Hernando County can't afford to lose Swiftmud headquarters

It's just a quirk of history that the Southwest Florida Water Management District headquarters ended up in Hernando County.

But to locals, it's a very lucky quirk.

Brooksville banker Alfred McKethan spearheaded the formation of the district in 1961 and made sure its main office was built near his hometown.

Even a half century ago, McKethan apparently recognized what any number of economists have since confirmed — that a region's financial prospects depend on creating jobs that can attract and retain educated workers.

It may be the single-most important quality for economic growth. It also may be Hernando's most glaring deficiency as it tries to break its dependence on the housing industry.

Only 16.1 percent of county residents over 25 years old have at least a bachelor's degree, according to the 2010 U.S. Census, nearly 10 percentage points below the statewide figure.

Obviously, that doesn't put us in line to become the next Silicon Valley.

That's why we should keep an eye on what's going on at Swiftmud.

The district has already transferred much of its regulatory operations to its Tampa office. And after a summertime flood at the headquarters forced the governing board to meet in that city for several months, several board members have found they like it, said Judy Whitehead, a longtime board member from Brooksville.

"The members from Bradenton and Sarasota — I'm sure they would be thrilled to have (the headquarters) somewhere more centrally located."

It's not yet time to be alarmed. Board Chairman Paul Senft said jokes at a recent meeting about relocating were just that — jokes.

And a governing board that is all about cutting waste would have a hard time explaining why it wants to abandon a building constructed just 21 years ago at a cost of $5 million.

But if a sudden shuttering of the Brooksville office is implausible, the quiet, gradual shift of more functions, more jobs, to the roomy, modern office in Tampa is not. And these jobs will be drawn from a reservoir that is becoming smaller all the time. The total number of district employees, 897 in 2009, will be down to 617 at the end of this year.

Some of these cuts may be justified. Likewise, the transfer of some jobs to Tampa might make sense from a broader public perspective.

Tampa is a lot closer to the population center of the 16-county district, meaning some services could be delivered more efficiently from there. If not for the pull of McKethan, the headquarters no doubt would have been built in Tampa in the first place.

But look at what Swiftmud means to Hernando County: well-paid workers shopping and buying houses here; an impressive headquarters building that assures prospective tenants of the county's nearby industrial park that big operations can survive and thrive in Hernando; educated, creative employees who get involved in the community; and alumni that, at least in good times, bring their expertise to the private sector.

It would be nice for Tampa to get some more of that economic boost, but devastating for Brooksville to lose it.

Yes, it's just a quirk that all those jobs ended up in Brooksville. But it's our quirk, and we need to fight to keep it.