TAMPA, Fla. — Fourteen candidates are vying to become the next Tampa City Council representative for District 5. The seat was left open after the untimely and unexpected death of City Councilwoman Gwen Henderson.
WATCH: 14 people running to become the next Tampa District 5 City Councilmember
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Jada Williams presented all fourteen candidates with three questions. Here are those responses:
Question 1: District 5 is diverse and expansive, covering Ybor City, East Tampa, Palmetto Beach, and Sulphur Springs, to name a few neighborhoods. How will you represent each unique need?
Audette Bruce
“I think you make a very good point. It is a very diverse district, and I think if we try to apply one size fits all to the entirety of the district, that's not going to be in the best interest of the individuals in that area. So it does require a lot of listening. So I've been intentional about going into each of these districts in order to hear and to receive input from residents, to know what's going on and what their concerns are, because it's one thing to read it in the news, and it's quite another to hear it directly from them. So I've been able to already start interacting, and I think I would continue that. I love the idea of the town halls. I've seen some of the local politicians do that, and I think it's an effective way to interact with people, because not everybody in District Three, I'm sorry, in District Five has access to social media or has access to email. So if we can find ways where we can interact face to face, all the better.”
Carroll “Carrie” West
“One of the largest districts—that’s a good point—is that it goes all the way to Sulphur Springs up toward Busch Gardens. And East and Southeast Tampa has such a diverse area and community, and with the growth I see Tampa growing, it's got to be going toward the east, and we're the closest downtown. So that is going to be a big area. Right now, it's a challenging part of Ybor City, of course, with the growth pattern here.
We live in Gary right now, which is the next part past Ybor City, going to the east, and then going all the way, all the way to the areas just for the north. And I just see that we're going to be having to go and fit to the niches. We can't—it's not a one-place area. But I see transportation is very big. The affordable living context, having places for people to live—that's going to be one of the big areas.
And how are we going to do that? It's just going to be one of the areas out there. We have to work with state and federal and making that happen for people to live and also living in the homes that they have. How are we going to keep that going? But living, even if we have affordable housing, if you don't have a place for them to get on transportation, to go to the stores and get to transportation to their clinics or to the hospitals, that's not good either.
So there's a whole mess of things that we have to put together, and then the funding and putting it is one of the issues I very, very strongly [believe in] right now. And of course, one of the nicest things about this area of living is our train system and transportation going through here, with the new Brightline coming through, Amtrak going through. And there's a lot of issues out here, but Sulphur Springs is a gem. It always has been a gem of Tampa, and long time in standing. The areas out here that they want to try to get rid of some of the older homes… I was on the Barrio Latino Commission. The Barrio Latino Commission is maintaining and trying to keep the standards of old historic Tampa in the Ybor City area. And I being on that area, there's standards of what we want to have. And so I think that's a very big, big issue out there, and I also look forward to seeing what we can do out there and maintain transparency in the Tampa Council.”
Ariel Amirah Danley
“Well as Councilwoman, all I'll have is my one vote, and with that, the ability to collaborate and build consensus among the other council members. And thankfully, each of those areas all have neighborhood associations that engage with the CAC that well informed how—see how the CRA dollars in each of those pockets of our community are spent. And so what's missing, and what I will be prioritizing, is implementation, because we have plans that have been sitting on a shelf for a very long time, and it's time to get to work.”
Thomas Scott
“Well, one of the things you have to understand [is] that some areas of District Five have not done well, like Jackson Heights, Belmont Heights. Channel District is doing extremely well. Ybor City is doing relatively well. Downtown is doing extremely well. So some areas need a little bit more attention.
One of the things I want to do is have more community meetings, okay, in the various areas, and also encourage the Tampa City Council to leave City Hall, come into District Five, come into the community where the people are, so that they can hear what their concerns are. So that's one of the things that I would like to see happen once I'm elected, to go back to City Council.”
