Remarks by Bill Carlson
67 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 3
- Play at 3:14:13
“But by the agreement that the CRA has with the city, the city staff and the mayor's office should not be running the CRA, but they are. Because there's a not so subtle threat that you do what I say or I'm gonna fire you. Only the CRA board should have the right to fire them, but they can't move forward and do what the CRA board wants because the mayor's office has their thumb on them. And that's the influence of the HR. And I think the HR department is way too politicized as well. You know, one of the complaints I filed a few years ago, I copied the city attorney in the HR department. Guess…”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:16:35
“Before somebody writes a front page story about this, it wouldn't, this election would be, this vote for this would be at the same time as the mayor's vote. Correct. And so it would not apply to whoever is elected the next time. Correct. So it's not something that's punitive toward anybody who's running right now.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:21:47
“Yeah, the first thing I object to is the term strong mayor.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:21:52
“No, no, it's in here in this writing. Technically, it's correct, except that some mayors, especially the last two, look at that as being kind of like dictatorships, and that's not the intention of that. The term strong mayor is not in the charter anywhere. If we're going to refer to it, we should call it executive mayor because that's really what strong mayor means. All it means is that the mayor doesn't sit on city council the mayor, the mayor runs the, the organization, but I would, I would be okay. I would be okay, limiting this to conflicts as defined in the charter. and also the…”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:26:32
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:27:03
“But that so that's kind of a summary of several of these just that the remedy to the to the number 12 the remedy to the conflicts and they flip it over to number 12. The idea that the city attorney represents in by charter represents us and the mayor but has been used as a weapon against city council is that we should have the power to to fire the city attorney by supermajority. The city attorney the city attorney is is is easy to understand because by charter, they are our attorney. We have our own attorney, but the city attorney reports to or represents the mayor, the city council, and the…”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:29:23
“Well, no, if he has more, I just want to add to that and, and, um, clarify for the public, the city attorney, uh, represents the city, but also through that represents all these different entities. And so. If a city attorney has a conflict, they ultimately represent the city. So, anyway. I understand.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 3:38:29
“Do we need to make a motion to approve the ones that we did by NAMS consent?”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 26:47
“Yeah, what was the Planning Commission staff's recommendation? Did they have any advice that was different than the Planning Commission?”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:27:36
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:30:44
“Yeah, just, just kind of building on what my colleague said. Um, I probably, all my colleagues appreciate the service of the colonel and his family and. everything they've done. Um, um, it's a, that part of it is a very compelling story. And I think we all would wanna just, just for the sake of the service, probably to make this decision for that reason. But ultimately you have to look at, uh, what what's best for the land use in the area. And, um, uh, this just doesn't match.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:36:05
“You know, if you leave for Naples at midnight, it'll only take you three hours instead of five.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 1:41:38
“Yes. Motion for number 4, file number TACPA 26-08, ordinance being presented for first reading consideration ordinance, amending the Tampa Comprehensive Plan future land use element, future land use map. for the property located at four seven zero seven East Henry Avenue from residential 10 or 10 to residential 35 or 35 providing for appeal of all ordinances and conflict providing for several fighting effective date.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 2:14:42
“I like your haircuts. Can I ask another fanboy question? Is this something that every city has? I haven't heard of this before. It's a really cool idea. Do other cities have these?”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 2:15:11
“And also thank you guys for your service. Thank you to all your members for your service.”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 2:16:47
“I'd like to move number 11 file number AB 2 2 6 1 9 ordinance being presented for first reading consideration ordinance approving a special use permit SU 2 for alcoholic beverage sales small venue beer wine and liquor consumption on premises only and making lawful the sale of beverages. Regardless of alcoholic content beer wine and liquor on that certain lot plot or a track of land Located at six to zero seven South Dale Mary Highway, Tampa Florida is more particularly scribe in section two Providing that all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict are repealed providing effective date…”
City Council · Sep 24, 2026
- Play at 44:38
“Mr. O'Hara, if you can help us figure out how to put it as a line item that it will be like in concrete so that I think his concern is that whoever's on council next, they can see it and they'll protect it, that it won't be just buried under something else. Thank you.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 1:00:09
“uh every year that I've been on Council we've justified those two organizations by talking about Workforce and I'm also in favor of moving things into the departments these two however were taken out just before I got a council for political reasons by the last administration and I think to protect them they ought to be in in this fund so that City Council has a line of sight to them otherwise depending on what happens after May they could be completely cut out again just for vindictive reasons”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 1:00:40
“Workforce development. Yeah, instead of putting them in workforce, leave them in social action arts. Because the idea of moving certain things to economic development and the other departments is that if they're justifiable, they should permanently be in those. And I agree the same thing here. However, these two were targeted because the last administration didn't like them for whatever reason, which I think is not a good reason to just”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 1:02:11
“arts leaders from St. Pete in Brooklyn. We went to Brooklyn Public TV. Just Brooklyn has a six million, this is nine years ago, they had a six million dollar budget. And they primarily use it to incubate new shows, YouTube shows. and TV shows that then get picked up and syndicated. And we have to think of it as workforce training, but also as an incubator. Every kid now wants to be an online star, and they can make money at it. And so we can't just look at it as an expense. And we certainly shouldn't look at it as an arm of the communication department.”
City Council · Sep 22, 2026
- Play at 25:48
“Yeah, just thank you to you and your families and all the people that were involved in this. It was an important time in our community. You all acted fast and did something positive. And the most important thing I can say is you all turned a bit of negativity to positivity in the community. And I hope that others will follow that lead and continue to push positivity in the community. Thank you.”
City Council · Sep 17, 2026
- Play at 56:08
“Can I just say, I think it's worked before when you've suggested to people that they don't need the whole three of us.”
City Council · Sep 17, 2026
- Play at 2:59:09
“No, I didn't want to. Could I make a motion to ask staff to come in and answer questions on this item?”
City Council · Sep 17, 2026
- Play at 3:01:41
“item 32 to 36. i have motion council miranda second councilman escalco all those in favor say aye aye opposed the eyes have it thank you councilman carlson would you move 37 through 42. yeah first i'm going to abstain on number 39 my company has a client that may be tangentially connected but we don't do business with anything like this but out of minutes of caution I'm going to file this form AB, please.”
City Council · Sep 17, 2026
- Play at 3:05:31
“Would you like to read this? Move item 52 file number VAC 26 dash 15 ordinance being presented for second reading adoption ordinance of the city of Tampa, Florida, vacating closing. Discontinuing and abandoning that alleyway located north of 4th Avenue, south of 5th Avenue, east of 26th Street and west of 27th Street as dedicated by the plat of Harris Terminals and that portion of 1st Avenue right of way located north of Adamo Drive, south of 2nd Avenue, east of 27th Street and west of Leroy Selmon Expressway Connector as dedicated partially by the plats of Harris Terminals and Archer…”
City Council · Sep 17, 2026