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Political Junkie

Just can't wait to get to the yogurt

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published March 16, 2007

City Council member Mary Alvarez must have yogurt on her mind.

During a particularly long discussion on one item at a meeting Thursday, council member John Dingfelder turned to a visibly frustrated Alvarez and asked, "How many more days?"

"Seventeen and counting!" she responded, without hesitation.

It was one of several tense moments and odd facial expressions among council members, after eight hours in their seats for back-to-back meetings. A morning Community Redevelopment Agency meeting ran long, followed by a Council meeting, followed by a workshop.

After the workshop, but before the council had finished voting on an ordinance and two resolutions, Alvarez walked out. The council no longer had a quorum. Dingfelder asked her to come back so they could vote.

Alvarez gives up her District 6 seat to Charlie Miranda when he is sworn in with the new council and mayor. Alvarez, who entered politics in 1999, will serve on the board of directors for Lorraine's Yogurt, a local brand founded by Lorraine Marchetti.

Council members asked if they had any wiggle room in changing their swearing-in date. The day they're to take the oath of office falls on a Sunday. The city's charter designates April 1 as the date new officers are sworn in, and they're bound to it by law. The ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. April 1 at the Tampa Convention Center, Ballroom A.

Yes or no on tax cuts?

City Council candidate Gwen Miller can't seem to shake one question: Where does she stand on property taxes?

For the fifth time, on Wednesday, she changed her stance, saying she'd consider cutting the city's property tax rate this year.

At a forum early in her campaign, Miller said she supported property tax cuts. In later interviews, she said she didn't. And then at another forum, she said she wanted to wait to see what happens at the state level.

"I'm not flip-flopping," Miller said. "As I've said before, the state Legislature has a plan. Let's see what they do."

* * *

The Tampa-based Network of Executive Women named Hillsborough County Clerk of the Circuit Court Pat Frank its Executive Woman of the Year. The annual award is presented to a Tampa Bay area business and professional woman who have achieved power and influence while displaying a commitment to the advancement of women and the community in general.

Frank has championed several women's causes while working as a Hillsborough County commissioner, member of the state House and Senate, and as a School Board member.

Early voting sites set

Early voting in two City Council runoffs starts Monday and ends Saturday, March 24.

Here are early voting sites:

College Hill Library, 2607 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

County Center (Supervisor of Elections Office), 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 26th Floor.

Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library, 3910 S. Manhattan Ave.

New Tampa Regional Library, 10001 Cross Creek Blvd.

North Tampa Branch Library, 8916 N Boulevard.

Robert L. Gilder Elections Service Center, 2514 N. Falkenburg Road

West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 W. Union St.

The libraries are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The elections offices are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Election day is March 27. Polling site for precincts 215 and 217 have been moved to Smyrna Baptist Church at 815 W Orient St. Voters in Precinct 123 will return to their regular polling site at the Tampa Garden Center, 2629 Bayshore Blvd.

Aren't you somebody?

The night before city elections, a Walgreens customer cornered a local public official in the store.

"I know you, you're a politician," the customer said. "You're John Dingfelder."

"No, I'm Mark Ober, state attorney," Ober said.

"Oh, I knew you were someone."

Times staff writers Kevin Graham, Colleen Jenkins, Bill Varian and Janet Zink contributed to this report.

[Last modified March 16, 2007, 06:21:11]