The Government Efficiency Task Force looking at consolidating tolling systems used by the state’s expressway authorities recommended that an independent study be done to weigh consolidating the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority and the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority into the Florida Turnpike Enterprise (FTE).
On Wednesday night, in a 10-3 vote, the task force recommended folding the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority into the FTE.
A working group that studied the issue for the task force said, consolidating toll collection would save the state $22 million a year. Moving the Mid-Bay Bridge Authority, which oversees a bridge connecting Niceville and Destin, into the FTE would save up to $500,000 a year immediately and could save up to $10 million a year on bonds because of the FTE’s better credit rating.
The group also found that consolidating the other authorities could save $24.3 million. But Bob Rohrlack, president and CEO of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, said giving the state even greater control over tolling systems could be less efficient, not more.
“We’re about to endorse something to create bigger government,” Rohrlack said.
Abraham Uccello, who chairs the task force, said folding the toll collection systems together made sense.
“This is not just an example of duplication,” Uccello said, “but of a business model that seems wrong.”
The group also recommended that the authorities compare employees’ salaries to similar agencies to decide if their compensation packages are too high.
