House Speaker Richard Corcoran demands state audit of TIA

House Speaker Richard Corcoran is demanding that state auditors review a $1 billion expansion project at Tampa International Airport as part of a budget deal to end the legislative session.

Corcoran said he has concerns about the project’s cost and possible construction delays that can only be answered by an independent review by the state auditor general, who is appointed by the Legislature.

“When you’re spending billions of dollars in taxpayer money, nobody should be afraid of an audit, to make sure they’re spending it right,” Corcoran said in an interview.

A Land O’Lakes Republican, Corcoran referred to TIA as “my airport” and said the Legislature has a responsibility to ensure that no money is misspent.

He cited “numerous accounts” in the media of questionable spending.

The first local news outlet that reported critically on the project was WTSP-Channel 10, which in 2015 reported that an expansion of space for retail outlets would cost $2,000 per square foot.

The TV story quoted airport director Joe Lopano as saying: “It is all about transparency here.”

WFLA-Channel 8 reported in March that a key element of the expansion’s first phase, a 2.6 million square foot rental car facility linked to a new people mover, is behind schedule. The report also said that any cost overruns would be paid for by the contractor, not taxpayers.

An online rental car booking service, AutoSlash, reported in February that the center’s opening has been pushed back until next year.

Corcoran’s demand for an audit, in the seventh week of a nine-week legislative session, follows a failed attempt last week by Sen. Tom Lee, R-Thonotosassa, to require a financial review. That led to a furor on the Senate floor, when Lee mentioned “potential public corruption” in the TIA project.

Sen. Dana Young, R-Tampa, questioned Lee’s action and said he should have brought any concerns before all Hillsborough lawmakers.

Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, also challenged Lee, and Lee’s audit request failed on an unrecorded voice vote by the Senate, but Lee, who is close to Corcoran, said he would keep pushing for an audit.

Corcoran has aggressively questioned spending practices of Enterprise Florida, Visit Florida, state colleges and universities and local tourism boards, and at his insistence, the House refused to give Gov. Rick Scott an additional $13 million to pay for legal fees in a protracted, three-state legal battle over water rights.

Corcoran, a 52-year-old Pasco County lawyer, has cast himself as a fiscal watchdog. He’s considering running for the Republican nomination for governor in 2018 but has said he will not make a final decision until next March.

“All of this absolutely deserves the scrutiny of the public and nobody should be afraid of those audits,” Corcoran said of Lopano and his management team.

He said that if they can account for “every dime” of taxpayer money, they have nothing to fear from auditors.

The five-member Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which oversees the airport, scheduled a workshop Tuesday to discuss the second phase of the expansion project.

The authority is chaired by Robert Watkins, a Tampa accountant, and its members include Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist.

Corcoran’s interest in TIA is worth noting because he was hired in 2011 to work at the Broad and Cassel law firm by its partner, Steve Burton. Burton was instrumental in pushing for change in TIA’s former management team, led by Louis Miller. Burton later served at chairman of the Hillsborough Aviation Authority, which oversees TIA, before dying in 2013 at the age of 52.

This story was originally published April 18, 2017 at 4:50 PM with the headline "House Speaker Richard Corcoran demands state audit of TIA."