Sometimes folksy, penurious City Councilman Charlie Miranda’s manner seems as much shtick as substance. But somebody has to make it their business to micromanage other people’s money. Might as well be the miserly one with the most institutional knowledge and track record for asking no-nonsense questions.
Too bad, however, that not enough Tampa Bay Water board members listened to him recently. The issue was the regional utility’s 5-4 vote to ante up nearly $1 million for a consultant to help select somebody to fix that infamous, cracked reservoir in southern Hillsborough County.
That would be the C.W. Bill Young Regional Reservoir, which is the prime source of the area’s drinking water. Yes, it’s really important. But, no, there was ample reason to look in-house for expertise – and local accountability.
“I just don’t know that we need that,” Miranda said of the $908,500 contract with KPMG. “We have six government bodies represented on the board; don’t any of them have some expertise on this?”