Pat Kemp Leading Hillsborough County Commission May Signal Change

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Newly re-elected Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp will serve as chairwoman of the commission for the coming year.

The county commission unanimously voted to name Kemp chairwoman at its organizational meeting and investiture ceremony Tuesday. Newly elected commissioners Harry Cohen and Gwen Myers were also sworn into office.

With the Nov. 3 election, the Hillsborough County Commission now has five Democrats and two Republicans on the board.

Now the minority party on the commission, Republican Commissioners Ken Hagan and Stacy called for the board to take a bipartisan approach to issues.

"Local government should not be about partisanship," Hagan said. It’s about doing what’s best for the county."

Kemp, however, believes the election of the Democrat majority is a sign to the commission that voters want change.

That change may come in the form of more public transportation alternatives in Hillsborough County.

Among Kemp's priorities during her re-election campaign was the use of transportation alternatives such as converting the CSX rail tracks from the University of South Tampa to downtown Tampa for commuter rail and launching a ferry service from south Hillsborough County to MacDill Air Force Base.

Kemp also supported the All for Transportation 30-year, 1-cent sales tax approved by voters in November 2018 to fund repairs and improvements to existing roads in the county as well as more public transportation. The referendum called for more safety features on roads, additional sidewalks and bike paths, synchronized traffic signals as well as additional bus routes and stops.

White, however, put a hold on the surtax when he filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the referendum placed on the ballot by the All for Transportation advocacy group.

In February, the Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on the tax’s legality but there's been no final ruling.

In the meantime, in March the county commission considered placing the transportation tax referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot for another vote — this time as a county commission-led initiative that would reaffirm the voters' desire for the tax. But the majority of commissioners thought putting a tax referendum on the ballot in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic was ill-advised. Kemp, Overman and Smith voted to move forward with a public hearing on the second referendum.

Kemp will find a champion for the transportation tax in Myers who was early supporter of the All for Transportation referendum in 2018 and has continued advocating for the sales tax.

With Kemp leading the commission, Hillsborough County residents will likely see the commission take action to increase impact fees for developers to help pay for schools and other infrastructure needs.

Already, in May, the commission voted 6-1 to increase impact fees for new park construction and transportation. Hagan cast the dissenting vote.

First elected to the countywide District 6 commission seat in 2016, Kemp said she was frequently the lone vote battling uncontrolled growth and urban sprawl during her first two years on the commission.

With Kemp at the helm, the county commission could also consider more green initiatives.

Kemp brought the Solar United Neighbors of Florida program to the county. The program brings interested homeowners together in a bulk purchase group called a "solar co-op." Through the process, members learn about solar energy and if going solar is right for them. Once the group is large enough, Solar United Neighbors submits a request for proposal on behalf of the members. Local installers submit proposals and a selection committee composed of co-op members chooses the one that best serves the needs of the group. The chosen installer then develops individualized proposals for each co-op member based on their bid.

Endorsed by the Tampa Bay Sierra Club during this year's run for re-election, Kemp has been a longtime advocate for the environment and using renewable resources.

After choosing leadership positions, members of the county commission selected positions on the various boards, committees and councils on which they serve.

Some of the appointments include:

• Affordable Housing Advisory Board – Kimberly Overman
• Arts Council of Hillsborough County – Mariella Smith
• Aviation Authority – Stacy White
• CareerSource Tampa Bay – Pat Kemp
• Children's Board of Hillsborough County – Gwendolyn “Gwen” W. Myers
• Environmental Protection Commission – Smith, chair; Kemp, vice chair
• Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority – Kemp, Myers, Overman, Smith
• Hospital Authority – Ken Hagan, Overman
• Juvenile Justice Board – Myers
• Metropolitan Planning Organization – Harry Cohen, Kemp, Overman, Myers, Smith, Alternate: White
• Port Authority – Cohen
• Tampa Bay Water Board of Directors – Cohen, Smith
• Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. – Kemp
• Tampa Sports Authority – Hagan

A complete list is posted at HCFLGov.net/BOCC.