Elvis Piggott
“That is most definitely my idea. That's what I will do. Pastor 19 years here in Hillsborough County in District Five, born in District Five, lived in District Five, went to school in District Five. By all means, I think all of District Five need to be at the table when advocating for District Five. It cannot just be one. It is the most diverse district within this city, and we want to make sure that the diversity of our district is reflected throughout our city.”
Juawana Colbert
“They do. We do. And I'm part of that community. It's even a different need from where I live at and from where I work at. I work in Ybor, but I live in East Tampa, so I understand the differences, and I spent a lot of my time in Channelside and downtown, so I understand that there is diversity.
My plan is to really put together a community action team in order to better understand and have my ear to the ground in all different aspects. I want my community action team to be varying in age and nationality and experience, but all a part of District Five.”
Melony Williams
“One [thing]—that’s going out to visit those neighborhoods, having town hall meetings, to be able to talk to the people, to be able to hear their voice so that I can understand their heart, because it's in their hearts what they're concerned about. And so that's what I would do.
I would go out and introduce myself and let them know that I am approachable, that you can come and talk to me and say, ‘Hey, Melony, these are the things that are concerning me.’ But one of the things I'm also concerned about, or big on, is building that team, because it takes a team. So building teams within the communities that we'll be able to come together where there's one voice, one sound, and that brings unity together. We have to be unified. If we're not unified, then we're divided, and we won't ever get anywhere. But being able to listen and hear the heart of the people—that's my heart.”
Albert Cooke
“Well, as I said when I was on stage, I listen to everybody. You have two ears and one mouth, so it's important that you listen to everyone, because all sections of District Five have their own specific issues. We can't just look at it as East Tampa.
I just spoke to a fireman that lives down in Channelside. He was talking about transportation, not only for himself, but when the fire trucks are trying to get through. There's not enough room for them to get through. So that's something I would look at as well. But again, I'm listening, so whatever they need my help in, I'm going to help. And that's what the job of a City Council person is.”
Alison Hewitt
“Well, first you've got to be consistent, have a consistent, consistent voice. Then you've got to do the research. You've got to look at what's happening in Sulphur Springs, East Tampa, West Tampa, Downtown, Channelside. And then you've got to be transparent and communicate.
Because, for example, East Tampa needs density. They need to be able to grow and be able to bring more people who moved away come back. And then Channelside and Downtown—they are still thought of as a destination. [We] need to make sure that people remember that it is now a neighborhood. So you've got to make sure you go in there. You have any boots on the ground. You have to talk to people. You got to get their concerns, but you also got to be honest with them to say, ‘That concern may be a state issue, that concern may be a county issue, but I am here to listen, no matter what the concerns. I am solution-based, to tell them how to help address it.’”
Thomas DeGeorge
“I think it comes down to advocacy. Yes, I've been fairly Ybor-centric over the years, but I've also worked on the state and the federal level and I did that with a very quick learning curve. So one thing I know as an advocate and a small business owner is you have to have passion, and you have to learn on the job, and you have to learn quickly, and I'm prepared to do that.
I care a lot about the City of Tampa, and I care a lot about District Five, and I understand that a lot of our most marginalized people—whether that's mom-and-pop business owners or small business owners or people that live in areas like Belmont Heights or Jackson Heights—we get left out of the equation more often than not. And I think what you really need is somebody who can be extremely vocal and active and is willing to fight for the needs of those of us that perhaps get left out of the conversation when we shouldn't be.”
Jose Vasquez
“I'm running for District Five because first of all, I live in the community. And when I say I live in the community, I'm living and working in the community. I know the problems where our last elected officials for years promised to the community, and that [has] not [been] done. Under that fact—that's the reason I'm running—because I want to make sure we can fulfill that promise, can we do [what was promised] to the taxpayers.”
Naya Young
“So, you know, District Five is a big district, but I think that's what makes it unique. I think that's what makes it beautiful. We have so many different people, and it's important that we get somebody in that seat that can represent everybody.”
