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C.T. Bowen - Hillsborough County Reporter
C.T. Bowen

Hillsborough County Reporter

I'm fairly new to the Hillsborough County government beat, but not so new that I'm considered green. Gray is more like it. I've been in Florida for more than three decades and have spent that entire time writing and editing news stories, columns and editorials about the Tampa Bay region. After working at the Tampa Tribune, I joined the Times in 1998 as a member of the editorial board based in Pasco County and later switched to news reporting and column writing. I'm originally from upstate New York (Go Bills!) and worked at newspapers in Jamestown, N.Y. and Syracuse before relocating to Florida. I like reading, listening to music and watching sports. My wife, Mary Beth, is a public school teacher, and we are a house divided. We have two grown sons - one Gator and one Seminole.

  1. Tampa Bay Water taps new source for south Hillsborough faucets
    Mar. 20• Hillsborough
    Water flows in Hillsborough County's Northwest Hillsborough Regional Reclaimed Water facility, Tuesday, March 15, 2022, Tampa Bay Water approved an agreement Monday in which the county will inject the treated water underground to offset new water taken from an inland well to provide new drinking water to fast-growing southern Hillsborough County. TIMES.
  2. In Hillsborough, Wimauma tries to chart its future
    Mar. 13• Hillsborough
    Businesses and homes are pictured on State Road 674 in Wimauma. Redeveloping the downtown core is one of the goals of the Wimauma community plan.
  3. Hillsborough signals last call for the former Beer Can Island
    Mar. 8• Hillsborough
    An aerial view of the east side of Pine Key Island, formerly known as Beer Can Island, off the coast of Apollo Beach, between Apollo Beach and MacDill Air Force Base.
  5. Maniscalco leads field for Tampa City Council District 2, awaits runoff
    Mar. 8• Tampa
    Tampa City council member and candidate for District 2, Guido Maniscalco, campaigns outside of Jan K. Platt Regional Library on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Tampa.
  6. Tampa City Council District 1 race: Clendenin and Brookins head for runoff while Citro loses
    Mar. 8• Tampa
    Alan Clendenin, 63, right, a candidate for Tampa City Council in District 1, waves to a passerby as Chris Mitchell, 38, of Orlando, left, looks on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 in Tampa. He finished as the top vote-getter with 40% of the vote and heads to the April 25 runoff against Sonja Brookins.
  7. Tampa, here is how and where to vote today
    Mar. 7• Tampa
    Gwendolyn Henderson, Tampa City Council District 5 candidate, waves to cars while holding a sign in front of the St. James House of Prayer Episcopal church on Tuesday in Tampa.
  8. Should Hillsborough impose parental controls at libraries? New commissioner thinks so.
    Mar. 2• Hillsborough
    Commissioner Michael Owen’s push came a week after a commissioner in Manatee County also suggested his county drop its affiliation with the American Library Association.
  9. Hillsborough again seeks to redevelop MOSI property
    Mar. 1• Hillsborough
    Guests are seen leaving through the front doors at the Museum of Science and Industry in 2015. The downsized museum now uses less space and Hillsborough County wants to seek redevelopment proposals for the property.
  10. Did you do your taxes? Did you check your W-2? Hillsborough forms had errors
    Feb. 28• Hillsborough
    The majority of the approximately 6,600 employees of Hillsborough County government and Hillsborough County Clerk of the Court & Comptroller Cindy Stuart received inaccurate W2 forms for the 2022 tax year. Amended forms became available last week. [Luis Santana | Times (2016) ]
  11. Closed New Tampa golf course stirs another round of bickering
    Feb. 22• Hillsborough
    The Pebble Creek Golf Club and surrounding residences in New Tampa.
  12. Florida opens newest highway in Pasco County
    Feb. 17• Transportation
    The state Department of Transportation will open the newly realigned State Road 52 in east Pasco County Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Shown is the view looking northwest on Clinton Avenue to the Prospect Road intersection and the new SR 52 alignment on Nov. 1, 2022.
  13. Hillsborough targets vape stores near schools
    Feb. 15• Business
    A high school student uses a vaping device near a school campus in Cambridge, Mass. The Hillsborough County Commission wants to limit where smoke shops can locate in the future to try to limit juvenile access to vaping products.
  14. Hillsborough OKs transportation wish list sought by state
    Feb. 15• Transportation
    Traffic builds up on Lithia Pinecrest Road during afternoon rush hour in Lithia. On Wednesday, Hillsborough commissioners approved a recommended transportation project list to Tallahassee that included $10 million to design a proposed widening of the two-lane road.
  15. After DeSantis-ordered tax refund, will this clogged Hillsborough road get fixed?
    Feb. 14• Transportation
    Traffic builds up on Lithia Pinecrest Road, south of Bloomingdale Avenue, during afternoon rush hour on Wednesday.
  16. DeSantis wants Hillsborough to refund sales taxes. How would that work?
    Feb. 13• Transportation
    Mailers promoted a 1% sales tax for Hillsborough County residents to fund transportation projects, Voters approved the tax in 2018, but now can be entitled to a refund after the state Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional and Gov. Ron DeSantis instructed the Department of Revenue to oversee a refund process.
  17. DeSantis campaign wanted guns banned at election night event, city employee says
    Feb. 10• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd of supporters during his election night party at the Tampa Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022, in Tampa.
  18. Gov. Ron DeSantis to Hillsborough: Refund sales tax. No spending on transit
    Feb. 6• Transportation
    Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis released his proposed budget for the coming year, calling for the tax proceeds to be refunded and the rest spent on transportation projects, except mass transit.
  19. Hillsborough bans retail sales of rabbits
    Feb. 1• Hillsborough
    The Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday banned retail sales of rabbits. Shown are two animals at the SPCA Tampa Bay in Largo in November 2021.
  20. Tampa, Hillsborough receive $39.7 million in US aid to make roads safer
    Feb. 1• Transportation
    The city of Tampa previously improved the bike lane with better visual graphics for bike safety on Platt Street in Tampa. On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced two grants totaling $39.7 million would be coming to Tampa and Hillsborough County to improve road safety. [Times 2015]
  21. Hillsborough to sue over $2.4 million CareerSource debt
    Jan. 31• Business
    Hillsborough County plans to sue an insurance carrier to try to recoup $2.48 million it fronted CareerSource Tampa Bay to repay the U.S. Department of Labor over misspending identified in a federal audit.
  22. Here’s what they’re saying about Mayor Ken Welch’s pick to redevelop the Trop
    Jan. 30• St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch gives his 2023 State of the City address on the steps of City Hall on Monday. During the speech, Welch announced he'd be backing a plan by the Tampa Bay Rays and global development firm Hines to redevelop the city's 86-acre Tropicana Field site.
  23. St. Petersburg, Hillsborough net extra US aid for housing
    Jan. 27• Hillsborough
    The U.S. Department of Treasury is sending an additional $6.5 million to the Tampa Bay area to help families facing evictions. [SUSAN TAYLOR MARTIN | Times]
  24. Judge bars Taylor Morrison from selling homes in disputed Keystone development
    Jan. 27• Hillsborough
    A Hillsborough Circuit Court judge barred Taylor Morrion from selling homes or lots in its ongoing development off Patterson Road in Keystone.