Tampa City Council - Part 2 - 11/05/26

Tampa City Council meeting, November 5, 2026 (Part 2), focused mainly on first-reading consideration of proposed City Charter amendments. Council advanced several amendments for a November 19 second reading, including provisions on Council staffing within its budget, mayoral executive orders, term limits, and an Inspector General office with subpoena authority, cooperation requirements, and a Council-controlled budget request process. The Inspector General proposal passed unanimously at first reading; members noted that its cost had not been estimated, with one member suggesting it could cost about $1 million annually. The mayoral term-limit amendment advanced despite two no votes. No contract awards or vendor selections were made. Separately, Council scheduled for December 3 a first reading of an ordinance directing retained speed-detection-system funds toward system administration and safety initiatives in school attendance zones. Members received the red-light-camera annual report, including $2,098,103 paid to Verra Mobility and $4,780,991 in net City revenue excluding operating costs, and voted to receive and file the reports.

Public-safety technology discussed included a regional drone-detection task force under an interlocal agreement, using a system purchased by Pasco County and shared agency staffing, and Tampa Police’s Street Smart information-entry database, which staff described as separate from Peregrine’s search platform. These were explanations of existing systems, not new procurement actions. Council also discussed a proposed study and draft ordinance concerning large-format digital displays in the Central Business District; the motion’s final disposition is unclear in the transcript. Revenue and Finance reports on year-end budget revenue, debt capacity, and the remaining CIT fund balance were scheduled for January through March 2027. No other procurement or capital-project awards were identified.