Mayor Castor’s Advisory Teams were designed to transform Tampa by focusing on key issues facing our city, and finding smart solutions to improve the quality of life for our community.
Established by Mayor Jane Castor, each team will focus on a different priority:
- Transportation
- Development Services
- Workforce Development
- Housing Affordability
- Sustainability and Resilience
The advisory teams were comprised of city staff, community leaders, and subject matter experts that developed recommendations to advise Mayor Jane Castor on ways to tackle our community’s most critical needs.
Transportation
Transportation has long been a top priority for the City of Tampa. The Transportation Advisory Team examined how we can meet the transportation needs of our growing city. This included finding ways to minimize traffic congestion, bring smart and accessible transit solutions to Tampa, and efficiently allocate All for Transportation dollars once they are available.
Development Services
The Development Services Advisory Team’s objective was to find ways to streamline the development and building permitting process with the City. The recommendations were aimed at eliminating unnecessary red tape to make it easier for residents and building contractors to complete projects and do business within city limits. Implementation of these recommendations has served as the pilot for the City’s more comprehensive strategic goal of ‘Strengthening Community-Centric Services.’
Workforce Development
The Workforce Development Advisory Team focused on fostering a strong and talented workforce in Tampa. This included supporting programs that increase school attendance and graduation rates, defining pathways through higher education and technical certification programs, and promoting career readiness. Overall, the goal of the advisory team was to foster a healthy workforce in Tampa and make it easier for professionals to find career opportunities across industries.
Housing Affordability
The Housing Affordability Advisory Team was dedicated to securing housing Tampa can afford. The team focused on the residential needs of our growing city to ensure affordable housing options remain available for our citizens. This included developing mortgage and down payment assistance programs, securing state and federal grants, and identifying the needs of our neighborhoods.
Sustainability and Resilience
The Sustainability and Resilience Advisory team is committed to finding ways to build a stronger, greener, and more resilient city. This includes identifying green energy solutions that will minimize our ecological footprint and environmental impact.
As part of Mayor Jane Castor’s mission for Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow, she has worked with the Tampa City Council to assemble a group of subject matter experts, key stakeholders, and community leaders to participate in an Economic Advisory Team.
Economic Advisory Team
In partnership with USF, the Economic Advisory Team was charged with identifying key metrics, indicators and a set of recommendations concerning matters such as continued economic prosperity and diversification, strategies to reduce poverty and improve household income across all races and genders and throughout all Tampa’s neighborhoods. The group looked for key tactical and strategic initiatives to bolster Tampa’s financial stability and facilitate economic opportunities. See their General Findings and Recommendations