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1When Jane Castor was a police corporal, there was a sharp-tongued sergeant on the force for whom she’d frequently have to translate.
2“I used to run behind him all the time going, ‘OK, here’s what he meant to say. He didn’t mean to say you’re an idiot and you’re fired,’” Castor said, laughing.
3Now Castor, who was elected Tampa’s 59th mayor in a landslide election on April 23, might need someone to return the favor. She was named the city's first female chief of police in 2009 and retired in 2015 after 31 years with the Tampa Police Department.
4“As a non-politician, I’ll be putting my petite, size 11 foot in my mouth on a regular basis,” Castor said. “So I may have somebody behind me going, ‘Here’s what she meant to say.’ Because I kind of say it how I see it. That can be good, and that can be bad.”
5At the dawn of her second full day as mayor — Castor was inaugurated May 1 — she sat down with Tampa Bay Business Journal senior reporter Ashley Gurbal Kritzer to talk about her top priorities for Tampa, from transportation to developing a skilled-labor workforce.
6The following interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
7I hesitate to even call this the end of your first week — maybe it’s the end of your first half-week. Where are you at?
8I’ve found the office, so that’s all good. [Laughs] I’m just really getting a feel for trying to connect with all of the city employees. Ashley [Bauman, mayoral spokeswoman] and I are going to make a video for all the city employees later, and we’re just having a lot of meetings on issues that are pressing with the county and some of the boards, those types of things.
9What is the city’s most pressing need — what are you looking to tackle once you get through all the paperwork?
10First and foremost, the largest is the transportation issue. That’s something that I really want to get moving on, no pun intended. To look at some things we can do, some quick wins there. There’s a hearing today on All for Transportation, and I really want to iron all that out and be able to move forward with getting some transportation solutions for our citizens countywide.
11That’s the biggest issue. It may not be the most urgent right now — there are a few things in the city that will need my immediate attention — but really, as far as Tampa is concerned, transportation is the No. 1 issue.
12There was progress under the Buckhorn administration, but transportation reform still feels like it’s very much in the beginning stages, like you have almost a blank slate there. What is your vision?
13Yes. We didn’t lack for good ideas, we lacked for the funding for transportation, so now we have that. [The All for Transportation referendum, which voters approved in November, raised the sales tax in Hillsborough County to fund transit initiatives.]
14There are some things we can do that will be quick wins — getting some streets repaved, a comprehensive sidewalk program, lighting up our streets, making them safer. Those kinds of things can be pretty immediate.
15But when you start talking about any kind of mass transit, those things can take years. Just the streetcar expansion — the environmental studies, they’re telling me that’s three or four years or down the road.
16Is that hard to stomach? I would think things moved faster when you were chief of police.
17It is. In law enforcement, you have to come up with a solution immediately, address the issue and then move onto the next one. The slowdown is going to take some getting used to.
18On mass transit — Mayor Buckhorn was a big proponent of rail, and that’s something that’s faded in and out of the limelight as a solution. Is rail a pipe dream?
19No. I don’t think rail is a pipe dream. We have an opportunity of potentially using that CSX line that’s already in place and that would be something we could build upon. To get that moving and connect Port Tampa all the way out to USF, that would be a game-changer, and then build upon that. Anything we can do to get things as moving as quickly as possible, in transportation terms.
20What was your leadership style as chief of police?
21Very inclusive. I’m clearly a huge proponent of diversity. I feel that we are all the sum total of our life experiences, and you need those experiences at the table when you’re making decisions that affect our entire community. I take input from everyone, I do my research, and then I make a decision. And the decisions I make are always in the best interest of the community.
22I tell people sometimes those decisions aren’t the most popular and you end up out on an island by yourself, and I would always feel that eventually people would see the wisdom of that decision and populate the island, and sometimes I just stayed there all by myself. If I made mistakes, they were mistakes of the heart, and I did things that I felt were in the best interest of the community.
23Does that translate to being mayor? What is your external leadership style — how will you lead and rally the city?
24Yes. Without a doubt. I’m a very accessible person; I always have been. I can’t go to the grocery store that it’s not an hour and a half trip. My kids won’t go with me anymore. People feel like they own you and they should feel that way because they do own me. I am here, my position exists, to serve the community.
25So that’s my leadership style: being accessible. I do have an easygoing nature, and I think people feel comfortable approaching me with concerns, suggestions, and I hope that those who work in my administration feel the same way as the community hopefully does.
26The revitalization of downtown Tampa — there’s been a lot of progress, but it’s not finished. What do you think is the urban core’s biggest priority to continue this trajectory?
27Thoughtful development. And again, I think it’s the transportation issue. Not just congestion or the vehicles. It’s trying to get people out of their cars. I really feel that one of the next burgeoning modes is going to be the e-bike. I see different modes of transportation, and instead of talking about bike lanes, we need to talk about the regulation of public space because who knows what the next form of transportation will be along there.
28It’s also looking at connecting the downtown area through greenways — how we can have public-private partnerships that will take pedestrians and cyclists off the roadways and give them a shorter path to traverse that’s much safer because they’re not going to be competing with cars on the street.
29It’s building on the Selmon Greenway and looking for opportunities to connect the downtown with Water Street. Look at the Riverwalk. It has just exploded down there, beyond anyone’s prediction or imagination. So we need to build upon that. Let’s put greenways in other parts of the urban core so we can connect and encourage people to get out and walk and exercise more.
30You mentioned thoughtful development. Do you think Tampa has reached a place where the city can be pickier with development? Maybe scrutinize urban design more?
31Yes, I do. We have an opportunity of a lifetime as far as I see it, to create the city we all want to live and work in, that we’ll be proud to pass off to the next generation. So we need to be very mindful of that, what goes into that creation, and we have to ensure it reflects the character of Tampa, the history of Tampa.
32So I do believe we’ve reached a point — I don’t know if picky would be the word — but yes, we can we have more of an influence in what development looks like in the city.
33Do you think you’ll be able to do that and maintain the city’s reputation of being pro-development and pro-business?
34I do. From all of the discussions I’ve had, what developers are looking at is just a positive relationship with the city. I think developers just want clear, concise communication from the city on what the expectations are and what they can expect as far as the process.
35The development process here is pretty streamlined — will you be making any changes?
36I do see a need because the workload has increased dramatically in that area. So that’s something that will be an immediate focus of mine as well, not just for developers but just for the citizen who wants to get a permit to do something at their house.
37That is something we hear a lot, that the permitting process can almost kill a new business if they had a projection to be open by a certain date. Is that as easy as more staffing? A streamlined process?
38I think it’s double-pronged. One, they need more bodies in that area, and two, I’m a huge proponent of looking at efficiency and effectiveness, looking at what can we do to streamline or make that process easier.
39And I’ve heard those stories from small businesses, that they literally have the scissors ready to cut a ribbon and someone from the city comes in and goes, ‘No, you’re going to need this,’ and they’re set back a couple months. You think about a large developer — no one should have that type of unexpected delay, but a large developer may be able to work through that and absorb it. But if you’re a small business person, that can be the end of your business. We can’t have that.
40Does affordable housing have a place in the urban core?
41It has a place in the urban core, and I intend to compile a group to take a look at the affordable housing issues and what we can do and make it more cost-effective to provide the housing, whether it’s in city-owned lots being donated to contractors or steps that city council may be able to take in relaxing some of the parking restrictions, some of the retail restrictions.
42We’re looking at some innovative ideas in housing as well. One of the ideas that I have talked about is some of the small mom-and-pop hotels along Nebraska Avenue — the possibility of turning that into housing for millennials. We are already lagging behind [in affordable housing]. And as you know, the construction process is not an overnight process, so we really need to focus on that and look at what we can do to address this.
43It’s not only an issue in the city of Tampa, it’s an issue nationwide. So that’s another area that I’ll look to best practices around the nation.
44Are you looking to put together a task force on affordable housing? With folks from the private sector?
45From the public and private sectors. I’ve already talked to some individuals who are in the business of providing affordable housing. Just put a small group together to see what we can do to address the issue as quickly as possible.
46How soon do you want to get that together?
47I’d say in the next 30 days.
48So that’s a pressing need. Could it eventually come to a mixed-income requirement for developers who want to build housing downtown?
49We have to address this immediately. Our diversity is what defines Tampa. The last thing we can have in our community is individuals pushed out because they can’t afford to live in the neighborhoods they grew up in. It’s an issue that becomes more pressing day by day.
50We’re going to realize a great deal of success and prosperity in the future, but we have to ensure that everyone gets to enjoy in that success and prosperity.
51You’ve talked a lot about spreading that prosperity to neighborhoods that have been left out, like East Tampa. I would think if developers could make their margins there, they would already be there. How do you bring the private sector to those neighborhoods where development just isn’t as enticing or as profitable?
52I’ve spent my entire adult life in East Tampa — and all the neighborhoods of this city — but a great deal of time in East Tampa. And I have seen through the decades a lot of ideas about quick fixes, bringing in chain stores or big-boxes. And it’s not sustainable. So, I see it more from the long-term — providing good-paying jobs. That’s another area I intend to focus on, is workforce development and provide jobs that allow for homeownership which allows for the sustainment of retail in the area.
53Job growth and economic development — how will you tackle that?
