It’s close, but Hoyt Prindle is the best candidate for Tampa City Council District 6

Eight terms is enough for Charlie Miranda, who’s out of time in District 2 and looking to win this seat. His long winded comments from the dais are endearing to some, but often meander and come off as condescending. For his part, Miranda has never apologized for his style and doing what he thinks is best for voters—and voters have obviously fallen in line over and over again.

Unlike Miranda, most of his opponents in the race have spoken against the PURE wastwater plan and have good ideas. Rick Fifer, a Realtor, is a hard-working transplant big on pedestrian safety. Tyler Barrett has an impressive background as a community organizer, plus solid, tangible ideas about sustainability. What’s more is that Barrett seems eager to learn the detailed ins and outs of council and unafraid to be an agitator, adding that the “Being an agitator doesn’t mean being dysfunctional or confrontational. It means not being afraid to ask the hard questions that people are afraid to talk about.”

Barrett checks a lot of the boxes, and been clear about his opposition to the PURE wastewater plans. Asked about the process of reverse osmosis later in a Tiger Bay forum, he was honest about his naivete and vowed to learn more.

Prindle’s readiness is what puts him over the edge.

Prindle, an attorney, opposes the mayor’s wastewater plans and finds it troubling that a project so widely disliked is being pushed by the administration. “The city should use its lobbyists to unwind the legislation that mandates these wastewater issues be resolved by 2032,” he said in a CL questionnaire. His answer demonstrates his understanding of the ins and outs of a lot of what’s already happened at city hall, and suggests he’s ready to hit the ground running.

Prindle’s stances against rent control and subpoena power for the police citizens review board, are red flags, but he was also supportive of recent council veto overrides that will let voters decide on certain changes to the city charter—he would have also voted with District 7 Councilman Luis Viera in letting voters decide if the citizens review board should have an independent attorney.

What’s more is that his arguments for positions that we oppose—notably Prindle’s take that the city cannot afford to lose money defending lawsuits like the one it’s facing after siding with residents in denying a developer his proposed boutique hotel—are delivered succinctly and with proposed alternatives (like actually doing something about the comprehensive plan and development code).

It’s close between him and Barrett, but Creative Loafing Tampa Bay endorses Hoyt Prindle for Tampa City Council District 6.

See all of CL’s endorsements and charter amendment recommendations here.

UPDATED 03/01/23 10:06 a.m. Updated to make clear Tyler Barrett’s opposition to the mayor’s PURE wastwater plans.

This article appears in Feb 23 – Mar 1, 2023.