Martin Shelby, a former Largo city leader, is the new part-time attorney.
By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published May 28, 2004
TAMPA - Martin Shelby pledged that if he was hired as the attorney for the Tampa City Council, he would make their needs his No. 1 priority.
"I have committed that this will be my sole responsibility," he said. "You will be my only client."
With that promise, five of seven council members gave Shelby their vote Thursday and welcomed him as their new part-time attorney.
A Florida Supreme Court certified civil mediator and former Largo city commissioner, Shelby beat out two other finalists - Marsha G. Rydberg and Richard A. Harrison - for the position. Nearly 80 attorneys had expressed an interest in the job, vacated by Gina Grimes, who resigned as chief assistant city attorney and the council's legal adviser in February.
Shelby, 47, spent eight years as a Largo city commissioner. First elected in 1995, he left the position in January 2003 to run against Largo Mayor Bob Jackson, who at the time was unopposed.
"I believed the voters deserved a choice," he said Thursday.
Shelby lost the race and emerged as an assistant attorney general.
Not every council member wanted an attorney separate from the city attorney, who also represents the mayor. Council member Mary Alvarez said early in the process that hiring an independent attorney could create the perception of a division between the mayor and the council.
"I'm probably the lone ranger here," she said Thursday. "I just don't care to have another attorney."
However, Alvarez agreed to support the candidate who won her vote. Thursday, that candidate was Shelby.
Shelby got his first opportunity to meet Mayor Pam Iorio when she showed up at the council meeting to thank them for their support on several recent projects.
"I don't see my position at all as being adversary," Shelby said.
In his campaign to become mayor of Largo, Shelby appeared to be less than a fan of the sitting mayor, Bob Jackson. He called the Jackson "ineffective." Once, at a meeting of Pinella's County's top officials, Shelby pushed to have Jackson removed as the city's representative.
Thursday, Shelby said his decision to resign as an assistant attorney general to be the part-time Tampa council aide hinged on several things. He sees Tampa as the "economic and cultural center" of the Tampa Bay region, and now, he'll get to spend more time with his 13-year-old daughter.
The job pays between $65,000 and $75,000 a year, yet to be determined by the council. The position was advertised as a 20-hour-a-week job.
Shelby said when he showed his daughter the job description, she told him, "That's great. I'd have my dad back."
"One does not take a job in public service for the purpose of making money," Shelby said. "There's more to life than making money."
A Largo resident, Shelby said he sees no need to relocate to Tampa for the job, but he plans to find office space close to the council's chambers.
Harrison, one of the three finalists for the job, works for the Tampa law firm Allen Dell and has worked on cases involving local government, administrative law and public records issues. Council member John Dingfelder was his only supporter in the final vote tally.
Rydberg, the other finalist, served for 10 years as assistant city attorney for Temple Terrace. She now practices business and real estate law and works with her husband in the Rydberg Law Firm. Kevin White was the only council member to support her in the final vote.
- Information from Times archives was used in this story. Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com
