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Editorial: Tampa elections too vital to skip

 
With Mayor Bob Buckhorn facing only nominal opposition from a write-in candidate, Tampa voters might be tempted to skip city elections in March. But there are serious issues facing the field of candidates for City Council, and the outcomes in this election will shape the city and region during a critical time.
With Mayor Bob Buckhorn facing only nominal opposition from a write-in candidate, Tampa voters might be tempted to skip city elections in March. But there are serious issues facing the field of candidates for City Council, and the outcomes in this election will shape the city and region during a critical time.
Published Jan. 27, 2015

With Mayor Bob Buckhorn facing only nominal opposition from a write-in candidate, Tampa voters might be tempted to skip city elections in March. But there are serious issues facing the field of candidates for City Council, and the outcomes in this election will shape the city and region during a critical time.

Tampa's strong-mayor form of government puts Buckhorn in the lead to drive policy issues and budget priorities. But there still is plenty of room for council members to leave their imprint, both on neighborhood matters and in the larger direction of the city. The new council elected in March will also play an outsized role in the coming years, as the term-limited Buckhorn finishes his final years as mayor and as a field of candidates lines up to succeed him.

The current council has worked well with Buckhorn to make strategic investments as the economy recovered. In the next term, the council will need to continue laying the groundwork for growth by supporting road, sewer and other public works projects. The council also needs to push the mayor to build up the city's cash reserves, which acted as a lifeline during the recession. Balancing immediate needs with long-term financial stability will require vision and cooperation.

Council members also need to be visible in supporting a city-county effort aimed at bringing a tax-supported transportation package to the voters. Tampa and Hillsborough County need a new revenue stream for transit, and the council should be selling the plan as a quality-of-life issue that will bring new jobs and energy to the entire region.

The council will have a role, too, in the coming years in shaping the redevelopment of the Channel District; in expanding affordable housing; in remaking the west bank of the Hillsborough River; in promoting water and land conservation; and in marketing Tampa as a destination for the arts and cultural tourism.

The council has traditionally been seen as a venue for small-bore matters, from filling potholes to building parks. While members focus on neighborhood matters, they also are involved in larger decisions that shape the look and feel of a city, from regulating businesses to approving urban design and development. These offices don't attract the attention that follows the mayor, but they are the link between the public and City Hall. And they are often a training ground for candidates seeking higher office.

Buckhorn's token race may not be enough to bring out the vote, but every Tampa voter has a stake in the March 3 election. All three citywide council seats are contested, giving every voter an opportunity to affect the next four years. And the coming term presents some of the most far-reaching decisions in decades, from remaking West Tampa and downtown's Channel District to finding a new regional home for the Tampa Bay Rays. The council will be a key player, and voters — by turning out heavily — will send the message that members must be engaged.