Buckhorn was traveling in Tallahassee Thursday and not available for comment.

As for other port officials, several declined to comment. Commissioner Sandra Murman said her thoughts are with the business owners trying to operate in the struggling Channelside complex, and the taxpayers in the surrounding area. “They deserve a resolution — they have suffered enough,” she said. “My hopes are that the bankruptcy gets solved quickly so the port can get back to business and watch our area grow and prosper.”

rmullins@tampatrib.com (813) 259-7919 Twitter: @DailyDeadline

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Tribune article:

SOUTH TAMPA NEWS

South Tampa chamber installs board

By LENORA LAKE
Special correspondent
Published: February 12, 2014   |   Updated: February 12, 2014 at 12:21 PM

SOUTH TAMPA – Starr Tyrka says the best thing about being the South Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s new chairwoman is following the outgoing chairman, Carson Bomar.

“Carson left us a strategic plan and a direction,” said the owner of the Shining Star Insurance Services prior to the Jan. 31 installation ceremony and dinner. “People are really getting involved.”

Bomar has served as chairman for 18 months, taking over when a previous chair had to resign due to work conflicts.

He said the chamber needed a complete overhaul with new bylaws, financial accountability and procedures to “make it more businesslike.”

Now, 18 month later, the chamber has a reserve account, something it has not had in its 87 years, Bomar said.

The chamber celebrated its success at it first installation and business of the year dinner at the Quorum Hotel.

Executive Director Judy Gay said, “We always had the changing of the board and honored the businesses of the year. But this is the first time we have had an event around it.”

Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman surprised the group with a proclamation of accolades from the commission.

“This chamber is really taking off,” she said.

Other members of the 2014 executive committee are Samantha Dammer, chair-elect; Amanda May, secretary; Andrew Hall, treasurer; Matthew Hatfield, consulting attorney; Mike Jenkins and Dan Kelly, directors; and Bomar, immediate past chair.

Board of directors are Maribeth Brooks, Ruben Boone, Dave Cabaña, Mary Calbert, Fred Fallman, Karen Mertes, Julie McAdoo, Sandra Murman, Tina Provo, Kathy Walsh and Bill Yanger.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on Gardenville Rec Center:

SOUTH SHORE NEWS

Gardenville Recreation Center gymnasium breaks ground

County and community representatives break ground Feb. 24 for a new, 9,500-square-foot gymnasium to be built at the Gardenville Recreation Center in Gibsonton. From left are Joe Eletto and Tanya Doran of the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce; community activist Pete Johnson; Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman; Melanie Morrison of the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce; and Sharon Subadan, Dave Ramirez and Jack Carlisle of Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation. LOIS KINDLE/STAFF

By Lois Kindle | Tribune Staff
Published: March 5, 2014   |   Updated: March 5, 2014 at 04:23 PM

GIBSONTON – For more than 20 years the Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton have fought for a safe place where kids and adults could congregate. With the addition of a new neighborhood gymnasium to be built by the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation adjacent to the Gardenville Recreation Center, the two-decades-old goal will finally be realized.

“It’s a fabulous victory, a long time in coming,” said Lee Stevens, president of the Concerned Citizens group. “It will be great for everyone in the community. We’ll all benefit.

“We especially thank Commissioner Sandy Murman for her help and support in seeing this project come to fruition.”

Murman was on hand Feb. 24 for the gym’s ground-breaking ceremony.

“This $1.7 million facility will be a gathering place for families in this community,” she said. “I’m proud to be here not only as a commissioner but also as a friend and neighbor.”

Murman recognized the Concerned Citizens’ Pete and Jeanie Johnson and Gardenville Rec Center’s Dave Ramirez for their ongoing involvement and support over the years in bringing the project full circle. When a new recreation center building was finally opened in 2005, a new gym was supposed to be built soon after. But when the economy went south the county’s capital projects list went with it and the project was eliminated.

Six years later Parks, Recreation and Conservation adopted the concept of regional, “super rec centers” and smaller satellite sites were eliminated. The programs at those sites were moved to the regional centers.

