The newly sworn-in City Council selects her as chairwoman after five deadlocked attempts to elect a new leader.
By DAVID KARP
Published April 2, 2003
TAMPA - Deputy City Clerk Gail Anderson turned to the city attorney and mouthed:
"What do I do?"
Tampa's City Council had tried three times to select its next chairman.
Three times, the panel had failed, deadlocking the same way.
Three votes for Gwen Miller. Two for Linda Saul-Sena. Two for Rose Ferlita.
No clear majority.
Again, Anderson asked for nominations.
Twice more, the vote failed.
Three for Miller. Two for Saul-Sena. Two for Ferlita.
Finally, on the sixth try, the city's governing body elected Saul-Sena its new leader Tuesday after a swearing-in ceremony at the Tampa Convention Center.
Beforehand, the usual insiders had not dared to predict a winner. Odds seemed to favor Gwen Miller, the first black woman elected citywide.
Miller could depend on two votes. One came from City Council member Mary Alvarez, who represents West Tampa. The two share political bases among the city's black and Hispanic communities.
Kevin White, the second African-American on the council, was also in Miller's corner.
Saul-Sena was nominated by new council member John Dingfelder, who represents South Tampa. The two are longtime friends.
Dingfelder effused over Saul-Sena, saying she had lived up to ideals set by former President John F. Kennedy.
As Dingfelder's speech ended, Saul-Sena turned, her mouth agape.
"Beautiful," she mouthed.
Council member Shawn Harrison, who represents north Tampa, chose Ferlita. Although the council is nonpartisan, both are Republicans.
So the alliances were formed.
On the third vote, the cement began to crack. Harrison nominated Ferlita again, but suggested that she might bow out.
"I do not choose to decline," Ferlita said.
The fifth vote was marked by daydreaming.
Dingfelder didn't raise his hand for Saul-Sena.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, before holding it up.
"I had sort of jumped to the next round in my head."
Next, the candidates gave speeches.
That was when Saul-Sena promised to give up the chairman's most potent duty: dishing out board assignments. Past chairmen decided who would represent the council on the Tampa Sports Authority and River Board, among others.
"It's time for a change," she said.
Instead, members would choose among themselves, she said.
On the fifth vote, Harrison nominated Ferlita again, but warned, "One more try."
When nothing changed, Harrison switched sides.
"We were not going anywhere," he said later.
Harrison and Ferlita threw their support to Saul-Sena, the longest-serving member of the council.
"Wow!" Saul-Sena said.
When she was first elected in 1987, the council was run by old-timers Tom Vann and Ronnie Mason. Deals were cut in back rooms between men, Saul-Sena said.
Today, at 52, she leads a female majority on the council.
Saul-Sena will serve as acting mayor when Pam Iorio is out of town, and would become mayor if anything happened to Iorio. She will also preside over council meetings.
As she accepted congratulations, Saul-Sena stood beaming with her two daughters: Gabriella, 12, and Aliza, 14.
Supporter Alexander Miran gave Saul-Sena a squeeze.
"The ladies are on!" he said.
[Last modified April 2, 2003, 02:03:29]
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