Virtual budget hearing may be coming to Hillsborough County

APRIL 22, 2009

TAMPA -- Hillsborough Commissioner Al Higginbotham wants the county to make it easier for the public to sound off on the budget.

He is proposing making one of the county's budget hearings virtual. In addition to showing up in person, members of the public could make their way to a community center closer to home and address commissioners remotely. Or perhaps they could offer comments from their home computer.

Think YouTube presidential debate. Commission Chairman Ken Hagan dubbed it an i-town hall meeting.

Higginbotham also suggested enabling the public to "tweet" the County Commission with questions or comments during the budget hearing using the digital social networking service Twitter.

The county's communications director was asked Wednesday to report back to the Commission with a cost estimate. The first of four budget hearings is scheduled in June.

-- Bill Varian, Times staff writer

Posted by tampabaycom at 6:17:12 pm on April 22, 2009 in

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