Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 5-7-19

Feature
Jane Castor Is Sworn In As Tampa’s 59th Mayor
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
“I, Jane Castor, solemnly swear...”
do
And with those words, for- mer Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor on last Wednesday began reciting the oath to as- sume command of her next assignment as the city’s 59th mayor.
Hundreds of people inside The Gathering at Armature Works looked on as new Mayor Castor promised to uphold the city’s constitution. She was joined by her sons, Seely and Sergei and part- ner, Ana Cruz holding the Bible, while a few hundred more looked on via closed cir- cuit television in an adjacent overflow room.
It was from there that
Jane Castor is sworn in as Mayor of the City of Tampa by Judge Mary S. Scriven, left.
Tampa
resident
Tiffany
Dixon watched the program of music, poetry, and pomp.
Dixon said she’s looking forward to Mayor Castor making some moves on im- proving economic stability for
residents.
“I do want to see progres-
sion,” she said. “There’s a long way to go...but with the right leadership, it can get there.”
Just two weeks prior, Ms.
Former Florida Governor and Tampa Mayor in attendance was Bob Martinez, center, with Alma Gonzalez, left, and Arthenia Joyner, Esquire.
Community activist, Mrs. Rosie Lee Jones, center, joined sev- eral other citizens who attended the Swearing-In Ceremony. Her grandson, Devin Smith is on the left, and a Castor campaign worker is on the right.
Castor won a run-off election against businessman and phi- lanthropist, David Straz.
In her first remarks as Mayor, Castor expressed a desire to continue the progress Tampa’s made under her predecessor, Bob Buck- horn while putting her own stamp on Florida’s third- largest city.
“I have never been more hopeful and excited about Tampa’s future than I am today,” she said.
Mayor Castor thanked her supporters but acknowl- edged that her election to of- fice was just the beginning. For all the advances that Tampa has made, there’s still work to be done, she said.
Affordable housing and at- tracting good-paying jobs to the area are important as well as balancing growth and de- velopment in Tampa’s many neighborhoods.
“As mayor, I will work to ensure that every neighbor- hood has the opportunity to flourish,” she said.
The city’s next chapter will be marked by action, progress,
and results and every citizen will play a role in elevating Tampa to new heights, she said.
“If we work together to shape and craft Tampa’s next chapter, focusing on our rich and diverse settings, big and bold plot and rich and round characters, we’ll be sure to leave a historic mark on Tampa’s story, on our story,” she said. “And I truly believe that when complete, Tampa’s story will have an incredible finale, one that we can all take pride in.”
But not all are as opti- mistic.
Community activist Con- nie Burton and a few others stood outside Armature Works holding up protest signs.
For the average citizen, nothing’s changed, Burton said.
“As this new administra- tion takes this oath, the issues of poor, working people re- main the same,” she said. “I will hope she will see the need to be more inclusive of every- one in Tampa.”
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2019