Local activist, county commissioner at odds

Thursday, March 2, 2006

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Storms is no stranger to controversy.

A community activist is once again taking aim at a local politician.

On Wednesday, Marilyn Smith sent a formal complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics saying Hillsborough County Commissioner Ronda Storms should be investigated.

Smith made a similar complaint to Hillsborough County State Attorney Mark Ober last week.

Smith claims Storms may have tried to pressure a county employee into blocking a proposed bikini bar in Valrico. The former building official

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testified in court in December that Storms asked him to delay the bar's opening as a favor.

Storms has previously said the bar would be a law enforcement nightmare.

Tampa attorney Luke Lirot is representing the owners of the proposed bar.

Smith thinks Storms has gone over the line to prevent the opening of the bar.

"You can't deny people their first amendment rights and you can't use administrative employees in an effort to accomplish what truly is an unconstitutional goal," said Lirot.

Storms' attorney, David Gibbs, said everything his client did in this case was "proper and right" and that she does not recall using the word "favor" in her conversation with the former county employee.