Darrell Ashley Dudney
“Open door policy for one. You know, one of my big grievances has been accessibility to City Council. Business owners and working families alike don't necessarily have the time to go down to City Hall at 8 a.m. to be heard for two minutes.
So, you know, I've got shops and I got a couple bars. I don't mind posting up at and meeting people out there and working through what we got to work through together.”
Fran Tate
“I want to run for District Five, because this is my home. We were sent here 34 years ago, U.S. Army. This is home for us. I want to see better for this district.
Twenty years ago, we bought the last house here in East Tampa. Things have not changed. I started a community safety watch group. I founded a neighborhood association where we take our issues to City Council and the CRA. I serve on the Community Advisory Committee of the East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area.
I am ready to fight the fight for this district, because I want to see change. The community needs that.”
Question 2: What voice do you feel is currently missing from the current council dais?
Audette Bruce
“Well, I think one thing that is probably concerning for a lot of us in District Five is that there is no one right now speaking on our behalf for the budget that's coming under review right now, and it's going to be decided before this election is finished, so it will be baked by the time we get in there to make any additions.
But I think that does mean that our role is to critically look at how those funds are being spent and to make sure that they are for the benefit of the entirety of the City of Tampa, not just the individual districts, but ensuring that especially as so much development is happening in District Five, so much anticipated development is happening here, that we need to make sure that it's incorporated into the master planning for the next 10–15 years, to see that we get transportation needs met, to see that we get safe streets, Complete Streets met in this district, and also that we have affordable housing that does more than just build a giant complex, but really finds ways to keep people in their homes for the long term.
We've seen generation after generation in my neighborhood where they've been able to pass down the home from family to family. I want to make sure that we can continue that. So whether that's with creating easier pathways to use CRA funds or even allowing people to develop their own homestead, let's find ways that we can work together. Those are some of the critical areas that I see as we move forward into this next fiscal year especially.”
Carroll "Carrie" West
“I think I can bring in the voice right now of pretty much the affordability and also of the people that live in this area. This is an area that's kind of—they call it blighted, of course. I moved in from an area that was known for being blighted before, in North Hyde Park.
Now, just moving to the new facility here, it's kind of work in progress. You know, this is the same area, industrial area I was an industrial area before, and just transforming it now that's transformed into an area now of condos and apartments and now this area here, I don't really want to see that going into that kind of a structure. Maintain the old shotgun-style houses and lot with the different areas we have.
Right next door to us—a tobacco factory over here that used to be—and I want to see that stuck and staying in there. But it goes all the way up into the different niches that they had in the areas out there. And also it goes in their areas. You have to realize we had a Chinese area back there in the 1900s, we had out there the African American areas coming in there, and the areas that are areas, and they're just small pockets all over the area. Then we have Hispanic, and then we have the large Italian areas. And each one of those cultures, they blended together to make a wonderful area that we have over here in East Tampa.
So that's one of the things I think I have done for a long time working with people. I've done it for long periods of time. I'm, of course, a military veteran, disabled, and I think that one of the things I can do out there is I've listened to a lot of the people, and I care about a lot of the people's issues.”
Ariel Amirah Danley
“District Five is the heart of this city. It's the biggest district. It houses the majority of the CRAs, and so what's missing is the people's voice and the person who will dedicate themselves to anchoring the people's voice on that dais, and that's exactly what my intention is.”
Thomas Scott
“Well, one of the things you have to understand [is] that some areas of District Five have not done well, like Jackson Heights, Belmont Heights. Channel District is doing extremely well. Ybor City is doing relatively well. Downtown is doing extremely well. So some areas need a little bit more attention.
One of the things I want to do is have more community meetings, okay, in the various areas, and also encourage the Tampa City Council to leave City Hall, come into District Five, come into the community where the people are, so that they can hear what their concerns are. So that's one of the things that I would like to see happen once I'm elected, to go back to City Council.”
