Photo by Dave Decker
Tampeños, more than ever, are at a crossroads, when it comes to elected officials.
People from around the world are flocking to our neighborhoods faster than housing can keep up, and recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the inflation rate in Tampa is at just under 9%, which is 2% higher than the national average. Rent officially topped more than $2,000 a month on average, and wages aren’t keeping up.
Even developer-friendly publications are opening stories by saying, “Tampa Bay’s boom in popularity and population are only paying off for some.”
And as Tampa’s 2023 Municipal Election kicks off (before wrapping on Election Day, Tuesday, March 7), voters have a chance to take the wheel and elect city council people who’ll serve not just developers and future residents of our fine city, but those who’ve called Tampa home for generations beforehand.
Council as it stands has been an OK check on an administration led by Mayor Jane Castor, who gets credit for her early response to the COVID pandemic three years ago. But Castor fell flat more than a few times during her first term—mostly for her lack of transparency when it comes to big decisions about our city.
While council members do vote with the mayor far more than they don’t—with one councilman saying the media overblows the conflicts between Tampa’s branches of government—our endorsements reflect the need for a council body that will show its spine when it comes to standing up for Tampeños.
Early voting is happening now and wraps on Sunday, March 5. Election day is 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7.
Click through each endorsement below for an explanation. See a sample ballot via the Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections.
Mayor: write someone in
Tampa City Council
- District 1: Alan Clendenin
- District 2: Robin Lockett
- District 3: Lynn Hurtak
- District 4: Bill Carlson
- District 5: Orlando Gudes
- District 6: Hoyt Prindle
- District 7: Luis Viera
- Question No. 1 the charter amendment about city council creating standing boards
- Question No. 2 the charter amendment about appointment of City of Tampa department heads
- Question No. 3, the charter amendment about term limits for city council
- Question No. 4. the charter amendment about the charter review commission
