Kevin White Needs To Go...Sooner Rather Than Later

The next episode in County Commissioner Kevin White's sexual harassment case could play out on a public stage.

A majority of county commissioners said Monday they want an open discussion on how to limit taxpayers' liability in the wake of a jury verdict that White sexually harassed his former aide, Alyssa Ogden. County Attorney Renee Lee had planned to hold the discussion in private during Wednesday's regularly scheduled commission meeting.

What about the cab drivers liablity from the laws he has enacted that punish Tampa Cab drivers who do not wear a collared shirt and have to pay a $30 fine. That money, we now know, goes into the HCPTC slush fund in which Kevin White took out over $400,000 dollars and then said there should be an investigation to find out where that money went. We know where it went. It went into his sexual get some young ass fund. I for one, as a Tampa Cab driver HACK #303362 am tired of this harrasment.

The decision to open the meeting came on the same day commissioners learned attorney fees related to White's trial could soar higher. Lee informed commissioners Monday afternoon of an opinion from the Florida Bar Association that the county attorney cannot appeal any issues related to the case in order to reduce its financial responsibility and cannot negotiate with Ogden's attorneys over their fees.

That means the county's outside legal bill for the case, already at $170,000, will probably balloon. The county is also potentially liable for $216,000 that Ogden's attorney has asked for in legal fees and court costs, and $75,000 in damages the jury awarded Ogden.

"It just keeps bleeding," Commissioner Jim Norman said, referring to the county's liability. Norman said he will only vote to hold the White discussion openly if Lee can assure him statements made publicly will not hurt the county's chances in future appeals or lawsuits.

Rose Ferlita was the first commissioner to demand that Wednesday's discussion be held in public. Lee had proposed a closed meeting in a Friday memo to commissioners. She cited the state statute that allows legal discussions to be exempt from the Sunshine law