[Election dates; determination of winners; taking office.]
Tampa Related Laws, art. VIII, § 8.02
in effectSec. 8.02. - [Election dates; determination of winners; taking office.]
A first election hereunder shall be held on the first Tuesday in September 1979 for the election of all candidates for all elective offices in the city. If a candidate for an office receives a majority of the votes cast for all candidates for the office or if the candidate had no opposition at said first election, the candidate shall be declared elected for such office and shall receive a certificate of election to the respective office as hereinafter provided. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a second election shall be held on the fourth Tuesday in September 1979 for the purpose of electing an officer to each elective office to be filled; provided that there shall be printed upon the ballot only the names of those candidates who received the greatest and the next greatest or equal number of votes in the first election. The names of all such candidates shall be printed upon the ballots for the second election and no other names shall be placed on the ballot. The candidates who received the greatest number of votes cast for each office shall be declared elected and shall receive a certificate of election from the elections officer. In the case of two candidates receiving an equal number of votes for the same office the elections officer shall call and hold a special election within thirty (30) days for the purpose of determining the winner between any two (2) such candidates.
The mayor and city council members elected at said elections held hereunder in September 1979, shall hold office for a term of three and one-half years and until their successors have been duly elected and qualified. All elected and qualified candidates elected at the municipal elections held in September 1979 shall take office on October 1, 1979.
Thereafter, elections shall be held in the manner hereinabove described on the first Tuesday in March, and when appropriate a runoff election on the 4th Tuesday in April of every year in which municipal elections are to be held for the election of all candidates for all elective offices in the city. All elected and qualified candidates elected at said March elections shall take office on May 1 of the year in which they are elected.
(Laws of Fla., Ch. 79-573, § 2; Ord. No. 2018-75, § 1, 5-17-2018)
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_S8.02ELDADEWITAOFFetched: 10/28/2026