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Tampa council OKs first reading of Chapter 9 changes to allow paid special magistrates, asks staff to prioritize volunteers
Summary
After months of backlog and legal concerns, the council voted to approve on first reading an ordinance that would let the city hire outside counsel to serve as paid special magistrates for code enforcement. Councilmembers insisted volunteers be prioritized and asked staff for cost and process reports before second reading.
City Council approved on first reading an ordinance to amend Chapter 9 of the city code so the legal department may hire outside counsel to serve as special magistrates in code‑enforcement hearings, a change staff says was prompted by scheduling shortages, an 18‑month backlog of cases and at least one court finding of a legally deficient magistrate order.
City Attorney Andrea Zelman said the city had relied on volunteer special magistrates “for quite some time” but had become unable to staff hearings. “We had an 18 month backlog in code enforcement cases,” Zelman told the council, adding that the city sometimes had only one or two volunteers available and that hearings were being canceled. She also said judges had found at least one prior magistrate order legally deficient. “There’s no point in having a code if we can’t enforce it,” Zelman said.
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