Among those with front-row seats for Mayor Pam Iorio’s recent farewell “State of the City” speech were the two candidates vying to be her successor: Bob Buckhorn and Rose Ferlita. Iorio addressed them directly at times with a mix of good will, good stewardship and good luck. As in: “I ask only that you take care of the city that we love” and “I wish you the best.”
But Iorio’s indirect nods to her successor-in-waiting were more telling.
Around here, Iorio has morphed from a leader known for her speaking ability, ethics, progressive agenda and micro-managing bent to one with charisma, empathy, infrastructure priorities, budgetary discipline and commitment to major projects in the context of a down economy. She is more popular than ever — and those vying to replace her have been lavish in their praise. It’s as warranted as it is politically expedient.
And here is what she wanted Buckhorn and Ferlita to hear — before advice is proffered to the run-off winner by designated experts, in-house assistants, like-minded cronies and political insiders: In short, “think big.” And don’t be deterred by can’t-do proponents, parochial thinkers or a recessionary economy.
“During down economic times, that’s when you really have to step on the gas pedal,” she underscored.
In Iorio’s case that has meant full-speed ahead on what will be her signature accomplishment: all that came to fruition along the Riverwalk despite the recession. To wit: two museums, a history center and a “transformative” Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Anyone who witnessed “Lights on Tampa” last month gets it. Anyone who misses Rafael Vinoly’s aesthetics-challenged carport doesn’t.
The soon-to-be ex-mayor buttressed her theme by referencing the past as well. Tampa’s growth was historically stagnant until the railroad arrived, pointedly noted Iorio, a literal student of history. She also listed (Depression-era “stimulus” project) Bayshore Boulevard, the conversion of the Tampa Bay Hotel into the University of Tampa, Tampa International Airport, USF and a National Football League franchise.
“We’ve always made investments in our future,” she emphasized. And for good measure: “Every decision involves risk.”
And, yes, she wants her successor to give more than lip service to another attempt at 21st century mass transit featuring light rail.
“It is not optional,” she stressed. “For us to maintain our status as a great city in the United States, we must have a modern transportation system. The one thing we can’t afford is to do nothing. There is risk in doing nothing.”
Iorio went out even better than she came in. In the midst of economic upheaval that featured the incredibly shrinking tax base, she forged an unlikely legacy: stability and progress. She shrunk the budget, tripled the city’s reserves and kept her foot on the “gas pedal” of waterfront momentum and synergy. All while presiding over a city where crime dropped more than 60 per cent during her tenure.
It’s a tough act to follow–and a de facto case against term limits. And every member of that audience, successor-in-waiting included, knew it.