Agency set to help former director double dip

Tampa, Florida - Growth in Hillsborough County is controlled by a little known agency called the Planning Commission. The commission, with more than 60 staffers and a $6 million dollar budget, lost its director Bob Hunter in December.
Hunter was a participant in the Florida Drop program, which means he had to leave his position after five years, to collect his retirement of $41,796 a year. The former planning commission executive director is also set to get a one-time payment of $238,980 from the Florida Retirement Plan.
However, Planning Commissioner Ed Giunta is irate. He says the commission is being told the planning world is in dire straights and could not get along without Hunter.

Giunta says he finds that hard to believe. Giunta is upset because when the board sat down to discuss recruiting a replacement for Hunter, another board member revealed a different plan. Vice Chair Jackie Wilson called Hunter and basically offered the former executive director his old, $145,000 job on the phone.

Amazingly, it appeared that Hunter had been waiting by the phone. He answered immediately and was prepared to answer series of questions.

The questions included:

• Did Hunter want his old job back?
• Would he accept his old contract?
• Could he start immediately?
• Would he still be eligible for another taxpayer funded retirement plan?

It Hunter on a few seconds to reply that he had thought about it and said the answer was yes.

Giunta says it is double dipping, but Hunter doesn't have a problem with it. He says he understands the concerns, but Hunter claims the planning commission is trying to hire the person most qualified for the position.

Hunter says it is the planning commission's decision. When we pointed out he was going back to the same job he retired from 40 days ago, Hunter told us the decision hasn't been made yet.

That's true. The decision won't be made until Wednesday. Meantime, the media person for the planning commission sent an e-mail to Hillsborough Government TV saying, " My superiors have asked this meeting (the one on Wednesday) not be broadcast.

The planning commission says the e-mail was a misunderstanding, but at least one commissioner says the process stinks.

Giunta says the process seems orchestrated and he was shocked.

Some say they are shocked the planning commission would make plans like this.