Florida DEP's Tampa office faces reorganization, staff cuts

By Craig Pittman

Three weeks ago, the largest regional division of the state Department of Environmental Protection got a new boss, Mary Yeargan. Her first order of business at the Tampa district office: launch a reorganization that will become a model for shaking up the entire agency.

In looking at the DEP's Tampa district from 2007 to 2011, Yeargan pointed out, "permit applications went down 50 percent while staff levels went down only 4 percent." As a result, she said, "there's a concern that we need to be more responsible financially."

Asked if that meant the Tampa staff should be cut by 50 percent, Yeargan replied, "We don't have a number in mind."

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