Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Mitch PerryJanuary 2, 2018

South Hillsborough County environmental activist Mariella Smith has officially filed to run as a Democrat in the Hillsborough Commission District 5 race. The announcement is no surprise, as the 63-year-old Ruskin resident announced in November that she was likely to file at the beginning of the year officially, in what will be her first bid […]

Mitch PerryDecember 6, 2017

Hillsborough County demographics are changing more and more every year, but two prestigious boards in the region are represented almost exclusively by white men (or white-led) organizations. Take the Tampa Bay Partnership. CEO Rick Homans and Dave Sobush, the agency’s director of policy and research, came before the Hillsborough County Commission Wednesday to present some […]

Mitch PerryNovember 15, 2017

In a move critics called “chilling,” the Hillsborough County Commission voted 4-3 on Wednesday to seek financial reimbursement from four activists who filed a failed ethics complaint against Commissioners Ken Hagan and Sandy Murman. Hagan filed a petition for fees and costs for his attorney, Mark Levine, following the Florida Commission on Ethics’ announcement last month that it found no […]

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 […]

Joe HendersonJune 29, 2017

The four Hillsborough County commissioners who voted to keep a Confederate monument on public grounds may have thought/hoped the issue was behind them. If so, they are mistaken. That much was clear from Tuesday’s rally in downtown Tampa by a coalition of leaders, clergy and people who are just plain fed up with the divide […]

Mitch PerryDecember 16, 2016

The troubled Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission received a terminal diagnosis Friday after members of the Hillsborough County Legislative Delegation voted unanimously for a local bill that would eliminate the agency on December 31, 2017. After that, the County Commission would pick up its regulatory duties. “The public has lost complete faith in the ability of this […]

Mitch PerryDecember 15, 2016

St. Pete City Council members are scheduled to receive a report on the progress of the St. Petersburg Pier at City Hall this morning. Architects from ASD Architects, Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers, representing the Pier and W Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Wannemacher Jensen Architects, representing the Pier Approach will present updated renderings of the new Pier. […]

Mitch PerryDecember 7, 2016

Hillsborough County Commissioners approved a motion on Wednesday directing their attorney to research and provide draft language on a proposal that would ban them from receiving text messages from a lobbyist during a board meeting. However, the proposal’s ultimate passage is unclear, based on comments from some members. “In the event that we did receive a text […]

Joe HendersonNovember 25, 2016

Pat Kemp officially joined the Hillsborough County Commission when she was sworn into office Wednesday. If she stays true to her nature – and there is no to believe she won’t – Kemp might just turn the Commission on its ear. I hope she does. Most politicians like to play it safe and tell voters […]

Mitch PerryNovember 23, 2016

Florida’s new legislative class of 2017 is presumably back home for the holidays today after spending the first part of this week in Tallahassee. House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron welcomed their troops by discussing their respective goals for the 2017 session. In the case of Corcoran, his proposals for lobbying reform have been well publicized […]

Tag: Pat Kemp

‘Smart growth’ candidate Mariella Smith running for Hillsborough County Commission

Hillsborough Commission Democrats question lack of diversity in 2 local organizations

Hillsborough approves filing reimbursement for complaint against Ken Hagan

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

Joe Henderson: Hillsborough Confederate monument controversy isn’t going away

Hillsborough County PTC may be on way out after local delegation approves bill to kill it

Mitch Perry Report for 12.15.16 — Pier politics, part VIII

Hillsborough Commission to copy Richard Corcoran’s proposal to ban texting by lobbyists?

Joe Henderson: Look for Pat Kemp to turn Hillsborough Commission on its ear

Mitch Perry Report for 11.23.16 – Real reform in Tallahassee