Monthly Luncheon

Harry Cohen Hillsborough County Commissioner District 1

Topic: Hillsborough County's Regional impact and how it affects West Tampa
Commissioner Cohen will provide an overview of the HCBoCC activities related to water, roads, airport and arts along with other areas of interest to our West Tampa community and neighborhoods.

Speaker Bio: Harry Cohen is currently serving as a member of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners representing District 1, a position to which he was elected in November 2020 and re-elected in November 2022.

A native of Tampa, Harry Cohen has dedicated his life and career to public service. A lawyer by profession, he served as Chief Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County from 2005-2011 and as an elected member of the Tampa City Council from 2011-2019.

As a member of Tampa City Council, Cohen served as Chair Pro Tempore (2012-2018), as well as in many other key positions, including: Chair of the Council Finance Committee; Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Transportation; and Chair of the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board.

As a member of City Council, Cohen worked closely with Mayor Bob Buckhorn to champion a $250 million infrastructure project to improve and replace Tampa?s stormwater systems in flood-prone neighborhoods. The measure passed, accompanied by a hardship program to pay the fees for qualified people who were disabled and/or veterans. Cohen also championed investment in additional city fire rescue stations (including in Port Tampa City, New Tampa, and Sulphur Springs); new and improved public parks (including Waterworks Park on the Riverwalk, Perry Harvey, Sr. Park, the revamped and renovated Julian B. Lane Park, and Swann Pond in Hyde Park Village); and additional investment in city pools (including Roy Jenkins Pool on Davis Islands, Williams Park Pool, and Cuscaden Pool).

Long before the issue gained widespread acceptance, Cohen also introduced an ordinance to City Council to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, to ?unclog our criminal justice system and not punish people unfairly.?

While on Council, Cohen served on the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, the Florida Orchestra Board of Directors, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, and the boards of The Florida Aquarium and Community Tampa Bay.

In 2019, Cohen ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Tampa, and in the true spirit of collaboration, later served as co-chair of the transition team for current Mayor Jane Castor. The committees issued detailed reports on Transportation and Infrastructure, Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, and Development Services.
Harry Cohen is a graduate of Berkshire School, Gettysburg College, and the New York Law School.