A study done for the 2012-13 parks and recreation budget determined a need for more recreational options for residents at the regional sites and as a result the gymnasium for Gibsonton went back on the major projects list, said Ramirez, who supervises programs for facilities in Riverview, Gibsonton, Apollo Beach and north Ruskin.

Ramirez said the 9,500-square-foot gymnasium will be a multipurpose facility, featuring special “spring” flooring that will provide shock absorption for athletes of all ages who play volleyball, basketball and pickleball; a 700-square-foot weight room “hopefully to include fitness equipment like treadmills, ellipticals and steppers” that the current weight room lacks; office space and restrooms. Special-interest classes like Zumba, karate, dance and cheerleading may also take place there.

And offerings for athletic leagues, tournaments, classes and other events to be held at the new gymnasium will be extended.

Construction is under way and expected to be completed early next year.

Melanie Morrison, executive director of the SouthShore Chamber of Commerce, was among several speakers at the ceremony.

“I want to echo everyone’s excitement,” she said. “Everything that’s happening in the county right now is happening in South Shore.

“As a mother, I have a soft spot for places like this,” Morrison continued. “They keep the community tight-knit by providing safe places for families to go and congregate.”

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Creative Loafing article on high-speed ferry service:

Hillsborough

Hillsborough County Commissioners approve 1st step to possible ferry service

Posted by Mitch Perry on Wed, Feb 5, 2014 at 3:33 PM

The Hillsborough County Commission today approved the first step toward creation of a proposed ferry service that could ultimately take residents from downtown Tampa to St. Petersburg.

Today’s action was much more modest, however. The board voted 6-1 to approve up to $100,000 in funding to pay for a study of what is actually being proposed — a ferry service that would take south Hillsborough County citizens to MacDill Air Force Base and back from a dock built north of Apollo Beach. It would be a public-private partnership with the county working with two private entities.

The project has the promise of “doing more with less, faster with greater benefit,” said former County Commissioner Ed Turanchik, who is representing one of the private companies involved, HMS Ferries, Inc.

Turanchik stood in front of the board for over an hour on Wednesday morning to discuss what is known as a P3, or public-private development plan. In addition to HMS Ferries (which would operate the ferry service), a second company, the South Swell Development Group, would be involved because they own the land where organizers want to build a docking terminal.

That land swap would take 46 acres of that private land (which is considered environmentally sensitive and is on a list to be purchased by the ELAPP program) and swap it for 20 acres that the county owns.

Surveys have already been conducted to determine interest by MacDill employees who currently commute from South Hillsborough County, and Turanchik said the results have been so positive that HMS is fully committed to the project. The ultimate goal would be to have commuter ferry service that would run every half hour during peak morning and afternoon drive times, as well as evening and weekend service.

County Administrator Mike Merill kicked off the discussion by saying that there were eight preconditions that needed to be satisfied “to the sole discretion of the county” before the project could happen. They include acquiring grant money from the Federal Highway Administration, approval from the Tampa Port Authority for access to the site, approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and what could potentially be the longest wait, approval from the Department of Defense, which runs MacDill.

Turanchik told commissioners that the ferry would initially take 1,200 cars off of I-75, Bayshore Boulevard, Dale Mabry, the Selmon Expressway and all other roads that link south county to South Tampa, and specifically MacDill. Total distance via Tampa Bay? Just six miles.

He said terminals are the toughest part of such a proposal, and this plan calls for building a waterfront park that would include a concession stand, restroom and parking for ferry passengers and visitors.

Although this first step passed easily, commissioners challenged Turanchik on various parts of the proposal. Several were concerned about the fact that the county investment of boats and a park could go for naught if the service became unpopular, or if MacDill were ultimately shut down.

“This is not a bridge to nowhere,” Turanchik assured Mark Sharpe. “Let’s say it doesn’t work. The boats are sold, the docks are sold, they all have value. And the county has a nice waterfront park.”

The only holdout for the plan was Commissioner Les Miller, who appeared piqued that Turanchik had not personally briefed him about the proposal, something he mentioned twice as he repeatedly said “I’m just not there yet.” Miller had concerns about security at MacDill. Turanchik said he and his team had met six times already with MacDill officials and those concerns would continue to be addressed as the plan moved forward.

