House backs Michael Owen’s Hillsborough Commission overhaul, elected Superintendent proposals

House members approved two measures that would place sweeping changes to Hillsborough County government and its public school leadership before voters in 2026.

The measures aim to expand and restructure the Hillsborough County Commission by converting all seats to single-member districts and increasing the board’s size, while also shifting the Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent to an elected, partisan position.

The proposals, both sponsored by Apollo Beach Republican Rep. Michael Owen, would not immediately alter county structure or school governance. Instead, each measure requires voter approval during the November 2026 General Election before taking effect.

One bill, HB 4029, places a measure on the ballot asking voters to amend the Hillsborough County Charter to expand the Board of County Commissioners from seven to nine members, with a future increase to 11 commissioners once the county’s population reaches at least 2.5 million. The measure would also eliminate countywide Commission seats in favor of single-member districts.

In addition to restructuring the board, HB 4029 revises voting thresholds for certain county actions. It would require a “majority plus one” vote of the full Commission for key decisions, including appointing or removing the County Administrator, County Attorney and County Internal Auditor, and for proposing charter amendments.

The bill also modifies the composition and appointment process of the county’s Charter Review Board and adjusts procedures for citizen-initiated charter amendments.

Debate over HB 4029 exposed division within the Hillsborough delegation, with Democrats arguing the proposal was unnecessary and costly. Temple Terrace Democratic Rep. Fentrice Driskell said she had not heard broad public demand to expand the Commission. Driskell also raised fiscal concerns, warning the expansion would increase taxpayer costs.

“When I hear from the community back home there is no overwhelming outcry to move our County Commission from 7 members to 9,” Driskell said. “In fact, it’s been the opposite. Everyone who’s reached out to me it’s been the opposite. Lets talk about what this would require. First, it would increase cost by over $2 million just to put these county commissioners in place, then we’re talking about additional salaries both for the commissioners as well as for their staff.”

St. Petersburg Democratic Rep. Michele Rayner similarly urged members outside Hillsborough County not to override local sentiment, arguing the delegation itself was split.

“This has been a conversation that has happened for years in Hillsborough County, it has not happened – to increase the members of the commission – and yet we want to come to Tallahassee to do that,” Rayner said.

Supporters countered that the current structure dilutes representation in a county of more than 1.5 million residents. Riverview Republican Rep. Danny Alvarez argued the size of Hillsborough makes countywide seats unwieldy and expensive to campaign for.

“It’s really an interesting time in our period of history when we’ve got individuals saying that government closest to the people is the one we should listen to, while simultaneously asking you not to listen to a government that we’re trying to get closer to the people,” Alvarez said. “1.5 million people Hillsborough County makes a countywide government and a countywide representative bigger than 11 different governors races in this country.”

Closing on the bill, Owen defended the Legislature’s role in placing the issue before voters and argued that single-member districts would create more local accountability.

“I believe that one representative that runs over that same pothole that you run over every day is good representation,” Owen said. “Equal representation throughout the county.”

The House also passed HB 4027, which would place a separate question before Hillsborough voters asking whether the district should switch from an appointed to an elected Superintendent of Schools.

Under the bill, the Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools would be elected in a partisan race to a four-year term beginning with the 2028 General Election — but only if voters approve the change during this year’s election cycle. If voters approve the new measure, the office would be filled through countywide elections, aligning Hillsborough with the majority of Florida counties that elect their Superintendents.

If signed into law and approved at the ballot in November, the Commission restructuring would begin phasing in ahead of the 2028 election cycle – while the first elected Superintendent would also appear on the 2028 ballot.

Debate on the House floor illuminated a sharp divide within the Hillsborough delegation. Tampa Republican Rep. Susan Valdés, a former Hillsborough School Board member, supported the referendum, saying voters should have the opportunity to decide and pointing to the district’s multibillion-dollar budget as evidence that the role requires executive-level accountability.

“Lets face it, educators are not taught the business of education,” Valdés said. “It is very important that person in charge has an idea of the business and surrounds themselves with people that are educators to execute.”

Opponents questioned whether shifting to an elected Superintendent would politicize a role they argued should remain focused on school district “excellence.” Driskell said Hillsborough County, one of the largest school districts in the nation, requires expertise and stability..

“I don’t want to see our school Superintendents have to align their interests necessarily with Tallahassee or with special interests,” Driskell said.

Driskell warned that elections would also distract an elected Superintendent from leadership responsibilities.

“We know how much work elections take, how much work that takes,” she said. “Time away from family and home to be knocking on doors and doing these things. I’d rather have our school Superintendent in Hillsborough County focused on leading the district and managing the employees, not focused on elections.”

Rayner called the proposal a “power grab,” arguing the district’s size demands leadership selected based on merit rather than campaign dynamics.

“The Hillsborough County delegation is divided on this and quite honestly, as I said when we had a delegation meeting, this is a very petty thin power grab,” Rayner said. “Folks may believe our county is shifting, however its not based on actual qualifications, its not based on actual fidelity to students. Hillsborough County is the seventh largest school district in the nation, and going to this type of structure is actually a disservice to our students, to our teachers.”

Closing debate, Owen said the referendum itself would settle the question – taking the opportunity to broadcast that he would be voting in favor of the referendum if approved by the broader Legislature.

“The beautiful part of a referendum is that’s exactly what we’ll find out,” he said. “This is not about me making this decision. Sure, I’m going to vote “Yes” on it, because I believe in the voters of Hillsborough County. I believe they are capable of looking at a Superintendent just like they do a Sheriff, just like they do a Tax Collector, just like they do a Property Appraiser, just like they do a Clerk of Court.

The House’s approval sets the stage for what could become two of the most consequential local ballot questions in Hillsborough County in 2026. If approved by the Legislature and signed by the Governor, the bills placing the referendums on the ballot would take effect upon becoming law – although local voters will have final say on the matter during the election. No companion bills have been filed in the Senate for either measure.