Ed Narain gets no love for advocating that Florida cities should be able to hold their own tax referendums

ednarain

A couple of years after Hillsborough County voters overwhelmingly rejected a sales tax referendum on transportation, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn talked about getting Tallahassee lawmakers to back a measure that would allow big cities like Tampa to place their own tax referendums on the ballot.

It received little support from the local delegation, and was never even proposed as a bill.

Flash forward to Tuesday’s luncheon hosted by the Tampa Bay Partnership, where state Rep. Ed Narain expressed a similar desire, in the wake of the Go Hillsborough measure failing to event make it on the November ballot.

“I believe that the city of Tampa and St. Petersburg, some of the largest cities in the state, should be allowed to go to referendum, to make decisions on how they want to spend their tax dollars on transportation, “ Narain said. “I think that would change the dynamic.”

The Tampa Democrat — running for state senate this fall — was one of five Tampa Bay-area legislators who spoke and fielded questions at the Centre Club in Tampa’s Westshore district on Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Tampa Bay Partnership.

“It will be up to this legislative body, and I think all of you out there as business leaders need to push a very bold and different approach by allowing the cities to make that decision on mass transit options,” he added.

The sentiment among his other Tampa Bay area legislative colleagues was not encouraging.

When moderator Rhea Law asked another member on the panel to speak up on the issue — a panel which included Tampa House Rep. Dana Young, Safety Harbor House Rep. Chris Sprowls, Pasco County state Sen. John Legg and Bradenton Rep. Jim Boyd, all Republicans — only Sprowls spoke up, and it was not in support of Narain’s idea.

The Pinellas County Republican brought up the former water wars in Tampa Bay that were alleviated by the creation of Tampa Bay Water, and said segregating communities when it came to pushing for referendums wasn’t helpful.

“I think carving us out would be a mistake. I really think we need buy-in,” Sprowls said, adding that there was an obvious divide between Pinellas County’s north and south when it came to 2014’s Greenlight Pinellas transit tax measure.

“I think that the answer of ‘we’re just going to ask these folks over here’ because we think they’ll say yes’ would be a mistake,” Sprowls added. “We need as a business community and as a delegation to be able to weave that in a direction that they can have.”

In the wake of the Go Hillsborough debacle, transit activist Kevin Thurman suggested encouraging the Legislature to allow for such a proposal would be something he and his allies would advocate for. If today’s sampling of Tampa Bay area legislators is any indication, it will continue to be a tough sell.

 

 

 

Mitch Perry

Mitch Perry has been a reporter with Extensive Enterprises since November of 2014. Previously, he served five years as political editor of the alternative newsweekly Creative Loafing. Mitch also was assistant news director with WMNF 88.5 FM in Tampa from 2000-2009, and currently hosts MidPoint, a weekly talk show, on WMNF on Thursday afternoons. He began his reporting career at KPFA radio in Berkeley and is a San Francisco native who has lived in Tampa since 2000. Mitch can be reached at [email protected].


3 comments

  • Tim Heberlein

    May 3, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    That’s too bad. I know that Rep. Shawn Harrison at one time supported such a measure. Local control in this state means Tallahassee control. Which is unfortunate when they’re not providing any solutions to municipal problems like transit. Let the cities vote. Let local governments help decide their own destinies.

    • Tim Heberlein

      May 3, 2016 at 4:56 pm

      I also am proud to have Rep. Narain represent me and be a leader on this issue.

  • Michelle Williams

    May 4, 2016 at 5:55 pm

    Nobody ever wants higher taxes but everyone wants faster roads….just pass the bill already and stop wanting your cake and eating it to.

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories