Tampa Mayor Castor celebrates 'heroic' actions of first responders in State of the City address

During the 2025 State of the City address on Monday, Mayor Jane Castor described the continued resilience of the Tampa community in response to the 2024 hurricanes. She also celebrated Tampa's growth, major infrastructure upgrades and the momentum the city has had over the past six years.

Below are some key topics the mayor touched on throughout her speech:

Mayor Castor explained how Tampa was tested like it seldom had been before during last year's hurricanes.

The city's response to back-to-back hurricanes in 2024 required an all-out effort from every city agency. Castor singled out the efforts of first responders, especially as "heroic."

“During Helene, they answered nearly 200 emergency calls, rescued 52 residents and eight pets from rising water, and put out fires during the storm,” Castor said. “During Milton, just 13 days later, our emergency personnel handled over 15,000 calls.”

ALSO READ: A flood of questions: Tampa Bay residents look for answers after Hurricane Milton's deluge

She added that Tampa's Solid Waste workers cleared storm debris that was enough to fill the city's iconic Rivergate Tower four and a half times.

Since the hurricanes, the city has spent $94 million on wastewater upgrades, including 28 critical pump stations. Castor said they have also invested another $350 million in stormwater maintenance and improvements.

The mayor said city crews have removed about 500 tons of debris from our stormwater pipes in just the first quarter of this year alone, so the system won’t get overwhelmed during the upcoming storm season.

Castor also spoke about major infrastructure updates. For example, the PIPES program was launched in 2019. Since then, the city has replaced more than 270 miles of aging water and wastewater lines. Also, according to a release, it has repaired or replaced more than 4,800 stormwater structures, preventing leaks, breaks and cave-ins.

"Long-standing flood-prone areas, like portions of Henderson Avenue in South Tampa, have been eliminated, and new projects like the MacDill 48 Nature Park now serve a dual purpose, offering major flood relief while also creating beautiful public spaces," the city wrote in a release.

Tampa has increased street paving by 50% since 2019, resurfaced more than 235 miles of roads and added 56 miles of bike lanes. In addition, the TECO Streetcar system is on track to serve 1.4 million riders this year — with plans to expand into Tampa Heights already underway.

Another top priority for the mayor and the city has been housing. In her speech, Castor highlighted 20,000 new residential units in the city, with many of them being classified as affordable.

She also talked about a variety of strategies to stabilize the housing market, including land trusts, accessory dwelling units, down-payment and rental assistance and zoning reforms.

ALSO READ: Tampa distributing $3.2 million in hurricane relief for homeowners

"We welcome new neighbors, but we will not price our residents out of the city they built," she said.

Castor added that as a result, Tampa's rental rates have returned to 2021 levels, which should offer some relief to working families.

The mayor also looked toward the future. She said the city is actively participating in the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance to enhance data-driven policymaking. Tampa is also updating its land use code and conducting a comprehensive housing needs assessment. It also wants to embrace industries like cybersecurity, biotech and artificial intelligence.

In terms of the economy, the city was recently recognized as the No. 1 metro area in the country for women-owned businesses. The median household income has surpassed $70,000 for the first time ever and the city maintains one of the highest municipal bond ratings in the nation, according to a release.

Castor also acknowledged the continued growth of Tampa International Airport, Port Tampa Bay and Tampa General Hospital. And also mentioned community-driven development projects like the nearly complete Fair Oaks Recreation Complex in East Tampa and the ongoing expansion of the West Riverwalk and River Arts District.

Overall, the mayor recognized that Tampa is not the same city it was six years ago, and will continue to grow and change.

"We've built entire neighborhoods, homes for thousands of families and storefronts for hundreds of small businesses. We've made historic investments to modernize aging infrastructure, including the largest upgrade to our city's water and wastewater pipes in our history," Castor said.

But as time ticks on, Mayor Castor believes that the city's greatest strength is the community.

"Tampa's strength is you. It's us. It's this community," she said. "When we lead with our values, when we invest in each other, we make Tampa a place where everyone belongs, everyone contributes, and everyone can thrive."

You can watch a video of the full address below.