54I look at that from all angles. One of the areas I think we can realize the most success and the most quickly is skilled labor. I grew up poor; my dad was a cabinetmaker. Everybody in my neighborhood, in my circle that made it, made it in the trades. Electricians, plumbers, steel fabricators. And I feel there’s a lot of pride and values in those skills. We have a lot of development that is ongoing, and we don’t have the skilled labor for it that development. So I see that as a win-win, and I have talked to a lot of developers, many of whom are willing to participate financially in that workforce development.
55There are a couple of siloed programs — Hillsborough Community College has a great program, the school system is also involved in workforce development — so I want to bring all of those groups together hopefully under one roof and provide that training for skilled labor.
56Your election seals the deal that Tampa is a progressive place, electing the first openly gay mayor in the Southeast. Have you thought about how that might affect economic development? Corporations want to be in progressive cities.
57No, but within our city it was never a concern. It never came up. It was the same thing being the first female chief of police. I think our community wants a person that has the capability, qualifications, the knowledge and experience to get the job done. It’s one of the things that I love so much about Tampa.
58But the idea that my being elected may be attractive to other corporations — would I exploit that? I certainly would [laughs]. I will go out and be the cheerleader, the front person, to spread Tampa’s message.
59Where do the Tampa Bay Rays fit into your administration — if they do at all?
60I’m getting more information by the day on the Rays, and my position is a very overarching position, in that I think the Tampa Bay area is too large to lose a major league sporting franchise. So if there’s any possibility to keep them in the Tampa Bay area, then I support that.
61Even if it means public tax dollars for a stadium?
62No. Let’s not go that far. The public’s appetite for purchasing and paying for sports stadiums is long gone in Tampa. So that’s not going to happen. But there are other opportunities that can be looked at. I don’t want to have the Rays leave the Tampa Bay area and feel we didn’t do everything we could to keep them here.
63Is that using Opportunity Zones? Brownfield incentives?
64All of it. Short of the public paying for a stadium, I think we should explore every opportunity to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay area.
65It sounds like maybe a Major League Baseball stadium isn’t dead in Tampa.
66I hope not.
67Are you in touch with team officials?
68No.
69What about Rays 2020 folks [a booster organization of business leaders that was working to bring the team to Ybor City]?
70I’ve talked to Rays 2020 folks and I have some meetings set up with the county. I’ve had surface talks about this through the campaign. So I want to dive deeper in it and see if there is any possibility left in the city or Hillsborough County, or just to keep them in the Tampa Bay area, wherever that may be.
71It sounds like you would really like to have them here, but it’s not a top priority by any means.
72No, it’s not a top priority.
73Obviously, all of Water Street’s funding has happened through a public process outlined by the Community Redevelopment Agency procedures. But there has been scrutiny of the city’s relationship and your relationship with Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik [a partner in Water Street and the biggest contributor to Castor's campaign]. Is that something you’ll be cognizant of going forward?
74Of course. I’m cognizant of anyone’s perception. Someone’s perception is their reality, and I’ll address any of those perceptions. That was something that came up in the campaign, and you know, it didn’t grow wings.
75I think even before your campaign there was just a general perception issue with the relationship between city hall and Water Street. Is there a way to address that?
76If necessary, if that persists, then I’ll look for ways. And that’s one of the things I want to enhance, the communication from the city with the community in a number of areas. Things like posting exactly, in a way that everyone can understand, what the financial relationship is with the city and Water Street, so that everyone has the facts and the information.
77Why did you want to do this — wasn’t being chief of police stressful enough?
78[Laughs] Really, it’s because I love this city. And having been born and raised here, I thought that just being a police officer and being able to serve my community would be the highlight of my adult professional life. And then the opportunity rose to be involved again with the city and knowing it’s going to change more in the next 10 years than it has in my life. The opportunity to be a part of that — is something that will be the honor of a lifetime.
79Why do you think it will change more in the next 10 years than in your lifetime?
80Just because of everything that’s going on in development, transportation, workforce development, affordable housing — the things we’re going to be able to accomplish and the city we’re going to be able to create.
81If you look at downtown as you would have in the past, you’d have a lot come open, somebody would put up a building. A few years later, there’d be another one.
82Now you have Water Street, which is an entire community. You have the West Bank, everything is changing in West Tampa. You have a vibrant downtown we’ve never had before. You have what’s going on in Westshore. You have Midtown, another community, and then you have Uptown at the border of the county and the city.
83To have one of them would have been extraordinary in our city. And now you have all of them.
84Is it too much? Is there another recession looming?
85That’s another thing I want to focus on as well — continuing that momentum but being cognizant of the possibility of an economic downturn and ensuring that we are diversified enough that we will be able to weather that downturn easier than other areas throughout the U.S. So that is a focus.
86What will be your biggest challenge in the next four years?
