Tampa City Council Will Address Panhandling — Again

After nearly three hours of discussion on Thursday, the Tampa City Council asked the city's legal department to draft up two proposed ordinances to eliminate panhandling on Tampa's streets.

Currently, pedestrians can solicit from motorists in the city limits of Tampa during daylight hours if they wear brightly colored safety vests and remain on medians, the roadside right of way or sidewalks.

The first proposed ordinance would be based on one currently being considered by Pasco County that limits panhandling to just Sundays.

The second proposal  would repeal Tampa's current solicitation ordinance, thereby bringing Hillsborough County's panhandling ban into the city limits. Next, the city would adopt an ordinance similar to Jacksonville, which allows newspaper sales in roadways.

The Council will discuss both of these options on August 4 and could choose to move one along forward for a second reading and a vote, or they may choose to eliminate both proposals.

At the start of the discussion, Mayor Bob Buckhorn made his first appearance before the Council since being sworn into office.

"This is a complicated problem, there is no simple solution," Buckhorn said. "Whatever compromise you come up with, something is better than nothing."