Tampa City Council Chairwoman (again) Gwen Miller wasn't even two weeks from her triumphant victory over Joe Redner when she moved to assert herself in a way that the public hadn't seen in her previous 12 years in office. Miller, criticized by Redner and others for being too silent on the council, smacked down colleague Linda Saul Sena's request to remain on the MPO, which sets transportation policy for the area. (Saul Sena has served for 20 years on that board.)
Instead, Miller appointed the least-transit-friendly councilman, Joseph Caetano, despite saying she supported Tampa Bay's transit dreams.
A few days later, at the City Council's first full meeting on Thursday, she appointed newly elected Councilman Thomas Scott as chairman of the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, which controls urban redevelopment dollars and projects in Tampa. Scott, if you recall, nearly blew up the Bank of America's plans to redevelop Central Park Village over the issue of forcing the creation of seats for two county commissioners on the city's CRA. Scott couldn't gain a foothold on the city CRA as a county official; he now runs it, thanks to Miller.
