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Forward Pinellas director defends reserves as MPO merger and grant‑match needs loom
Summary
Whit Blanton said Forward Pinellas trimmed projected reserves after budget review but kept a working capital cushion to match grants and support a possible regional MPO merger; commissioners asked for a clearer split between baseline reserves and merger/match contingency funds.
Whit Blanton, executive director of Forward Pinellas (Ford Pinellas), presented revisions to the agency budget and defended a portion of proposed reserves as a working capital fund used to match grants and to provide flexibility for local partner projects. He said the board approved a reduction in the millage to 0.200 mills and that revised budget numbers have lowered—but not eliminated—reserve projections. "That's a working capital fund that we use to match grants and to address uncertainties," Blanton told commissioners.
Blanton also updated the board on efforts to merge metropolitan planning organizations across the Tampa Bay region. He said the agencies have a memorandum of agreement and a draft scope for legal and management consulting; the timeline described in the presentation targets governing‑board approvals and a possible regional MPO operational start in mid‑2027. Commissioners asked staff to break out reserve components into a baseline operating reserve and an additional contingency for merger and match needs, and asked for timing and spend plans tied to the merger schedule.
