TAMPA, Fla. — Ahead of the 2023 municipal elections, ABC Action News reached out to candidates running for office in Hillsborough County. The following statements have been submitted to ABC Action News by the candidate. Every candidate was given the same set of questions. These are their responses, unedited, in his/her own words.
Question 1: What is the most important issue facing your district?
Answer: Housing affordability
Question 2: How do you plan to address the affordable housing crisis in your district? What is your stance on rent control?
Answer: We need to grow our way out of this crisis by continuing to build more affordable and attainable housing. It is also important to look at our land development code to allow for more construction of ADU (accessory dwelling units) in more parts of the city as well as our parking minimums and requirements for new construction, so that we can build more units as well as at a more affordable level. The state will prevent us from implementing rent control and any attempt will lead to litigation from a variety of parties. The better option is to allocate funds for direct rental assistance to people in need as well as building more affordable and workforce housing.
Question 3: What is your position on development projects in your district?
Answer: We take projects and new development on a case by case basis. The important thing we do is make sure we balance between smart growth and protecting our neighborhoods.
Question 4: How do you plan to address the growing issue of traffic congestion and pedestrian safety?
Answer: We most recently received a $20 million dollar grant from the federal level that will go to several safer street projects. However, we need to continue to invest in pedestrian and bicycle safety, modern traffic management, and complete streets projects in areas most in need
Question 5: How do you balance the need for economic growth while protecting our natural resources?
Answer: We take cases and new projects on a case by case basis and need to make sure we responsibly balance between growth, development, protecting our neighborhoods, as well as protecting the environment.
Question 6: Crime and public safety are issues of concern for your constituents. How do you plan to address them?
Answer: We should be investing in more fire stations, updated equipment, and rescue vehicles for our fire rescue as well as make sure we have enough officers to cover the growing population in Tampa. Community policing is also a way in which we can help build and strengthen relationships and trust between the police and the community.
Question 7: Specifically, there has been a uptick in shootings involving teens, what are some of your solutions to reduce teen crime?
Answer: We should continue offering programs for after school, our youth, building better relationships between the police and our community, encouraging more town hall meetings and community events, and continue to sponsor and promote gun buy back programs
Question 8: Is there anything else you would like to say that your constituents should know about your run for mayor?
Answer: It has been an honor to have served our community on the Tampa City Council since 2015 and I hope that you will allow me the opportunity to continue serving so that we can tackle the difficult and important issues of housing affordability, public safety, pedestrian and bicycle safety, smart growth, and protecting our environment.
WEBSITE: https://voteforguido.com