Elvis Piggott
“I think a voice of collaboration, right? Really, just being able to have that conversation about those areas that's forgotten, really talking about those areas that we don't have too many people advocating for, because when you really look at it, they vote. They may not have the revenue, but they do have the voting power, and we need to give that respect to that.”
Juawana Colbert
“Fresh energy. I think that's what we need. And we definitely need to be diverse. Our community is diverse, so we need that in our council, because we have a lot of different needs, as you just stated, and so our council needs to reflect that and have different experiences and be able to be the voice for our whole district.”
Melony Williams
“What voice I think is missing are those that have lived there for years—those seniors and those that have special needs, whatever level of special needs that may be. I believe their voice is lost, and sometimes they're discounted where they don't matter.
But our seniors that have been here for years and years and years, they just feel hopeless. I believe it may not be the case, but that's what I believe. And—but—they go to one door and it's closed. But being able to say, hey, let's talk about it so we can open those doors and see how we can open up those doors.”
Albert Cooke
“The voice of reason. We have to work together and understand what the other parts of Tampa are going through as well. So you have to think reasonably and say, okay, if I need four votes, what's going on in this district, and what can I do to help them so they can help us back? That's the only way you can get things done.
You have to be able to work together, and you have to have interpersonal skills and strength. But I'm an independent contractor. I know how to work with others to get things done.”
Alison Hewitt
“Actually a voice of small business owners. I have been an entrepreneur basically all my life, and the ability to make sure they understand the red tape that they have to go through is challenging, because most small businesses in whole District Five—they hire local. They are not moving here and then bringing their employees. They hire local.
And we need to increase the small businesses, to increase the pay of locals to be able to make sure that they can take care of this wonderful growth that we're doing here in Tampa.”
Thomas DeGeorge
“With all due respect to all the other people on the council, okay, I think we're at a point—not just locally but definitely locally—to where as things grow, where there's a lot of growth in the country right now, but there's just a lot of areas that desperately need help.
And I think that in politics, there's the importance of those people and what they're dealing with on a day-to-day basis, and how hard they're struggling is not being heard, and it's not being addressed in the way it needs to be.
I think that some of these things need to be addressed as if the house is on fire, and people need to be responding to it that way, and really be vocal and passionate and push that line hard to get things done quicker than they're being done, because people need help now.”
Jose Vasquez
“Well, first of all, like you say, District Five is big, and for the last 25 years of my life, 15 of them are living inside the district in different communities. I'm a resident of Dixie Farm. This is the last community inside the district. It's very abandoned.
The only thing I can tell you is we need to bring the proud District Number Five back to the table. You know, I remember back in the days, in the ’50s, Sulphur Springs was a top-of-the-line community, and today—well, we got the issues we got. I just want to bring to the table every tax dollar administrated to that district, put it to work, because we pay a lot of taxes, and we know how to jump down for the people who live in this area.”
Naya Young
“By listening. I think one of the most important characteristics that you can have as a leader is to be able to be a good listener, really going out to those communities. You are representing them. Talk to them. Talk to your community. Talk to your constituents.
What issues are you having? What have you seen over the past years that's working? That's not working? What is something we need to look more into? And then, as a representative, you take that back, and you go back to your office, say, okay, what can we do to fix this? How can we fix this? This is what I'm hearing from my constituents, from my community. This is what they're saying that they need, that they want.”
Darrell Ashley Dudney
“Yeah, I mean, they're doing their best—some of them, at least—but yeah, to not have a seat when we're talking about budget stuff is rough. You know, it's as if I'm wanting to talk, but it is a racially underrepresented—to say the least. Nobody who is up there right now understands the entirety of District Five well enough to represent it with any true understanding.”