“I don’t know if there’s any other transportation plan that provides congestion relief and creates capacity for such a modest investment compared to other transportation projects,” commented Commissioner Ken Hagan.

Commissioner Sandy Murman said that while some residents she had heard from had expressed concerns, “You have to take a first step to find out if you can take the next step,” she said in announcing her support.

The business community appears to be solidly behind the effort. Representatives from the Tampa, St. Petersburg and SouthShore Chambers of Commerce were in attendance to back the proposal.

Though ferry service from Tampa to St. Pete and back is not the immediate focus, it was certainly on the minds of those officials. “This proposal would also provide a boost in tourism,” said Travis Norton from the St. Pete Chamber. He fantasized about visitors vacationing in St. Petersburg who could take the ferry to Channelside to visit the Florida Aquarium, use the Tampa Streetcar to hang out in Ybor City, and then return to St. Pete to take in a Rays game.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Observer article on the South County YMCA:

YMCA Holds Successful Groundbreaking Ceremony For Family YMCA At Big Bend Road

It took five years for it to become a reality, but with a well-attended ceremony, the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA broke ground last month on its outdoor amenities of phase one for The Family Y at Big Bend Rd.

Following a brief introduction, YMCA Governance Board Chair, Brett Couch, put things in perspective for all in attendance.

“This project is long overdue,” Couch first said, then added, “I want to thank Hillsborough County and the Board of County Commissioners for their support and generosity and helping us to change lives for a better community.”

Across the Association, 19 facilities engage more than 160,000 men, women and children — regardless of age, income or background.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place inside Vance Vogel Park at 13010 Bullfrog Creek Rd. in Gibsonton, welcoming more than 100 guests that included special dignitaries, YMCA representatives, Chamber of Commerce members from around the county and the Tampa Bay area as well as government officials and Hillsborough County Commissioners, Sandra Murman, Ken Hagan and Al Higginbotham.

“We have seen a huge growth in our community and this project is just one more example of how we can come together,” Murman said. “This event is a great investment and the result of a great partnership.”

Under a joint-use lease agreement between the Hillsborough County Board of County Commis- sioners and the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA last August, the new facility will consist of a main family facility building, 30,000-sq.-ft. aquatic center, multi-purpose fields, covered basketball court, picnic pavilion and playground.

Phase one of the project, which Hillsborough County provided $2M, includes three multi-purpose fields, a covered basketball court, a playground, a picnic pavilion and parking and drainage improvements with an anticipated completion date of 2014, offering youth and adult sports and summer day camp.

The new facility is also promising over 125 jobs, improving the quality of life for residents and creating a community hub by bringing together diverse groups of people for a common good.

YMCA officials said that the Tampa YMCA is responsible for the remaining $1.5M cost to complete phase one as well as for the cost and construction of phase two.

“The entire facility is anticipated to be complete in the next three to five years, depending upon capital fundraising efforts,” said Tampa Y Communications Director, Lalita Llerena. “There is a lot of excitement in the growing Southern Hillsborough County community for a safe place to provide much-needed services to an underserved part of the county.”

Emphasizing the association’s strong presence and what it means for the community, Tampa YMCA president and CEO, Tom Looby, said that the project is an important way to move forward in the Y’s commitment to the community.

Before the special guests each grabbed a gold-painted shovel, Looby said, “This new facility is the first full-service family Y in a decade. Hope we don’t have to wait 10 more years for another.”

For more information about the Tampa YMCA, visit www.tampaymca.org.

For more information about the county’s role in this project, contact Kurt Gremley at 272-5810 or 307-1007.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on the High-speed Ferry:

POLITICS

Hillsborough to study MacDill ferry proposal

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: February 5, 2014   |   Updated: February 5, 2014 at 09:46 PM

TAMPA — The first ever ferry service across Tampa Bay moved a small step closer to reality Wednesday when Hillsborough County commissioners approved $100,000 to study the proposal.

The money will pay for a study and acquisition of research already done by the two companies collaborating on the project, South Swell Development Group and HMS Ferries. The companies hope if the county is satisfied with the study results, $17 million to $20 million in public money will be appropriated to build a docking terminal and boat basin and to buy two high-speed Catamarans.

