“It’s a slap in the face to the Hillsborough county commissioners.”
That’s how Mark Bias characterized GaYbor’s recent inclusion onto the Tampa City Council’s Community Redevelopment Board.
It’s the first time an LGBT organization had been added as an entity in city affairs.
“This is really historic,” said Carrie West, president of the GaYbor District Coalition, which he said is actually two-thirds straight.
“People are moving into the area,” he said. “This area is growing, which is an accomplishment during a recession, and the city of Tampa acknowledges that.â┚¬ÂÂ
Gaining the seat ensures GaYbor will have a voice when it comes to distributing tax-derived Community Redevelopment Area funds.
“They got unanimous support from the board,” said Vince Pardo, president of the Ybor City Development Corporation, which also includes the Barrio Latino Commission, the two neighborhood associations in the district, the Ybor City Museum Society in addition to others.
The YCDC is one of seven area-based groups that receive funds from the Tampa City Council and can be used for infrastructure improvements including landscaping and facade improvement.
“This is way coolâ┚¬â€Âalmost unheard of,” Bias said.
But it has been years in the making.
Helping make this moment possible was four years of GaYbor members serving on the YCDC’s subcommittees like the retail division, special events and hotels.
Noteworthy GaYbor projects include the painted pianos, donating a bicycle to the Tampa police, annual decoration of 7th Avenue for the holidays as well as GaYbor Days.
When the GaYbor Coalition recently asked the county commissioners to sign a proclamation for their week-long event, only three of the seven considered signing it, he said.
“The county commissioners need to wake up and get with reality here,” he said.
But that’s nothing compared to what county commissioner Ronda Storms did in 2005 when she forbade county government from recognizing the LGBT community as well as requiring five of seven commissioners to even acknowledge a vote, West said.
“We now have a voice on the Tampa government,” Bias said. “It’s official and recognized.”
