After the Hillsborough County Commission originally voted to maintain a controversial Confederate statue, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers both called on commissioners to remove the statue, which they did in a re-vote last month.
Bill Carlson, a Tampa Democratic Party activist and the president of the Tucker/Hall public relations firm, is considering a run for the South Tampa District 4 seat in 2019.
While it won’t go into effect for another year and a half, the expected passage of a constitutional amendment expanding the homestead exemption is already giving local officials severe headaches. Amendment 1 asks voters to approve an expansion of the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $75,000 of the first $100,000 of a home’s taxable value. State lawmakers who supported it said the average homeowner would save about $275 per year, based on the statewide average home value of $220,000 and an…
Tampa hasn’t raised its millage fee in nearly three decades, but that tax-free streak may end soon. Mayor Bob Buckhorn met this week with each member of the City Council in advance of presenting his budget proposal Thursday.
St. Petersburg City Council Chair Darden Rice is announcing an extended list of new endorsements Thursday for her District 4 re-election bid. As a popular first-term Council member and longtime civic activist, Rice enjoys a wellspring of support from elected officials, colleagues and well-wishers on both the local and state levels. The growing list of endorsements includes several prominent local elected officials: State Sen. Darryl Rouson, State Reps. Ben Diamond and Wengay Newton, as well as St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman,…
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman hits the other side of Tampa Bay next week for a fundraiser in his re-election effort, joined by some of Tampa’s leading Democrats, including fellow Mayor Bob Buckhorn. Hosted by attorneys Ron Christaldi and Patrick Baskette, the event is Tuesday, June 20, beginning 5:30 p.m. at the offices of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, 101 E Kennedy Blvd., Suite 2800 in Tampa. In addition to Buckhorn, event chairs include Tampa City Council members Luis Viera, Harry…
It’s easy to overlook Herman Massey Park in downtown Tampa. It’s modest half-acre size and predilection for having the homeless congregate there in the past has made it appear “dark and foreboding” in the words of City Councilman Harry Cohen. That may soon change, however,after Councilmembers Frank Reddick and Charlie Miranda recently requested that the downtown Community Redevelopment Agency take a look at what the park needs,with the hope that CRA revenues can pay for those upgrades. For most Tampa residents…