Tampa Mayor Addresses GITA ITAG Meeting

Today, Tampa Mayor, Pam Iorio, addressed GITA’s Industry Trends and Analysis Group (ITAG) during this first day of the conference. Iorio injected her personal experience with both benefiting from the use of geospatial technology as well as her expectations about receiving funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), aka the "stimulus bill."

"I think the jury is still out,” said Iorio. She mentioned that Tampa was the 54th largest city in the U.S. and that perhaps the 53 other cities were first in line for getting any stimulus money. She doesn’t see where the stimulus will make a difference in the local Tampa economy but does believe President Obama was correct in focusing on infrastructure."

Iorio credited some of the 46% drop in the crime rate over the last six years to the use of crime mapping by her police department. Tampa is also investing $60 million in storm water management and upgrading the city’s subsurface infrastructure is high on the list of the mayor’s priorities. However, she also realizes that it’s not always one of the most "visible" signs of the improvements she has fostered as mayor. She lamented that "you can’t cut a ribbon over a sewer pipe."