Fran Tate
“Yes. Can you talk about that a little bit? Yes. Look at me. Yes, she will be greatly missed. She was a champion for the community, fighting for the needs of the community. I can remember she and I—she was the chair of the Community Redevelopment Area. She was the agency, I served as chair of the East Tampa CRA Community Advisory Committee, and one of the things we talked about was bringing an urban grocery store to the community.
So I can just hear that, and I can hear her still championing the children that are going off to college, the Black HBCUs. So I want to continue to champion that as well. I can hear her very well. She.”
Question 3: If elected, what is your top priority?
Audette Bruce
“My priority has always been creating safe neighborhoods and effective neighborhoods. So in order to have that, we need to know that our neighborhoods are economically viable. We need to know that they are safe, that people feel safe enough to raise their families, and we need to know that we're building indigenous leadership where people from the neighborhood are rising up and staying and investing for the future. So it's sort of a all encompassing issue, but it's really ensuring that our neighborhoods and the character and the beauty and the value of our neighborhoods not only continue but are amplified and increased.”
Carroll "Carrie" West
“Well, one of the areas out there we did not have up in the areas just the north, north of the Kennedy area when I lived before the area we before we just moved here is lot of there wasn't any sidewalks. A lot of the areas this area, as you can see, there's not a sidewalk to be had. There's no curbing in this whole area, just going east of 21st Avenue, all the women downtown, from down here to the 50th street on to our boundaries of what's going on here in in East Tampa, there are no sidewalks. So children are walking. People are walking. Lot of the areas do not have street lights. So I think safety is a big issue.
“You know, they're calling Ybor City on the maps, when you start looking up for safety issues in Tampa, coming to Tampa, they notify and let you know that Ybor City is the worst crime area yet. It's a landmark district, Historic Landmark District is what we want to preserve, and we're doing the best we can. All it takes is just one couple people going out there and just showing off with guns. And of course, the safety working with the safety department and also with our police departments, stopping and making sure the kids are knowledgeable, keeping the kids involved. We are just opening up a brand new park. We're very proud of that just up the street. It was City's property that was just sitting and now we have a park area that's going to be a brand new park. It's going to be Gary Park. So yeah, we're very proud of the different things out there, and then that's going to be coming into the new affordable living areas out there, which we're looking at. And the affordable living areas that we're looking at, I'm looking at is going to be actually the showcasing of some of the steel case units out there, the to make them reliable. And a friend of mine has done that before. He's He's set up the the units out there for some of the steel units out there that come in the shipping units, and he's transformed them into apartments, and it's a wonderful way and can working. And he's already brought that to the forward, to the city area, and that's right up there, north up there by the Hillsborough River, just south of the golf course. Up there in the area, there North Third District.”
Ariel Amirah Danley
“As Councilwoman, I will be prioritizing my fresh perspective, putting old ideas through my new mind, and being that voice for the youth, because ultimately, the taxes and the debts that we are collecting will be paid for generationally, will be paid for by our youth, and so I want to make sure that I'm prioritizing them through training programs and resources and making sure that they know that they don't have to ask permission to be successful.”
Thomas Scott
“Economic development. When we talk about economic development, we are talking about, again, having objectives and strategies to reduce poverty, to raise the quality of life. We're talking about affordable housing. We're talking about new jobs. We're talking about existing jobs supporting them. We talk about setting up a program to help people live in East Tampa, particularly to be able to stay in East Tampa and also have jobs so they can work and don't have to catch the bus to go outside of the area.”
Elvis Pigott
“Making sure East Tampa can also look like the other parts of district five. That's channel side, that's Tampa heights, that's also our downtown area, and what the nice construction there during the Ybor. Let's not forget about every part of district five.”
Juawana Colbert
“Affordable housing, by far, we need housing. If you do not have stable housing, then you really are starting with not much. So housing is very essential.”
