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Tampa council pulls contested ethics ordinance language, schedules broader review in February workshop
Summary
After hours of debate and public comment, Tampa City Council removed item 64 from today’s agenda, agreed to a February 26, 2026 workshop to review the city's ethics code and to examine whether a separate municipal ethics code duplicates state law.
Tampa City Council removed item 642 — a first-reading ordinance that would revise the city's ethics code2from the agenda and agreed to place a review of the city's ethics code on a Feb. 26, 2026 workshop agenda.
The item drew extended discussion during agenda review and a large public turnout. Many speakers and council members objected to proposed changes that would require unpaid private citizens who meet with officials to register as lobbyists. Legal staff and council members said the contested language went beyond state requirements and had been miscommunicated in an earlier memo.
Why it matters: Council members said the language as written could chill public participation, by requiring neighborhood leaders and ordinary residents to register as lobbyists when they seek to communicate with elected officials or staff. Legal staff also flagged sections that must be updated to align the code with changes in Florida law and the state constitution.
City attorney Andrew Zelman told the council the controversy centered on one…
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