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By LAURA KINSLER
The Tampa Tribune
TAMPA - As expected, the District 7 city council race came down to two longtime civic activists from New Tampa.
The big surprise was that a little-known businessman from Forest Hills, whose biggest claim to fame was a raunchy public-access TV show five years ago, pulled in enough votes to force a runoff between vote leader Joseph Caetano and second-place finisher Frank Margarella.
Caetano, a salon owner making his third run for public office, led the race with nearly 37 percent of the vote. Margarella eked out a place in the March 27 runoff with about 33 percent.
Charles “Charlie” Perkins ran an unconventional campaign, avoiding the media and all candidate forums – including the one hosted by his own neighborhood association. He did not raise any outside money and still finished with nearly 31 percent.
“I’m surprised,” said Margarella, a commercial real estate agent. “I didn’t think Charles Perkins would get as many votes as he did.”
Caetano, a former police officer, collected the bulk of endorsements from police, fire and labor unions. He feels confident that he can win.
“We’re going to have to work harder than we did,” he said. “I’ll have to spend more time in the southern part of the district. And we’ll have to go out and get people to vote by absentee because they don’t want to go to the polls.”
It was Margarella’s first political campaign and the inexperience showed. He was forced to file five amended campaign finance reports after the Tribune questioned his fundraising and expenditures.
Regardless of the outcome, he may have to answer to the Florida Elections Commission. A complaint was filed with the FEC, which meets again in May.
Margarella served as chairman of the New North Transportation Alliance, which gave him a broad understanding of road projects, such as New Tampa’s east-west toll road and Busch Boulevard improvements. His campaign was largely financed by engineers, developers and real estate professionals.
Voter turnout citywide was well below the standard set four years ago. In New Tampa, it was positively bleak – less than 10 percent.
Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.
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