The two ferry boats would run regular daily routes between a docking terminal just north of Apollo Beach and MacDill Air Force Base, as well as trips to downtown Tampa and St. Petersburg during non-peak hours. About 5,500 MacDill employees live in southern Hillsborough County and 90 percent of them said in a survey they would use the ferry if it was available. The ferry company would also provide trams to carry the employees to their job sites once they disembark at MacDill.

Former county Commissioner Ed Turanchik, who represents the development and ferry companies, pitched the proposal as a low-cost transportation option that would also benefit the local economy and the environment. Turanchik said the ferry would initially take 1,200 cars a day off area highways. The average MacDill employee’s commute would be cut by 30 minutes, Turanchik said, saving the employee $2,500 a year in gasoline and tolls.

Turanchik said he wasn’t sure how much tolls would cost, but MacDill employees’ fares would be covered by federal vouchers available to employees who use mass transit.

“It’s going to put money back in the local economy … It’s an opportunity to stimulate the whole Gibsonton-U.S 41 corridor,” Turanchik said.

The developers are also proposing to build a waterfront recreation park at the docking terminal, at the west end of Fred and Idah Schultz Preserve.

County Administrator Mike Merrill said the two businesses must meet eight conditions before the county will go further with the project. These include getting approval from state and federal agencies to build the docking terminal on land owned by the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

The project would also need a positive recommendation from a transportation policy group made up of commissioners and the mayors of the county’s three cities. And the Pentagon would have to approve the ferry landing at the Air Force base.

“Following satisfaction of the eight preconditions, there would be an interim agreement that would deal with project development,” Merrill said. That’s when the county and development team would “get into the nitty gritty of … how the ferry would operate.”

Most of the commissioners supported the study. Sandy Murman, who represents southern Hillsborough, said the potential benefits of the ferry service to the economy, the environment and to MacDill employees warrant further study.

“You have to take a first step to find out if you can take the next step,” Murman said. “That’s what this does because it sets up the feasibility study — to see if this subsidy is going to be a wise use of our tax dollars.”

Other commissioners expressed concerns that ridership for the ferry would never justify the county’s investment. The county could be left holding a useless dock and boats.

Commissioner Mark Sharpe questioned whether the deal was a true public-private partnership in which the county would still benefit even if it had to subsidize the costs of the operations. He compared the proposal to Tampa’s trolley car system whose supporters, Sharpe said, oversold its potential for moving downtown workers and its boost to the economy.

“I remember the conversation we had about the trolley and how it would remove traffic from our streets,” Sharpe said. “We sold it as something that it wasn’t and we’ve been taking a beating ever since.”

Mark Fernandez, project manager for HMS Ferries, said company officials would never have become involved in the proposal if they didn’t think it would be profitable. HMS Ferries is a subsidiary of HMS Global Marine and operates ferry service to the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls in New York and Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay.

“I report to the president of HMS Ferries, who scrubs potential business opportunities with such a sharp pencil — for us to get to this point, we would have to be satisfied with the potential,” Fernandez said.

msalinero@tampatrib.com

Commissioner Murman mentioned in this Tampa Bay Times article on the SouthShore Chamber dinner:

Dickman family, Ruskin pioneers, honored at annual chamber dinner

By Kathryn Moschella, Times Correspondent

KATHRYN MOSCHELLA

Tampa Bay Times Wednesday, February 5, 2014 2:19pm

APOLLO BEACH — The agribusiness pioneers came from Missouri more than 90 years ago and took advantage of Ruskin’s lush soil and artesian wells, well suited for irrigation.

They created legendary fruit and vegetable cooperatives that helped Ruskin earn the nickname “America’s Salad Bowl,” and then began a thriving tomato-packing business.

Now, Amazon looks to convert some of that original farmland to a distribution center that brings the promise of thousands of new jobs.

The SouthShore Chamber of Commerce acknowledged the Dickman family’s achievements at the chamber’s third annual Membership and Awards Dinner Jan. 31 at Del Webb’s South Shore Falls Clubhouse. Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman presented a commendation to brothers Glenn and Ned Dickman, descendants of the family patriarch, Paul B. Dickman.

