Hillsborough County debates panhandling ordinance

TAMPA, Fla. - After St. Petersburg banned panhandling in their city earlier this year -- possibly funneling more panhandlers into Tampa -- Hillsborough County is considering ways to strengthen their own law.

Hillsborough County already bans panhandling in unincorporated parts of the county. Temple Terrace and Plant City -- the second- and third-largest cities in the county -- have also banned panhandling.

Tampa, the largest city in the county, allows panhandlers, as long as they wear an orange vest and follow safety regulations.

The Hillsborough County Commission has asked a committee to give them a recommendation on how to deal with the issue of panhandling in the county. The committee met for the first time on Thursday.

According to Michael Merrill, interim county administrator, who is leading the committee, the committee has multiple goals.

They would like to figure out a way to strengthen the laws that ban panhandling so they are more effective.

They would also like to figure out a way to allow charities to ask for money on the side of the road, while not allowing for panhandling.

Finally, Merrill said it was important to try and have all three municipalities operate under the same panhandling law as the county.

The meeting on Thursday was preliminary and no ideas were presented. Multiple meetings will follow.