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Commission split over who should select inspector general; straw votes favor mayor and council involvement
Summary
Members debated whether the inspector general selection committee should include the mayor and council chair or be composed of outside civic leaders; several commissioners argued for mayor/council participation to preserve voter accountability and the transcript shows a majority in favor of keeping mayor/council seats (or their designees) on the committee.
A central point of contention in the OIG debate was who should make up the selection committee. The draft included prominent civic figures and public officials — the mayor, the council chair, the president of the county bar association, the president of the University of South Florida, the state attorney, the chief judge, the public defender, the ethics commission chair and a public/unions representative.
Some commissioners argued the mayor and council chair should remain on the committee to ensure accountability to Tampa voters, while others pushed for removing elected officials and emphasizing outside experts to maximize independence. The commission conducted an informal straw poll in which a majority present supported retaining the mayor and council chair (or their designees) on the selection committee; members also asked staff to vet whether sitting judicial or prosecutor officials could participate or needed to be listed as "former" officials per ethics guidance.
