Commissioners want resignations

TAMPA - Some Hillsborough County Commissioners are calling for the jobs of three county employees.

They want County Administrator Pat Bean, County Attorney Renee Lee and Auditor Jim Barnes, out.

Commissioner Mark Sharpe said it's best they move now.

"It's my feeling we move. The public looks to us to deal with problems. We have an opportunity now based on information, to act," Sharpe said.

This started back in 2007, when Pat Bean and Renee Lee each got a 1 percent pay raise, along with other top employees.

It was part of a reward for saving the county millions of dollars in the budget.

The county commissioners said they became aware of the raises in the fall, two years after they were given -- even though the county charter states that any raises for the county administrator and attorney must be approved by commissioners.

So Commissioner Kevin Beckner asked FDLE to determine if a crime was committed.

Then for the next several months, someone in the county attorney's office began doing e-mail searches, looking for references to the investigation. They searched e-mails from staff in the county auditor's office.

The county auditor said he discovered it and approached Bean and Lee, who he said ignored him.

Pat Bean has since released a statement about the emails:

"County staff determined that a very large number of e-mails had been pulled by the County Attorney's Office and they made me aware of this fact. Until then, I had not considered or made any public records request of my own. But, I did so at this time. Once I received the files, however, I changed my mind and realized it was a mistake. I never opened them and never read a single word. I have no idea what the e-mails say. The County's Information Technology Services department will determine exactly who went in and accessed these e-mails and will provide that information directly to commissioners."

Commissioner Sharpe said Bean's admittance to getting the e-mails is enough for him.

"She has herself admitted she shouldn't have pulled the records, and it's just another example of poor judgment. For me it's pretty clear we need a new leadership. I've felt this way for approximately a year," Sharpe said.

Commissioner Hagan sent a letter titled "Open Letter to the Community." He said he is saddened by the actions, but has now strongly suggest to each -- Pat Bean, Renee Lee, and Jim Barnes -- to submit their resignations no later than Tuesday, March 16th, at noon.

If they do not, he will encourage the board to immediately terminate their employment.

Barnes is included in this list because Commissioners have had issues with his job for years now.

Lee said she and her staff did nothing wrong, by obtaining emails. She said it was in response to a request from a third party, but did not provide any other details.