Bob Buckhorn

Bob Buckhorn
Mayor of Tampa
Assumed office
April 1, 2011
Preceded by Pam Iorio
Personal details
Born Robert Francis Buckhorn Jr.
(1958-07-29) July 29, 1958
Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Catherine Lynch
Education Pennsylvania State University,
University Park (BA)
Website Government website

Robert Francis "Bob" Buckhorn Jr. (born July 29, 1958) is an American politician currently serving as the mayor of Tampa, Florida. He also served on Tampa's city council.

Personal life and education

Born in Evanston, Illinois, the eldest of three sons, Buckhorn grew up in Falls Church, Virginia. He graduated in 1980 from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Political Science, where he was on the college lacrosse team.[1] He is married to Dr. Catherine Lynch Buckhorn and they have two daughters.[2][3]

Political career

Previously, Buckhorn was the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Builders Association of Greater Tampa,[4] and in 1987, became the Special Assistant to Mayor Sandra Freedman.[2] In 1995, Buckhorn was elected Tampa City Council and was reelected to the Tampa City Council for a second term with 75% of the vote.

Tampa mayoralty

Having previously come third in the 2003 mayoral election, Buckhorn announced his intention to run again in the Mayoral election, and received an endorsement from outgoing incumbent Pam Iorio.[5]

In June 2011, he formed the Economic Competitiveness Committee (ECC) to review the City of Tampa's permitting and regulatory processes and to look for ways to improve the system.[6] The ECC made several recommendations, and the City of Tampa is in the process of instituting those, including the implementation of Accela to allow for permitting to be done online.[7]

Through the Invision Tampa plan, Buckhorn outlined his commitment to creating a more connected, livable city by focusing on the city's underutilized riverfront, generating a strong mix-use pedestrian environment, building links between neighborhoods, and developing an urban pattern that supports transit.[8] He has also worked to restore the street grid, foster new retail opportunities, and tried to work to attract new high density residential development such as the Residences on the Riverwalk[9] and Skyhouse Tampa.[10]

Buckhorn helped secure[11] a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to complete the Tampa Riverwalk, which has been in the molding process by city officials for more than 40 years.[12] The Riverwalk is part of plans to generate new possibilities for economic development along the Hillsborough River.

He has also supported the expansion of mass transit [13] and bike share.[14]

Buckhorn came under fire for aiming a twin .50 caliber machine gun at journalists and pretending to shoot them during a military parade and joking about it afterwards.[15] Buckhorn later apologized to the military journalists for his joke.[16]

Buckhorn approved the arrest of a group of volunteers "Tampa Food, Not Bombs" on January 7, 2017 for feeding the homeless.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "The next level — Bob Buckhorn's goal for Tampa, and himself". Tampa Bay times. February 11, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Danielson, Richard. "Welcoming the RNC, Tampa's Democratic mayor says business trumps politics". tampabay.com. Tampa Bay times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Bob Buckhorn to be sworn in Friday as mayor of Tampa". Tampa Bay times. March 31, 2011. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  4. ↑ "About Bob Buckhorn". Tampa Bay Business Journal. March 23, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio endorses Bob Buckhorn in mayoral runoff". Tampa Bay times. March 11, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  6. ↑ Danielson, Richard (June 20, 2011). "Buckhorn names economic competitiveness committee". Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  7. ↑ Danielson, Richard (January 11, 2012). "Tampa to make getting building permits trackable online". Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  8. ↑ Wiatrowski, Kevin (December 19, 2013). "Tampa council OKs plan making river the center of downtown". Tampa Tribune.
  9. ↑ Danielson, Richard. "Debate narrows on proposed high-rise near Tampa's Riverwalk". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  10. ↑ Wilkerson, Chris (February 4, 2014). "SkyHouse starts the multifamily (re)boom in downtown Tampa". Tampa Bay Business Journal.
  11. ↑ Danielson, Richard (June 19, 2012). "Tampa secures $11 million federal grant to finish". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Tampa mayors recall challenges in creating the Riverwalk". June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Buckhorn calls for Hillsborough transit referendum by fall 2016". March 25, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Mayor Buckhorn unveils Tampa bike share details". January 21, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  15. ↑ Altman, Howard (May 19, 2017). "Buckhorn's joke about pointing machine guns at media draws fire". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 24, 2017. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn's "joke" this week at a military conference about pointing twin 50 caliber machine guns at journalists and watching them "cry like little girls" rankled several reporters in the room.
  16. ↑ Altman, Howard; Danielson, Richard (May 22, 2017). "Buckhorn apologizes amid uproar over joke about pointing machine gun at journalists". Miami Herald. Retrieved June 24, 2017. And so the first place I point that gun is at the media," he told the crowd. "I've never seen grown men cry like little girls, for when that gun goes off those media folks just hit the deck like no one's business. It's great payback. I love it.
  17. ↑ Marrero, Tony (January 12, 2017). "Debate coming to a head over feeding homeless in Tampa parks". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 25, 2017. He said the food-sharing events have become 'increasingly larger and more intrusive' as the group added tables and attracted as many as '60, 70, 80 people.' 'There are places that are appropriate for those types of feedings and there are places that are not, and that is not one of them,' Buckhorn said, noting that downtown has become more of a residential neighborhood. 'So you have two incompatible uses. We're not trying to be heartless. We're just trying to manage living in an urban environment.'
Political offices
Preceded by
Pam Iorio		 Mayor of Tampa
2011–present		 Incumbent
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