There’s another curious footnote tucked in Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean’s 478 page budget document. Page 227 notes the elimination of a “human services program manager” in the Health and Social Services Department.

That job is held by Bernadine White-King. She manages summer food programs for poor children and recovery efforts for homeless people. She is also the aunt of Commissioner Kevin White, though you might say the relationship is less than cordial.

White-King ran for the same Tampa City Council seat won by White in 2003 in a bitter campaign. She backed one of his opponents when he ran for the County Commission nearly two years ago. Payback?

White denied it but otherwise declined comment, as did White-King. Health Department Director Dave Rogoff said neither family ties nor White-King’s performance have anything to do with it. He’s shifting her duties to other managers in an effort to streamline his staff and cut costs.

“Nobody leaned on me,” Rogoff said. “We looked at it strictly from the standpoint of reducing the budget without reducing service.”

-- Bill Varian, Times Staff Writer

White denied it but otherwise declined comment, as did White-King. Health Department Director Dave Rogoff said neither family ties nor White-King’s performance have anything to do with it. He’s shifting her duties to other managers in an effort to streamline his staff and cut costs.

“Nobody leaned on me,” Rogoff said. “We looked at it strictly from the standpoint of reducing the budget without reducing service.”

-- Bill Varian, Times Staff Writer