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Bob Buckhorn
Mayor of Tampa
Incumbent
Assumed office April 1, 2011
Preceded by	Pam Iorio
Personal details
Born	Robert Francis Buckhorn Jr. (1958-07-29) July 29, 1958 (age 66) Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	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.

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. He is married to Dr. Catherine Lynch Buckhorn and they have two daughters.

Political career

Previously, Buckhorn was the Director of Governmental Affairs for the Builders Association of Greater Tampa, and in 1987, became the Special Assistant to Mayor Sandra Freedman. 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.

As Tampa's mayor, Buckhorn has stated he is committed to continuously looking for ways to reduce costs while improving efficiency in city government. 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. 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.

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. He has also invested in the urban core, working 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 and Skyhouse Tampa.

Buckhorn also secured 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. Once complete, the Riverwalk hopes to generate new possibilities for economic development along the Hillsborough River.

He has also supported the expansion of mass transit and bike share.

Buckhorn also recently came under fire for pretending to shoot journalists during a military parade.

Buckhorn has come under massive fire and criticism recently for ordering the arrest of group of volunteers "Tampa Food, Not Bombs" on January 7th, 2017 for feeding the homeless. With temperatures dropping to freezing temperatures, it was seen as a cruel and wildly unpopular decision. Arresting officers made it perfectly clear that the order came from the Mayor's office. It is suspected that the crack down on feeding the homeless is due in part to the revenue that Buckhorn's office would receive from prohibitively expensive permits.

References

1. "The next level — Bob Buckhorn's goal for Tampa, and himself". Tampa Bay times. February 11, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
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. {{cite web}}: External link in |ref= (help)
5. "Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio endorses Bob Buckhorn in mayoral runoff". Tampa Bay times. March 11, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
6. "Buckhorn Announces Major Reorganization to Tampa City Government". tampagov.net. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
7. Danielson, Richard (June 20, 2011). "Buckhorn names economic competitiveness committee". Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
8. Danielson, Richard (January 11, 2012). "Tampa to make getting building permits trackable online". Tampa Bay Times. Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
9. Wiatrowski, Kevin (December 19, 2013). "Tampa council OKs plan making river the center of downtown". Tampa Tribune.
10. Danielson, Richard. "Debate narrows on proposed high-rise near Tampa's Riverwalk". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
11. Wilkerson, Chris (February 4, 2014). "SkyHouse starts the multifamily (re)boom in downtown Tampa". Tampa Bay Business Journal.
12. Danielson, Richard (June 19, 2012). "Tampa secures $11 million federal grant to finish". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
13. "Tampa mayors recall challenges in creating the Riverwalk". June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
14. "Buckhorn calls for Hillsborough transit referendum by fall 2016". March 25, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
15. "Mayor Buckhorn unveils Tampa bike share details". January 21, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
16. http://www.cltampa.com/news-views/local-news/article/20848403/tampa-activists-arrested-for-feeding-the-homeless

External links

• Mayor Buckhorn on City of Tampa Website
• Official campaign website
• Bob Buckhorn's Facebook
• Bob Buckhorn on Twitter

Template:Florida cities and mayors of 100,000 population

• 1958 births
• 21st-century American politicians
• Florida Democrats
• Living people
• Mayors of Tampa, Florida
• Pennsylvania State University alumni
• People from Evanston, Illinois