Tampa’s City Council just gave itself a public black eye, ousting its own chair in a surprise power play.
With almost no notice, council member Bill Carlson moved to strip Guido Maniscalco of the chairmanship he’d been reappointed to only days before, rallying a 4-3 vote to replace him with another member.
Carlson claims Maniscalco wasn’t “transparent” and withheld information, but Maniscalco says it’s all revenge politics after an ugly personal spat.
This level of open infighting – complete with committee assignment snubs on a council member’s birthday – would be comical if it didn’t undermine City Hall’s credibility.
Such dysfunction erodes investor and public confidence: businesses see a circus instead of stable governance. Tampa’s leaders need to get their act together or watch deals and development opportunities dry up while they bicker (Tampa Bay Times, May 16, 2025).
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