Tampa City Council voted to adopt sweeping revisions to Chapter 9 of the city code governing code enforcement after a round of public comment about fines, liens and procedural fairness.

The ordinance, presented by the city's legal staff, creates explicit authority for special magistrates to extend deadlines for compliance and to amend final orders so that daily fines do not automatically begin to accrue while property owners seek relief. Kamaria Perez Smackle of the city legal department said, "This ordinance gives that authority and it spells it out specifically to allow a property owner to file a request with the clerk," and described how magistrates can extend deadlines before fines start running.

Residents urged broader protections. Attorney and resident Michael McLean asked the council to consider an explicit stay on fines during active resolution, saying continuing fines can create liens that block loans and drive people into hardship. Sandra Sanchez, another resident, urged a full audit of code enforcement workflow after she said a lien briefly appeared on her property while she awaited mediation.

Council members debated the limits of authority and whether additional amendments (including a future review of chapter 19 related to the director of neighborhood enhancement) were needed. After discussion the council moved the ordinance forward; the formal vote recorded the ordinance as adopted on second reading at this meeting (council recorded one dissent and one absence in the roll call record). The ordinance as adopted includes a phased effective date and language intended to give magistrates discretion to prevent fines from starting while a compliance deadline is under review.

The measure will change how the city and property owners interact in code-enforcement cases by placing a clearer process for deadline extensions under the authority of the special magistrate. Council members asked staff to monitor implementation and return with any recommended clarifications.