TAMPA, Fla. — Two candidates with different backgrounds are vying for the Tampa City Council District 5 seat. Tampa Bay 28 reporter Jada Williams spoke with both candidates ahead of Tuesday's election.
Thomas Scott:
Thomas Scott, a former Tampa City Council member and Hillsborough County Commissioner, is touting his extensive government record and ability to deliver results.
On his qualifications: "My colleagues on both the county commission and city council elected me three terms as chairman to lead them to set the agenda, because of my leadership, being able to work with people, being able to move the agenda, being able to accomplish goals and objectives for the county and for the city."
On the experience debate: "It's not just experience, but it's effective experience, being able to get things done. You have all the experience you want, but if you're not accomplishing anything, so you got to go back and look at my record, all the accomplishments that we've been able to do as a county commission and a city council person."
On District 5's strength: "District five is really a strong entity, a strong district in terms of the revenue source and the revenue stream. You're talking about a $34 billion economic impact from the port."
Scott's platform focuses on affordable housing (he rewrote the county's affordable housing policy), economic development, and transportation. He proposes establishing a citizen academy to help residents understand city government.
Naya Young:
Naya Young, with eight years of nonprofit experience, argues that effective leadership comes from understanding community needs, not just government experience.
On what constitutes experience: "Experience doesn't have anything to do with age. Experience, as long as you know what the pulse of the neighborhood is, you know what's happening in communities. You're talking to people. You're talking to residents, I think you have the experience."
On the need for new voices: "No one that is on city council right now was born on city council. Everybody has to have an opportunity, and you have to start somewhere. And if we continue to tell people that they're not ready, that they're not experienced... We cannot continue to shut people out just because they don't know everything."
On community engagement: "You still have to talk to the people that live, work and play in these communities, because they are going to be the most impacted by whatever decisions that comes out of council. So we owe it to them to at least have a conversation and listen and hear what they have to say."
On her vision for change: "We need something new. We need someone like you. We need someone to come in with fresh eyes... Give me that 15 months so we can really start to talk, and then give me that another four years, so we can really start to move the needle."
Young's platform emphasizes youth engagement, strong neighborhoods, economic development for small businesses, and smart growth in housing and transportation.
The Choice for Voters
The race presents a fundamental choice: Scott's decades of government experience and proven ability to work within existing systems versus Young's community-focused approach and promise to bring fresh perspectives to city governance.
Scott's closing message: "Experience, integrity and leadership is important. With just 15, 16 months left... I bring a wealth of knowledge, wealth of experience, wealth of involvement with the community, with the city, that can make the difference with this city council."
Young's vision: "We can't fix everything in 15 months, there are a lot of things that we can start the conversations on, that we can get the ball rolling... I look forward to representing District 5. I look forward to talking with the other council members on the dais and collaborating."
Both candidates agree on the importance of community engagement and addressing District 5's infrastructure needs, but differ significantly in their approaches and backgrounds.
The special election will fill the seat left vacant by the death of Councilwoman Gwen Henderson, with approximately 16 months remaining in the term. District 5 encompasses downtown Tampa, Ybor City, Channelside, and East Tampa neighborhoods.
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