Tampa council picks, Part 1

Editorial

All seven Tampa City Council seats are contested this year and voters don't lack for solid candidates. We interviewed all 28 candidates and were impressed by most.

Decisions in many of the races were tough, and a number of the candidates who failed to win our support would likely make excellent elected officials. Some need a little more experience but would make strong candidates in the future. Our choices were based partly on the candidates' views and credentials and partly on the need for a council that represents a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives.

Today we address the three citywide districts: 1, 2 and 3. Tomorrow, we will endorse in Districts 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Early voting begins Saturday, Feb. 19, and runs through Feb. 26. Polls are closed on Sunday, Feb. 20. Election Day is March 1 and runoffs will be held March 22.

District 1

Five capable individuals are running in the District 1 seat now held by Gwenn Miller, who is retiring.

Curtis Stokes, 40 has an advantage. He was appointed by council to replace District 3 Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena, when she stepped down to run for the Hillsborough County Commission.

Stokes, a banking official and former president of the Hillsborough NAACP, said he would not run for council when he applied. He did, saying, "I liked the work we're doing, and I changed my mind."

A little more troubling are some inconsistencies in his financial disclosure form. He reported the value of investment properties at about $4 million, but property appraisers put the value at less than $400,000. Not too much should be made of the apparent overstatement, but it did show a lack of attention to important details.

Nevertheless, the articulate Stokes has a good grasp of the needs of small business and the importance for providing incentives to encourage companies to move here.

Rick Barcena, 46, is the owner of Rigatoni Tuscan Oven restaurant who has served on the Tampa code enforcement board. The personable Tampa native, who ran for the seat four years ago, is focused on easing the permitting process and cutting fees to help businesses survive and expand.

Tom Slaughter, 51, is an engineer who understands the real estate and construction industry. He thinks public transportation is the key to the city's future success, pointing out "concrete and steel are on sale now." He believes all reasonable budget cuts should be considered, including adjusting the city's pension plan.

Guido Maniscalco is only 26, but the Tampa native who works at the family jewelry store knows the challenges of small businesses. To cut the budget, he wants to find efficiencies instead of eliminating jobs. He believes public safety workers should be spared the cuts.

Mike Suarez, 46, showed the most insight and passion about the need for the city to focus on economic development. The insurance agent, who once worked as a representative for former Sen. Bob Graham, believes the city should explore providing low-interest loans to businesses that want to hire more workers.

Like all the candidates, he backs tax incentives for new or expanding businesses and stresses, "We need to keep people, not just draw people," a reason the city must invest in infrastructure and transportation. He supports rail but did not like the plan that was proposed to voters last fall.

He wants the city to pare the regulatory hurtles that businesses face. But he also knows the goals of those rules - protecting neighborhoods and the environment - must not be dismissed. While supporting more austerity in the budget, he is open to raises for public safety workers.

Suarez, a Tampa native, supports a ban on panhandling.

While we felt all the candidates would serve effectively, Suarez's balanced views of government, business and the community were impressive. In the race for District 1, the Tribune supports Mike Suarez.

District 2

Incumbent Mary Mulhern faces two challengers who suggest they are more in touch with the public. Scott Strepina, a 32-year-old accountant who runs a marketing company in Ybor City, calls her an obstructionist. Susan Long, a 64-year-old professor, says Mulhern and other council members refused her plea to get panhandlers off the streets.

Mulhern, 51, is not always an artful politician, but she does her homework and speaks out.

Strepina has a strong background in business. He has the support of the fire and police unions and wants to keep public-safety salaries competitive enough to continue hiring "the best and brightest." He supports a full ban on panhandling, as does Long.

Long, who heads the city's public nuisance abatement board, is an expert in economics. The former USF professor points out that few buildings in older neighborhoods can meet city codes, which makes attracting business difficult. She proposes a temporary freeze on increases in property taxes for owners who renovate, and she wants panhandling controlled.

Mulhern supported a partial ban on panhandling that did not win majority support. But she has had her successes. She championed creation of the citizens budget advisory committee, which is rightly concerned about pension liabilities. She is a proponent of bicycle and pedestrian safety and has pushed for direct flights to Cuba. Mulhern promotes the arts at every opportunity.

She had frequent disagreements with the mayor and her staff over access to information and doesn't mind ruffling feathers when she thinks it's in the public interest.

In District 2, the Tribune endorses the reelection of Mary Mulhern.

District 3

Yvonne Yolie Capin, who was appointed to replace John Dingfelder in District 4 after Dingfelder resign to run for county commission, said she didn't intend to run for city council, but like Curtis Stokes, changed her mind.

She is one of five candidates in the race, and has handled her council duties with diligence. Investigating the friction between neighborhood bars and nearby residents, she discovered that the conditions for alcohol sales were often forgotten and not enforced. She advocates posting the site-specific rules in each bar.

Capin, 61, a retired jeweler, faces four accomplished rivals for the job. The best known candidate in the race is Chris Hart, 66, a veteran of both the Hillsborough County Commission and the city-county planning commission. The former banker turned consultant cites a long list of accomplishments. His basic themes are fiscal responsibility and public safety. He is likeable but his rambling style can be hard to follow.

Michael Ciftci, 27, has been in Tampa only about five years. His enthusiasm has won him an unusual level of attention for a newcomer. A consultant specializing in energy efficiency, he promises to travel the country recruiting business for Tampa. Many of his ideas, such as to expand free availability of wireless Internet, are worthy, but his experience is thin.

Seth Nelson, 40, an attorney specializing in family law, is on the city's citizen advisory committee on the budget. He is a strong advocate of light rail and would ban panhandling. Nelson favors a three-year contract for police and has the police and fire endorsements.

Jason Wilson, 32, is an emergency room doctor and would bring a fresh perspective to the council. He points out that his shifts are intense but the hours are limited, leaving ample time for public service, which he considers a calling. He frequently gives tours of Tampa to medical recruits, so he understands what the young, creative class is looking for when considering where to locate.

He would help the city better promote itself to young professionals. Wilson impresses us as an honest, effective communicator, especially on social and medical issues, a candidate more interested in Tampa than its politics.

On the panhandling issue, his criticism goes beyond the usual points of public safety and individual freedom: "No good data says that panhandling helps the homeless. I know a lot of them. I take care of them at the E.R."

Wilson's voice would add depth to council debates. In District 3, the Tribune endorses Jason Wilson.