Tampa City Council District 6: Guido Maniscalco wins second term

TAMPA — Incumbent Guido Maniscalco won a second term on the Tampa City Council on Tuesday, defeating newcomer and business owner Wendy Pepe for the District 6 seat.

Maniscalco took 61 percent of the vote with all 29 precincts reporting. Pepe received 39 percent of the vote.

"I look forward to working for the people of city of Tampa for the next four years, and I sincerely appreciate this honor, to be elected to a second term,'' Maniscalco said.

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The 34-year-old Maniscalco said during his campaign that he wants the city to make a greater investment in improving infrastructure. He noted that he worked with outgoing Mayor Bob Buckhorn to approve a $251 million storm water system improvement plan.

He also promised to make sure that the city spends some funds from the recently passed transportation sales tax to build new sidewalks, paved roads, and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in his district.

Pepe, 54, the president of Springboard PC, a distributor of promotional products, said she wanted to create a safe and friendly environment for walking and biking. She also called for smart development, “ensuring our rapid development does not outpace our capacity as a city,’’ she stated on the Tampa Bay Times questionnaire.

Pepe wanted to the city to concentrate on infrastructure, schools and street flooding.

She felt her business mindset would have been an asset on the City Council.

Maniscalco, the son of Cuban and Italian immigrants, was born and raised in Tampa. Guido graduated from Tampa Catholic High School, Hillsborough Community College, and obtained a degree in English from the University of South Florida. He is a past presidnet of the MacFarlane Park Neighborhood Association, and served as a member of the City of Tampa Code Enforcement Board from 2012 to 2015.

As a member of council, he serves on the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the Tampa Theatre board, the Arts Council of Tampa, the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program board and the Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board.

Maniscalco also campaigned on the need to replace underground pipes, noting that they break on a regular basis. “As our city grows and development continues, we put a greater strain on our existing system,’’ he wrote in an answer to the Times questionnaire.

The incumbent also wants to restore the George Guida house in Macfarlane Park “to possibly turn it into a West Tampa museum, meeting rooms and event space.’’ He also favors stabilizing and restoring the old Jackson rooming house on Zack Street, where such stars as Cab Calloway, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles stayed while performing in the area during the era of segregation. He suggested the possible use of the Jackson house as a civil rights museum.

Contact Philip Morgan at pmorgan@tampabay.com or (813) 226-3435.