Mayor Tampa-Jane Castor mentioned on Wednesday about the recent resignation of a hostile workplace with a former council member. The discovery of another person was not the fault of her administration.

“I would like to make it very clear that these incidents were not caused by the city of Tampa. These incidents, these scandals were the work of John Dingfelder and Orlando Gudes,” Caster said. I said at a press conference outside the government building.

After Caster left, Bill Carlson, a member of the third city council, disputed her claim, saying that the mayor and her administration had targeted parliamentary political opponents.

Caster at her press conference Announcing a series of “transparency and accountability” measures, some of which were clearly directed to members of the city council. They include improved lobbyist registration and disclosure requirements, reports of conflicts of interest by elected city authorities, and what she described as modernizing Tampa’s system for sharing public records. ..

Castor has revealed that it is taking these steps in response to the actions of Dingfelder and Gudes.

Dinfelder resigned from the city council last month and settled a proceeding filed by a development consultant who accused him of violating the Public Records Act. Gudes remains on the board, but resigned from his post as chair last week after the report concluded that it had created a hostile workplace for his former legislative aide.

“These recent violations suggest that more can and should be done to improve the transparency and accountability of the city hall, and that public confidence in the city administration should be done. Efforts to increase should not be stopped, and the public should never even have the shadow of suspicion that their civil servants are in the public interest, “Caster said.

Both council members have previously accused Caster of retaliating against them for occasionally voting against her. On Wednesday, both responded to the caster’s comments.

“I don’t think we need to target people like we did in the last few months,” Gudes said. “It’s disappointing.”

He admitted that he had made inappropriate comments in front of his aide, but denied creating a hostile workplace.

Dinfelder is forbidden to discuss why he left the city council for legal reconciliation.But he pointed out the caster’s comments and recent comments Creative loafing A story as evidence of hypocritical behavior.

The story was revealed, and Castor confirmed that city lawyer Gina Grimes used her personal cell phone to communicate with a lawyer suing Dingfelder and a local business consultant. In October, Grimes cited Dinfelder’s use of personal mobile phones in urban business as part of the reason the city did not defend Dinfelder in public records proceedings.

“I see tremendous hypocrisy. I have served the city in various positions for 30 years and set a clean record, “said Dingfelder.

And after Caster’s press conference on Wednesday, Carlson appeared outside the city hall and said the recent turmoil there. It was caused by the mayor.

“This is a divisive and terrible environment,” Carlson said. “It wasn’t caused by the city council. What’s the problem with the city council? It’s not the problem with the city council. It’s the problem with the mayor’s office that is constantly attacking the city council. They are constantly leaking information. They are constantly attacking us. They need to stop.

“All members of the city council who vote against the mayor are constantly being attacked. It’s ridiculous,” he said.

The caster had left before Carlson spoke. Her spokesman, Adam Smith, said: You heard the mayor. These were isolated cases. “

During her press conference, Caster accused the former aide of “reviving” and “part of the media.”

A report released last week, based on investigations and reviews by a private lawyer hired by the city, concluded that Gudes repeatedly exposed his aides to crude and sexist remarks. According to the report, he also made derogatory comments about the mayor’s sexuality.

Caster on Wednesday, she Tampa Bay Times, She said she called her aide prior to the release of the report and asked about it.

A Times Reporters contacted a former aide after confirming that Gudes was the subject of an internal investigation by the city. His question didn’t immediately become a story. Reporters routinely seek comments from key parties involved in complaints and disputes.

The Times Due to the nature of the allegations, we do not publicly identify employees. She is currently working in a department in another city.

Carlson said it was actually the Caster administration that harmed the former aide. She did not mention her name in her report, but her title was revealed. Her details of her effectively identified her because she was the only employee of Gudes, but that should have been avoided.

“management, The mayor and her staff have revived the plaintiffs, “Mr. Carlson said, referring to the city’s announcement on March 28 of the findings on Wednesday’s remarks by Gudes and Caster.