Martin Shelby might be the closest thing to a holy man in Tampa City Hall. The actor formerly known as Marty Cohen has had many government roles since his days trying to make it on Broadway, including a time as Largo city commissioner and assistant public defender in Tampa—but he’s been Tampa City Council attorney since 2004. His clients get a lot of credit for that marathon February session, but day in and day out Shelby is the real star, reminding councilmembers what they can and can’t say, how to make certain motions, and generally keeping everyone above board. Shelby’s also ridiculously kind, and an ace spelunker in the City of Tampa’s municipal code, able to guide wayward reporters to the cold hard code that shapes so much of every day citizens’ daily lives. —Ray Roa
This article appears in Best of The Bay 2024.
