TAMPA, Fla. (NCC News) — Hillsborough’s Board of County Commissioners dissolved the Emergency Policy Group in charge of the county’s COVID-19 response this morning.
The vote was unanimous. The Board of County Commissioners itself is now responsible for handling the county’s response.
The Emergency Policy Group was convened at the outset of the pandemic and brought together mayors, commissioners and other administrators, both elected and appointed. It was responsible for a controversial mask order and curfew. Residents upset by those decisions made their frustrations known during the public portion of the meeting.
Multiple members of the group endorsed the move to dissolve, including Sheriff Chad Chronister and several commissioners. Most said it came down to having the right people making decisions.
“Our county has grown rapidly, with a tremendous expansion in the unincorporated population,” said Commissioner Kimberly Overman. “More than two-thirds of the 1.5 million (population) are in unincorporated Hillsborough County.”
With the Board of County Commissioners elected to represent all of Hillsborough County and not just those within Tampa city limits, the aim is to make representation more proportional, according to Overman.
Other commissioners involved in the vote downplayed the significance of what was occurring, referring to it as purely an administrative procedure.
“It’s simply moving the emergency back to the county commission where this authority has always rested,” said Commissioner Mariella Smith.
After the vote was completed, Board Chair Les Miller introduced a motion to reduce COVID-19 briefings for the commissioners to once a week, instead of the twice a week schedule the Emergency Policy Group maintained. He stated the commissioners would be able to obtain all pertinent information in the new format. The motion passed.
The controversial mask mandate expires Monday, with the first COVID-19 response briefing scheduled for tomorrow.
