Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 5, 2018

Hillsborough County now has a funding framework in place to fund half of a new baseball stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. However, the team has yet to say whether or not they are willing to play ball. The plan would leverage private investment to avoid taxpayer subsidies. If the team rejects the deal, there […]

Janelle Irwin TaylorDecember 5, 2018

Hillsborough County is moving forward with plans to appoint four members to the transportation sales tax oversight committee despite a lawsuit questioning the validity of the new charter amendment voters approved in November. The commission voted Wednesday to begin exploring options for appointees including advertising the positions broadly online and in the media and allowing […]

Mitch PerryJanuary 11, 2018

In past election cycles, the Hillsborough County Democratic Party struggled to field legitimate candidates to challenge Republicans in local and statewide elections. This year, that’s not the case, with the county’s District 5 race a shining example. No fewer than five Democrats have filed to run in the (theoretically) open countywide seat, where the biggest […]

Mitch PerryDecember 27, 2017

While most of the country considered 2017 an electoral “off-year,” that wasn’t the case in the Tampa Bay region, thanks to the St. Petersburg municipal elections. Here’s this reporter’s list of the top ten political news stories of the year: 10. — Bob Buckhorn decides not to run for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. For years, the […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2017

Nearly three months after Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill and Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn engaged in a verbal skirmish about who had the power to call for an emergency curfew in Tampa, County Commissioners would like local state legislators to weigh in. The issue goes back to the days leading up the arrival of Hurricane Irma […]

Mitch PerryNovember 15, 2017

Ken Hagan is offering no guarantees for a possible Tampa Bay Rays stadium move to Ybor City. For the first time since the Hillsborough County Commissioner divulged to the media last month that a site in Ybor City was identified where the Tampa Bay Rays could (maybe) relocate, Hagan addressed the issue with colleagues Wednesday. During […]

Mitch PerryOctober 16, 2017

Hours before Hurricane Irma made its trek toward the Tampa Bay area, a territorial dispute erupted between Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Hillsborough County Administrator Mike Merrill. The debate was over the mayor’s announcement earlier that day to impose an overnight curfew in Tampa. Merrill argued he was the only person in the county to have such jurisdiction, a claim […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 12, 2017

Tampa Democratic Representative Kathy Castor is pressing for an increase in federal disaster aid to the highest share possible to help Floridians recover rapidly from the damage caused by Hurricane Irma. “I intend to be a proactive partner to our local Tampa and Hillsborough County communities to speed recovery,” Castor said in a statement Tuesday. […]

Mitch PerrySeptember 11, 2017

Mayor Bob Buckhorn says restoring electricity to the hundreds of thousands of citizens in Tampa currently without it is issue number one the day after Hurricane Irma barreled through Florida Sunday night. “It’s power,” the mayor told CNBC’s “Power Lunch” when asked what was the biggest problem facing his city. “We know how miserable this […]

Mitch PerryAugust 17, 2017

Led by two huge contributions, the private sector has raised well in excess of the $140,000 required by the Hillsborough County Commission to move a controversial Confederate monument in Tampa. Bob Gries, the founder and managing partner of Gries Investment Funds in Tampa was watching CNN Wednesday night when he learned the Board of County Commissioners […]

Tag: Mike Merrill

Ybor City Rays stadium deal has a funding plan, but it might not be enough

Hillsborough County moves forward with transportation tax implementation despite lawsuit

Hillsborough Democrats host District 5 forum, first for 2018

Mitch Perry’s review of top Tampa Bay stories of 2017

Hillsborough Commissioners want Legislature to address who has curfew power

Stee-rike! ‘No guarantee’ of money for Rays stadium in Tampa

As for curfews, Bob Gualtieri says he is not a fan

Kathy Castor wants increased federal disaster aid for Florida after Irma

Bob Buckhorn says the restoration of power is Tampa’s biggest issue after Irma

Hillsborough Confederate monument to move after donations reach threshold in 24 hours