Sara Romeo, a former state representative, has filed to run for the District 1 Tampa City Council seat. The election is set for March 2011. Gwen Miller holds the post but can't run for the citywide seat again because of term limits. Romeo is executive director of Tampa Crossroads, a nonprofit that provides educational and rehabilitation programs for veterans, the homeless, and people struggling with addiction and mental health issues.

Romeo served in the state House of Representatives from 2000 to 2002. During that time, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and sponsored legislation for a breast cancer license plate to raise money for research into the disease. She has owned multiple businesses in Ybor City.

Romeo said she decided to get back into politics several months ago. "But I was not interested in going back to Tallahassee because I do not want to leave some of the projects I have on board right now, particularly for the homeless veterans," she said. Romeo said her experience in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., where she successfully lobbied for federal funding for a program for homeless women veterans and their children, will add something unique to the council.

"It would be real helpful to the city to have somebody with that kind of a background, that type of experience on our City Council here," she said.

Navy veteran Joseph Wendt has also filed to run for the District 1 council seat.

Janet Zink, Times Staff Writer

*