Melony Williams
“My top priority is getting a better understanding of mental health. We don't talk about mental health. We brush it up under the rug, but that's one of the greatest thing that's affecting, I believe, district five, and which is affecting job opportunities for a lot of males that want jobs, but they can't seem to get one foot ahead of the other, but being able to address those mental health issues and concerns, I believe that's one of the greatest thing that. We can look into and invest in and bring something within the district choir to be able to get them the help that they need, so that they can be empowered, to empower other young males that are growing up. That's our that's our, our legacy, and we want to build on that legacy.”
Albert Cooke
“Housing. Of course, we really need housing. It's very important, and it depends on what type of housing. Now I want to protect our neighborhoods, because I live in one I have 110 year old bungalow, so the last thing I want is a town home sitting right next to me. But we got to find areas where we can put those town homes, because we can expand density, where instead of having three homes, we can have six or seven town homes, where we can have six or seven families, where we used to have three so that's what I'm looking at.
“But I'll tell you another issue that we don't get a chance to talk to enough about is homelessness. I live right near Nebraska Avenue. I mean, there's so much homelessness there, but we have a lot of programs that can help change things. We have Tampa hope. TPD has homeless liaisons. We have metropolitan ministries, Chief Bennett of the mayor's staff. He has a bunch of programs to help these people. What was happening, and we don't realize it, unless you live close like I do, there's actually somebody selling dope in there, so we have to get the police involved, to get that guy out of there, get him arrested, and then get help for those who need it.”
Alison Hewitt
“Empowering neighborhoods to make sure that they know what's happening up at City Hall, the budget opportunities that are coming and they need to understand and be part of the process that impacts their lives every day.”
Thomas DeGeorge
“My top priority is I have budget concerns. I want to make sure money gets to these areas that need them the most. You've got things like the Jackson house that that we've been talking about forever. You know, let's get that take care of. Zion cemetery is another issue that's really serious to me. Public Safety parking concerns in in support for our small business owners and mom and pops. I think these small places, they're getting priced out in a lot of these areas, and they're cultural destinations. There are things that that that the people in those communities and our young people rely on for happiness, and we got to make sure that they stick around.”
Jose Vasquez
“Well, my top priority is fiscalization. I'm going to look why the directorial departments fell to the taxpayers. We're talking about code enforcement, mobility, transportation, water, storms. So, you know, we got a huge city and Top Paid directors. And why things not be done, especially in district number five, we pay money. And for here we see the focuse is on one or two areas, like on downtown, and that's a no no, because we pay taxes, why we don't have the equal treatment? And I'm going to be focused on look out why the directors don't put their team to work. If we need more workforce, we're going to fund it. If we need more funding to hiring new people, we go to found it, you know. The point is, I'm going against all the departments of the city of Tampa to see why the job is not being done.”
Naya Young
“You know, so there are, there are so few things that are kind of, you know, projects and things that I'm passionate about that want to work on, but we know housing is a very big issue, and not just in district five, but across the nation. How, you know, how are people, how are we providing housing for our community, for our constituents? How are we making sure that people are being able to stay in their home, that they're not losing homes. We have a huge population of people that are losing their homes. So how can we make sure that they can stay in their home, that they have the resources to take care of their homes, so that they can so that they can keep them also making sure that there are programs available for those when you want to purchase a home, if you know you need to get your credit right, so that we are putting money into those programs that you can have your credit ready, so that when it's time for you to purchase your home, you're right there and you're ready, making sure that we're putting money into those first time home buyer assistance programs, because also important to our to our constituents.”
Darryl Ashley Dudney
“So with, with a community driven platform, it's, it's largely inspired by what I'm hearing about housing is the big one, especially dealing with rent control type stuff and predatory landlords. So that's that's got to be up there as important as anything right now.”
Fran Tate
“Most definitely housing. We need more housing. We have people that work and still sleep in their cars. That is not good at all. So we need housing. We have purchased in the East Tampa, CRA we have 21 units, 21 undeveloped properties. Why don't we put I will champion to put housing on those 21 vacant lots, and then bring in smart development.”
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