BY IRIS B. HOLTON

Sentinel City Editor

Newly elected County Commissioner Les Miller, Jr., said he was unaware of problems with the County’s Head Start Program until the issue came up during the public comment section of the Board meeting on Wednesday. However, he vows to fight any efforts to privatize the program.

“I wish that someone would have called me and discussed it with me before the meeting. However, when it came up, I asked the question, ‘What are you talking about?’

Commissioner Miller said he learned that rumors were floating about disciplinary actions involving top-level employees of the Head Start Program. “I can’t act on something if I don’t know anything about it. I can’t do anything about rumors; I need to have the facts.

“Last year, the issue of privatizing Head Start came up and there was public outcry. The funding is still there for the program. It helps many people, including those in my district, and I will fight any efforts to privatize it. This program is too important. It needs to stay under the control of the board,” Miller said.

Hillsborough County is one of only two counties in the state with dual Head Start programs.

He further stated that he had not met with [private]County Administrator Mike Merrill and brought up to date about the issue. “That wasn’t his fault. He was in meetings this week and so was I, and we just couldn’t meet. It was a scheduling issue.”

Pending Controversy

An investigation is currently underway concerning a book written by the wife of Head Start’s Fiscal Manager, Mike Jay, which was published and distributed throughout the county with approval.

An anonymous source told the Sentinel that part of the controversy pertains to an allegation that Jay never disclosed the fact that the book was written by his wife. Louis Fenney, Director of the Head Start Program is Jay’s supervisor.

The issue was slated for discussion during the Policy Council meeting on Thursday evening.

Interlocal Agreement

A pending Interlocal Agreement between Hillsborough County and the Children’s Board would place Don Dixon, Chief Operations Officers for the Children’s Board, in an advisory position to the County.

The agreement states in part, “In consideration of the County’s payments, the Children’s Board shall loan Mr. Don Dixon’s services to the County and the County may assign him as its Director of the Children’s Services Division and other related assignments of the County’s Family and Aging Services Department.”

Dixon’s services may include, but aren’t limited to: “Oversight of all operations and staff of the Children’s Services Division of the County’s Family and Aging Services Department;

“Lead responsibility for the County’s role in implementing the short term action plan for the System of Care for Children and Families in Hillsborough County; to assess Board of County Commissioners-funded children’s services in order to provide budget recommendations to the County Administrator for the next two-year funding cycle, etc.”

Pete Edwards, a member of the Children’s Board of Directors said the Interlocal Agreement must be agreed upon and signed by both parties, and that has not yet taken place.

He further said Dixon is recognized as an expert in the field. “We are lending them his expertise to help keep the services they have and not lose them. It is going to be rough for the next two years with these budget cuts.”

When asked about the pending Interlocal Agreement, Commissioner Miller said, “I have my staff trying to get a copy of it, but I have not seen it.” [/private]