The January GaYbor Coalition meeting was packed, which was to be expected since six viable candidates to become Tampa’s next mayor were in attendance.
All six accepted invitations to speak to the LGBT coalition at the Metro Wellness Community Center on 7th Avenue Jan. 14, and each were given five minutes to speak directly to those in attendance.
One of the more popular candidates appeared to be Rose Ferlita, who is a former city councilwoman and the only woman running for the position to be vacated by Pam Iorio in March. She seemed to receive the most applause when she was introduced.
She spoke mostly about bringing business to Tampa and that “as Rose Ferlita being your mayor, the City of Tampa will be out of the business of red tape.”
Ferlita has a long history of supporting the LGBT community. However, it was Ed Turanchik who was the only candidate to directly acknowledge that his audience was mostly LGBT residents. He shared that he was proud of his vote 20 years ago to “make Hillsborough County the first county in this part of the state to say it’s illegal to discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.”
Also in attendance was Bob Buckhorn, who said that Tampa is losing too many residents to other cities—namely Raleigh-Durham and Austin, Tex. He talked about creating more opportunities for “best and brightest” among Tampa’s residents.
Current City Council chairman Thomas Scott spoke about governing from the heart and that a mayor must help people find solutions to problems, adding that “I will be the best mayor you ever will elect in the state of Florida.”
Former Mayor Dick Greco also spoke briefly, congratulating the GaYbor business district’s success and sharing details about his role in bringing Centro Ybor to fruition. The 77-year-old guaranteed that “whatever time” he has left will be dedicated to the City of Tampa.
And finally, a candidate who is virtually an unknown addressed the coalition. Arthur Richardson focused on Tampa’s economy, speaking about improving Tampa’s infrastructure and protecting families from crime.
