So far, so good for Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
Of course, Tampa’s new City Hall CEO has only been in office less than a fortnight, but you already can put a big plus on his mayoral ledger. The ink on his new business cards was barely dry when he was invited to amble on over to the County Center to meet, greet, grip and grin with the Hillsborough County Commission. He also made a formally friendly address to the commissioners. That was an especially good sign; there is no tradition for such a presentation so soon after inauguration.
By all accounts, it went very well, including an inclusive, effusive photo op. There are, of course, no mulligans on first impressions. So, no, the new mayor didn’t try to woo back Bonnie Wise.
To be sure, it’s pure symbolism. But symbolism counts. It counts that Commission Chairman Al Higginbotham cared enough to extend the invitation–along with the implicit acknowledgement of regional symbiotic reality. It counts that Buckhorn is predisposed to value the commission as a partner. And it helps, frankly, that this commission incarnation appears ideologue-free. It was not parochialism’s finest hour. Former Mayor Pam Iorio never had such a collegial honeymoon.
In fact, Commissioner Mark Sharpe underscored the significance of the moment with a candid observation. “When I came here in 2004, we probably wouldn’t have invited the mayor over here,” he understated.
Obviously disagreements await. But the odds for compromise instead of confrontation now seem more favorable. Indeed, such a scenario of cooperation has never been more necessary because of one stark reality. While Tampa is the hub of the Tampa Bay market, the realization of its natural-asset and “Gateway to the Americas” potential is only possible in synergistic collaboration with regional partners.
And first among equals: Hillsborough County. Doing more with less has to be a regional mantra; hence, consolidation scenarios have to be on the table. A modern, regional mass transit system has to ultimately happen. Much sooner than later.
That road remains politically challenging. But this was a good, bipartisan start. We’re all stakeholders. We can’t be reminded too often that this county and this city have much more in common than conflict and that our destinies are linked.