Mayor Jane Castor leaves office May 1, 2027, because of term limits. <\/p>\n
ALSO READ: Bob Buckhorn files to make it official: He wants to be Tampa’s mayor again<\/a><\/p>\n Carlson was elected to the council’s District 4 seat, representing South Tampa, in 2019 and won reelection in 2023. <\/p>\n He said he’s running for mayor to “bring good government back to the people of Tampa.” <\/p>\n Carlson, 58, said good government is measured by how well people are prospering. He said this mayoral race is a “fundamental choice about whether Tampa will be managed with the discipline, transparency and competence its residents deserve.” <\/p>\n Carlson, president of the public relations firm Tucker\/Hall, outlined his vision on his campaign website<\/a>. <\/p>\n He said property tax revenues are at a record high, yet the city still “struggles to deliver basic services. He said this is a management problem \u2014 not a revenue issue. He said the city needs to “modernize” how it uses tax dollars. <\/p>\n YouTube screengrab from Bill Carlson’s campaign video <\/p>\n Carlson boasts over 30 years of experience advising global companies, entrepreneurs and civic organizations. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Tampa and master’s degree in public administration from the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.<\/p>\n The councilor said each neighborhood has its own plan and knows what it needs. His view is city hall should follow the people’s lead and make what’s needed possible. <\/p>\n “Good government is invisible. You don’t think about it. You just feel it \u2014 in safer streets, better jobs, faster permits, stronger neighborhoods. When the system works, everything works. Fixing that system is exactly what I’m running to do,” Carlson said. <\/p>\n ALSO READ: This Tampa foodie has his sights set on being the city’s next mayor<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Man](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776303189_531_.jpeg\"\/)
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