87Getting that Suburban [the mayor’s city-provided vehicle] parked out front [laughs]. I backed in today and I’m in the sidewalk, and it was well, that isn’t going to work, so I backed it over again. Lord, have mercy.
88I would have to say the biggest challenge is going to be transportation. The biggest priority and the biggest challenge will be getting something done quickly.
89Is there anything that can be done within city limits, say downtown to Westshore, that doesn’t require any cooperation from any other entity?
90No, I don’t think there’s anything that can be done that doesn’t require cooperation. My vision is to activate the CSX line and to extend the streetcars from Ybor City to downtown to Tampa Heights and eventually all the way into Seminole Heights. So you’ll connect all of those neighborhoods and hopefully people won’t have to buy a car so you’ll reduce the congestion, the need for parking, and you’ll connect all of those neighborhoods. And have an east-west connector to connect downtown with Westshore, something like a streetcar or bus rapid transit down Cypress Street to connect those, and then on to the airport.
91That’s very ambitious, that people may not need a car in one of the most car-centric metros in the U.S. Are parking minimums something you’d look at revising downtown? That developers can build whatever they want and the market dictates if it works?
92That is something we need to look at. And I’ll work with city council on that. We had a situation where someone wanted to build apartments with no parking and it was denied. The way I see it, if you’re signing a lease for something that has no parking spaces, then you probably don’t have a car. So we do need to look at those types of code requirements.
93What are you looking at regarding climate change efforts on a local level? That’s something Mayor [Rick] Kriseman has been working on in St. Petersburg.
94That’s something we need to look at as a Tampa Bay area, and I’ve talked to Mayor Kriseman on that and they’ve made some great strides. I’m going to look to St. Petersburg as well for some of the steps they’ve taken. I want to address it from both points, one what we can do to address climate change and sea-level rise, if we have to look to building codes, construction of roads, what we can do to mitigate the effects of what is to come. And on the other hand, it’s what we can do reduce our carbon footprint. And that’s not just going to be the city. We can look at it from green buildings, solar use, an electric fleet, but that’s going to be every citizens’ responsibility as well — what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint.
95Policies like the plastic straw or plastic bag bans — is that something you would consider?
96I would look at all things big and small, because it all has an impact. I do believe it’s a community issue, clearly, and the community needs to be involved in the response to it.
97Is that part of your narrative? To make Tampa a green city?
98Yes. It’s through everything, big and small.
99Do you think much about the narrative? Buckhorn led with a story, the idea that he was building a city where your kids would come home to work after college.
100I’ll probably think more about the narrative as we go along. [Laughs.] The police officer in me is pretty pragmatic.
101What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness as mayor?
102My biggest strength is the ability to realize my weaknesses and surround myself with people whose strength is my weakness.
103What is your weakness?
104How long do you have? [Laughs.] It’s probably the administrative things. As a police officer, it comes to getting out there and getting things done, and sometimes I have to force myself to focus on the minute details and the administrative side of things.
105 
106Lightning round
107Early bird or night owl?
108Early bird. I get up at 5:30 a.m. That was my routine at the police department, get up and do my aerobic exercise in the morning, then get the kids up, get off to school, get to work. Now I don’t have to get the kids up because they’re adults.
109Favorite podcast?
110"Constitutional." It goes through every single Constitutional amendment and the story behind it. It’s really cool. It’s very nerdy. But I’ve listened to “Dirty John” and “S-Town” – that was a wild one. I’m one of those NPR nerd people, like literally we were listening to a podcast on the way back from the Florida Keys. We’re coming back, pulling the boat, and it says how many miles you have left in the gas tank, which doesn’t really apply when you’re pulling a boat. So [my partner] Ana’s like, you probably need to stop off and get gas. And I said I’ll stop off at the next exit — this is just about to finish the story. I pull off at the exit and run out of gas, and my son and I had to walk around the corner to get it.
111What are you reading?
112I don’t have any time to read anymore. Right now I’m reading policies, manuals. When I do have time, one of my favorite authors is Erik Larson. I like historical, factual stories.
113Favorite takeout or delivery order?
114I’d have to say by default, because I have two teenage boys, it’s Domino’s. I come home and there’s a house full of kids, and it’s the best thing in the world.
115What’s the best way to spend a Saturday in Tampa?
116My ideal Saturday afternoon, which has been kind of a dream lately, is being on the Hillsborough River in my boat, being able to go to a restaurant, to an event in Curtis Hixon, to go to Lightning games. I love to take photographs of my family going to a Lightning game by boat and send them to all my friends that are snowed in. That’s a wonderful, wonderful feeling.
117Where do you take out-of-towners?
118For a boat ride down the river, especially at night. You come under the Cass Street bridge and you’re in the downtown and it’s magnificent, and it’s getting more so by the day.