TAMPA, Fla. — A committee more than three years in the making is now coming to life. Tampa City Council announced the 13 members that will make up the race reconciliation committee.
A couple of members said this committee is addressing different concerns than the ones introduced when the committee was first discussed four years ago.
“We focus on workforce development, education, healthcare accessibility, housing and voter registration,” Kiah Wilson, one of the committee members, said.
Wilson said she's seen the city's problems firsthand.
“A lot of people don't even know they're not registered to vote,” she added.
She wants the committee to address accessibility and education.
“Inclusivity is always the answer. I'm lucky to be able to serve on the committee and to be able to provide my insight because I'm working in the community that I would hope this committee works to serve,” Wilson said.
Wilson is optimistic but Daryl Hych has some questions. Hych said this committee isn't founded under the same purpose as what was introduced in 2020.
He said it was founded under resolution 344 which targets affordable housing opportunities for people who were formerly incarcerated, economic development, ignored history and the youth.
“The job of city council is to handle and control those five bullet points in Section 7 of 344,” Hych said.
City councilman Luis Viera addressed this, saying the city's been transparent in their plan.
“April 4th, I did a detailed memo that came to Tampa City Council detailing what would be in that resolution. We had a wide discussion on it,” Viera said.
Hych plans to stay on the committee, but he sees the terms under resolution 344 as general and inclusive instead of specifically for the Black community.
“I will talk about African Americans I will talk about people of color,” Hych said.
Hych was nominated to be part of this committee by council member Lynn Hurtak who was unavailable to speak with us.
The committee will have to present a report to city council next year.