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Jim Norman misses Hillsborough County Commission candidate forum

 
Jim Norman
Jim Norman
Published May 21, 2016

TAMPA — Five candidates for the countywide seat on the Hillsborough County Commission differed sharply over the county's transportation problems at a forum Friday.

But it was the missing candidate who stole the show.

Jim Norman, the four-term county commissioner who gave up his re-election bid for a state Senate seat after admitting to ethics violations in 2012, did not appear at the Tampa Tiger Bay Club's forum.

Club officials said he had confirmed that he would appear weeks ago.

George Sucarichi, a friend and political ally, attended in Norman's stead and said the former state senator had to suddenly leave for Jacksonville on Thursday night to deal with his father's illness.

Reached afterward, Norman told the Tampa Bay Times that he would not confirm or deny that, saying only that he had "personal business" to deal with.

He said he asked Sucarichi to attend for him, but Sucarichi was not allowed to speak on Norman's behalf.

"I didn't want to just ignore (Tiger Bay Tampa)," Norman said. "I wanted to show them respect."

Norman said he has appeared in other forums with his opponent in the GOP primary, Tim Schock, and has two appearances scheduled for next week.

"I haven't ducked out of anything," Norman said.

During the forum, Schock and the four Democrats in the District 6 race — John Dicks, Pat Kemp, Tom Scott and Brian Willis — offered widely varying opinions of the county's transportation challenges.

They all talked about Go Hillsborough, the 30-year, half-cent sales tax referendum to fund transportation needs that the County Commission rejected last month. The commission is now mulling a 15-year tax and is set to hold a public hearing June 9.

Schock and Kemp said they opposed Go Hillsborough, but for different reasons. Norman told the Times he also opposes it.

Kemp said it didn't include enough funding for transit and nonhighway options.

Schock said county commissioners shouldn't be trusted with a 30-year tax.

Norman said he believes Hillsborough leaders could persuade Gov. Rick Scott to allow the county to use its share of revenue from the Seminole gaming compact, making a tax hike unnecessary. However, the Legislature failed to approve a new gaming compact and the Seminoles are suing the state of Florida.

Dicks and Willis supported Go Hillsborough, while Tom Scott had reservations.

"At least it's a start," Scott said.

They also discussed Tampa Bay Express, the state's plan to add express toll lanes to Interstates 275, 75 and 4 across the bay area. Kemp, Scott and Willis oppose TBX, in part because it would impinge on neighborhoods near the interchange.

Dicks said other parts of the plan, such as a new northbound span for the Howard Frankland Bridge, are needed.

Schock said the plan should be revised to use reversible lanes.

Norman told the Times: "I don't know that's the fix-all for everything."

• • •

In 2010 it was revealed that Norman's wife bought an Arkansas vacation home using a $400,00 loan from one of her husband's political supporters. Two years later he ended his state Senate re-election campaign. Now he's trying to restart his political career.

Several Tiger Bay Club members said they intended on Friday to ask Norman about those issues.

Norman told the Times he ended his 2012 re-election bid because his district was realigned, making it less favorable to a Republican, and not because of ethical violations.

"I've been cleared and cleared" on those issues, he said.

However, in 2012 he admitted guilt to one count in an ethics complaint for failing to report the money on financial disclosure forms.

Also, in 2010 a Tallahassee judge said Norman's contention that he "knew absolutely nothing" about the house was "patently absurd."