[Filling of vacancies.]
Tampa Related Laws, art. VIII, § 8.21
in effectSec. 8.21. - [Filling of vacancies.]
If a vacancy should occur in any elective city office, the effect of which leaves more than fifteen (15) months of the term remaining, the elections officer shall issue a call for a special election to fill such vacancy within ten (10) days from the date of an actual vacancy or the acceptance of a resignation. Candidates shall have a period of at least five (5) business days in which to qualify for said special election, beginning at 9:00 A.M. on the first day and ending at 5:00 P.M. on the fifth day, but there shall be a period of at least thirty (30) days in which to allow candidates to circulate qualifying petitions. The special election shall be held on the fourth Tuesday following the date of the deadline for qualifying; however, if a regularly scheduled election is within twenty-eight (28) to ninety (90) days of the deadline for qualifying as a ballot candidate for such vacancy, the special election may be held at the same time. Should no candidate receive a majority of the votes cast, a second election shall be held on or between the 28th day and 36th day after the first election as determined by the elections officer. The ballot for the second election shall have the name of the candidate receiving the greatest number of votes cast and the candidate receiving the second greatest number of votes cast in the first election. The successful candidate shall take office immediately upon certification. All resignations of elected city officials must be made in writing to the city clerk who will forward the resignation to the elections officer. For the purpose of this section, the city clerk must accept all resignations within five (5) days of receipt thereof, and any resignation accepted by the city clerk cannot be withdrawn. All vacancies in city council that shall exist with fifteen (15) months or less of the term remaining shall be filled by majority vote of the remaining city council. Should a vacancy occur in the office of mayor, within fifteen (15) months or less of the term remaining, the chairperson of the city council shall be the mayor until the expiration of such mayor's term. The chairperson of the city council's office as a member of the city council shall be vacant upon assuming the position as mayor and shall be filled by majority vote of the remaining city council. The chairperson shall become acting mayor to fill a vacancy which occurs with longer than fifteen (15) months to run and shall serve as acting mayor until a mayor is elected at a special election. During the time the chairperson is acting mayor, the chairperson's position on the city council shall remain unoccupied, but the chairperson shall return thereto as soon as a new mayor takes office. The successful candidate of an election held to fill a vacancy shall take office when qualified, upon receiving a certificate of election and as soon as the office is vacant as determined by the elections officer. Vacancies filled by appointment must be made within thirty (30) days from the time the vacancy exists.
(Laws of Fla., Ch. 79-573, § 21; Laws of Fla., Ch. 88-497, § 2)
Source: City of Tampa, Code of Ordinances and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/tampa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CHRELA_PTBRELA_ARTVIIIEL_S8.21FIVAFetched: 10/28/2026