ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- The Expressway Authority says it's ready to change the way it does business, but that doesn't mean that taxpayers are getting a break on tolls. Board members agreed to adopt most of the recommendations from a special Blue Ribbon Panel created to find money saving reforms, but the panel didn't consider repealing the recent 25-cent toll hike and at least one Expressway Authority board member said that was a mistake.

"We've lost a lot of faith in the public and, in the court of public opinion, we're losing," Expressway Authority board member Tanya Juarez said.

Things got heated when members of the public lashed out at the board Friday morning. Authority leaders only say they're looking into the suggestion to give everyone who has an E-pass some kind of a discount.

"I'm a citizen here, I have a right, I have a right to speak here," citizen Sally Baptist said. "This is nothing but money and power."

Only minutes into the Expressway Authority meeting, deputies surrounded Baptist, who refused to give up the podium. She was just the first of several to blast the toll hike.

"A lot of us are really fed up with the way people are running our money and spending our tax dollars," Baptist said.

Many singled out the $24 million Expressway Authority's headquarters and even took a shot at the special panel that was supposed to help reform the authority.

"Yes, I call this the toll castle. I am here to make it a public record that the Blue Ribbon Panel that was put together was nothing but a joke, a farce," Baptist said.

The board did agree to follow most of the panel's recommendations, like leasing out space at the headquarters, keeping salaries frozen and, in spite of the toll hike's extra cash, the agency won't borrow a dime and that includes no new bonds. Also, the idea of a discount for all E-pass users is still up in the air and currently only those who go through tolls more than 40 times per month get a break.

"I'm all for discounts, so I just suggest we give a 25-cent discount for all transponder users," Juarez said.

Juarez was the only board member to join the chorus of voices criticizing the 25-cent increase that started in April.

"I think we need to consider not just revenue and we need to consider the people," she said.

The board did agree to conduct yearly reviews of Executive Director Mike Snyder, who's been the target of several calls to resign.

The board should also decide whether it can afford to give the E-pass transponders out for free by the end of the year.