“We have all this in our community now due to your family and your continued support,” said chamber executive director Melanie Morrison. “There’s a pride living here. Everything is down here and everyone is moving down here as well.”

New 2014 chamber president Carrie Elwell, owner and operator of Kids R Kids SouthShore in Gibsonton, echoed those sentiments.

“This place is bursting with opportunity,” Ewell said. “There are so many savvy business people here. I am honored and excited to be the new president. I anticipate great things for 2014.” More than 275 people attended the island-themed event. Commendations from county commissioners were also presented to the SouthShore chamber Board of Directors and longtime member John Smith, who has held almost every role in the chamber.

Shannon Brown, the assistant director at Kids R Kids in Gibsonton earned the title of 2014 Honorary Mayor of SouthShore. Brown’s husband, Aaron, who passed away unexpectedly from brain cancer in 2011, worked an athletic trainer and believed in supporting and nurturing young athletes, especially those who are economically disadvantaged. In his memory, Brown will devote her time as mayor to raising money for young athletes in need.

“I really want to help out kids in the area that want to participate in organized sports but can’t afford the equipment or the registration fees,” Brown said. “If it can keep them out of trouble, than I’ve served my purpose.”

Brown stages her first charitable event in March, a fishing tournament with the South Shore Anglers Club to buy sports gear for the local Buddy Ball organization, a nonprofit for kids with special needs who want to play sports.

The 2013 awards included: Small Business of the Year — Legal Shred; Large Business of the Year — Baycare-St. Joseph’s Hospital South; Ambassador of the Year — Charlotte Cark, vice president banking, American Momentum Bank; E.G. Simmons Award for Outstanding Community Service — Tony Zipperer, Zipperer’s Funeral Home; and Volunteer of the Year — Mandy Burdick.

Kathryn Moschella can be reached at hillsnews@tampabay.com.

Commissioner Murman quoted in this Tampa Tribune article on County Administrator raise:

POLITICS

Hillsborough commission gives Merrill praise, 3.5% raise

By Mike Salinero | Tribune Staff
Published: February 6, 2014

TAMPA — Hillsborough County commissioners couldn’t say enough good things about County Administrator Mike Merrill during his evaluation Wednesday.

Since taking over as acting administrator in March 2010, Merrill has faced multi-million-dollar budget deficits and has had to lay off hundreds of county employees. He balanced those out-of-kilter budgets and reduced county debt with relatively few reductions in services. As a result, the county has one of the few AAA credit ratings in the state.

“Your leadership here and how you’ve taken and led this organization through these very difficult times is just exemplary,” said Commissioner Kevin Beckner.

“You’re the consummate public servant,” Commissioner Victor Crist said.

But when commissioners concluded Merrill should be rewarded monetarily, they gave him a 3.5 percent raise and struggled on what formula to use to give him more.

Though Merrill’s contract does not have a raise built in, commissioners can give him one in any year that other county employees get increases. Plus, commissioners can evaluate his contract every year at the same time they review his performance and give him whatever compensation they choose.

The suggestion for a 3.5 percent raise came from Commissioner Sandy Murman, who pointed out Merrill was the only county employee not to get a raise last year. A 3.5 percent raise would be the same increase given to most non-managerial county employees.

Murman pointed out that other executives of Hillsborough government or quasi-governmental agencies, such as MaryEllen Elia, the superintendent of schools, and Joe Lopano, CEO of Tampa International Airport, are paid much more than the $210,000 Merrill now earns.

Murman read from an excerpt of a December 2010 commission meeting that listed salaries for county administrators in Florida’s largest counties. Even at that earlier date, the administrators all made more than $210,000.

Some commissioners suggested Merrill’s pay be raised to $225,000, the salary paid Pinellas County’s administrator in 2010. But Commissioner Les Miller, looking out at the empty commission chamber, said such a decision should be made at a meeting publicized ahead of time.

“I understand the need to give him a raise,” Miller said. “My concern is the public did not get any inclination we were going to do this.”

As a compromise, the commission voted to give Merrill the 3.5 percent increase suggested by Murman and have the county executive staff research current salaries of county administrators around the state. Once the research is done, the commission will consider raising Merrill’s salary to a level in line with executives from other counties.