The SouthShore Roundtable is made up of members from each SouthShore community and is 1,965 days old today. It is a voluntary organization of citizens just like you. It began as the President’s Roundtable, became the South County Roundtable and was renamed to the SouthShore Roundtable.

The mission of the SouthShore Roundtable as stated in its bylaws is twofold:

1. To provide a forum for appointed representatives from established civic, business, social service, environmental and agricultural organizations in SouthShore to engage in open discussions and consensus building with respect to issues of importance to the general quality of life in SouthShore.

2. To provide a mechanism for intervention in the formal governmental and non-governmental processes that affect issues of importance to SouthShore.

The geographical area of significance to the Roundtable includes all communities and/or neighborhoods lying in Hillsborough County and being south of the Alafia River to the southern Hillsborough County line.

In accordance with the bylaws, one or more, but not to exceed two voting members, shall be selected from each SouthShore affiliated community by the members representing those communities as follows:

Ý If the community is represented by at least one primarily business oriented organization (such as a Chamber of Commerce, Merchants’ Association or Business Association), plus at least one primarily civic oriented organization (such as a Civic Association) then that community may have two members in the SouthShore Roundtable.

Ý From the Social Services oriented organization in SouthShore, a maximum of two at-large voting members shall be selected from their number to represent these organizations.

Ý From the Agriculture Community that is active in SouthShore, a maximum of one at-large voting member shall be selected from their number, that seat being a two-year term, renewable at the option of the Membership Committee.

Ý From the Environmental Community that is active in SouthShore, a maximum of one at-large voting member may be selected from their number, that seat being a two-year term, renewable at the option of the Membership Committee.

Ý The immediate past chairman will be a voting member, eligible to serve in any position except as Roundtable chairman.

Ý From the SouthShore community at-large, a maximum of three ad-hoc voting members may be selected, without regard to association, to provide high-profile leadership for the important issues of the Roundtable. Each such seat may be created to address a specific issue at the option of the chairman, with consent of the board, and shall automatically be terminated upon resolution of that issue, or at any time at the option of the Roundtable board.

Ý The Founders of the Round-table, Julius E. (Dooley) Houghtaling and James J. (Jim) Harkins shall be voting members for life.

Send letters to: THE VOICE of SouthShore, P.O. Box 476, Ruskin, FL 33575-0476. Phone: 813-273-8976.