There is a lot of discussion heading into the special call election for District 5 about “experience.” Thomas Scott’s entire platform is about his “experience”; Naya Young is being criticized for her lack of “experience.” But let’s talk about “experience” on Tampa City Council.

When I was a chef in my mid to late 20s and starting to run kitchens, I ran into chefs and cooks much older who had a hard time dealing with “someone half their age” giving them direction and making the final call. I was “a kid with no experience.” Fortunately for me, a mentor and wise restauranteur taught me a simple lesson—“Michael, there are people with 20 years of experience and there are people with 1 year of experience they’ve been doing for 20 years.” That lesson has proved to be invaluable far and beyond a kitchen as I’ve gotten older. And maybe no where does that ring truer than in government and politics.

If “experience” was the key to a successful city council, then Tampa City Council should be a well oiled machine. Council member Miranda was first elected to council in 1974. That’s 51 years. Council members Luis Viera and Guido Maniscalco have been on council since 2015 and 2016 respectively. That’s another 19 years. Council member Bill Carlson was elected in 2019. Another 6. Council member Lynn Hurtak was appointed in 2022 and elected in 2023. Council member Allen Clendenin was also elected in 2023. Another 5. Collectively that’s 81 years of experience sitting at the dais every week. With that much experience, they should be adeptly navigating the budget process and easily getting their priorities funded. Leading the discussion on the Land Use code update and the current discussion about the Future land use component. 80 years of discussing the plan and incremental changes, they should be able to explain the proposed changes like they’re describing how to make the perfect Cuban sandwich. That’s hardly the case. And that’s not to diminish anyone’s singular role. They were all elected by the 10-20% of the city that votes. Multiple times in several cases. Despite a lack of experience they were elected because their judgement was trusted. That they would listen to their constituents, weigh the facts and cast a vote in the best interest of the citizens. That’d they’d learn the rest eventually.

Thomas Scott hasn’t held office since being elected 18 years ago when he won his District 5 seat over Frank Reddick 2,343 to 1,655. That’s the “experience” he’s running on. That’s why he says he’s the best person for the job. Because he chaired city council 15 years ago. Ask him what the city was dealing with during his time on council and what he accomplished. He keeps talking about his time on County Commission 10 years prior to that. What is there to show for it except a vote for creating a Community Redevelopment Agency. Depending on which side of Columbus you live on, it’s questionable how that’s worked out. He wants your vote not because of any accomplishments or vision, but because he knows all of the developers and how the game used to be played. That shouldn’t be a winning message.

So why not Naya Young? Is it because of her age? Guido Maniscalco was younger than Young when he was elected to council. Maybe experience only matters for a younger Black woman. Except for me, the “experience” of being a young Black woman living in this city is more important than if she can adeptly chair a meeting and knows Robert’s Rules of Order. That she has worked with the children that will inherit this city and understands the barriers they will face is better “experience” than having sat on a county commission 25 years ago. I want someone who is looking forward, not back. That’s what we all should want for District 5. Anyone can learn the rules if they put in the work. One section at a time as the issues come before them. That’s how you gain real experience. Putting in the work and allowing yourself to grow. One vote at a time.

If you are voting for a candidate because of their “experience”, ask yourself, do they really have 30 years of experience or do they have a couple years of experience they’ve been talking about for 30 years? Sometimes it’s better to have someone learn on the fly the latest way of doing things than having to deal with someone unwilling to let go of old, failed methods because “that’s the way we used to do it.” From their experience.

[I wrote about why I was voting for Naya Young and that hasn’t changed.]