Hillsborough County Commission, District 7 (At Large)

Dr. Neil Manimala is a physician and lifelong Hillsborough County resident running for County Commission, District 5. Raised in Valrico by immigrant parents, he’s committed to service and community. A USF-trained, board-certified urologist, Neil serves on key local health boards. He’s running to expand affordable housing, improve transportation, and build transparent, accountable government. He lives in Hillsborough County with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Mariam.

Like in District 5, this wasn't an easy call — but for a different reason. Republican incumbent Joshua Wostal will likely never win "most collegial." He's brash and direct, though rarely rude during commission meetings. His straightforward style rubs some people the wrong way. He tries not to make it personal, but he knows some people take it that way. He has strong beliefs and rarely backs down.

Wostal, 42, makes up for the abrasiveness by being prepared and working harder than most. The Navy veteran and small-business owner dives deep into the issues that matter and has spurred some important changes. He keeps the county staff on their toes, which is a good thing. He's also a fiscal hawk, which every commission needs — someone who wonks out on the budget, not just saying every dollar should be spent well but actually spotting where it isn't. He bills himself as the "boring budget guy."

Wostal has smartly called for overhauling the beleaguered Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority. He would shrink HART to a more Tampa-focused bus service, with some routes in Brandon and other densely populated areas, and fund it with a city-only sales tax instead of property taxes.

"We don't need empty 40-foot buses running to low-density parts of the county," he said. "There are other ways to serve those areas."

Wostal loathed the recently approved stadium and development deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, calling it an "albatross" that will haunt the county for years.

"The taxpayers of Hillsborough County are at extreme risk," said Wostal, one of two commissioners who voted no.

Going forward, two of his main focuses will remain fixing roads and sidewalks. He's made progress over the last few years, after identifying a 16-year backlog in maintenance projects.

"Those are overwhelmingly what residents complain about and want us to fix," he said. "That and ensuring public safety."

I don't agree with several of his stances, including his opposition to the Hillsborough County Health Care Plan, which covers residents without insurance. But his watchdogging of local government and fiscal restraint would be missed if he were defeated.

Wostal's a conservative with a libertarian streak who thinks for himself. He's proven that he has little patience for government inefficiencies and will buck his own party, admirable traits in an elected official.

Wostal faces Democrat Aileen Rodriguez, a first-time candidate who worked as a senior manager for the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, marketing communications director for the Helios Education Foundation and communications director for the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee for the Republican National Convention. She said she left the Republican Party in 2019, when it stopped reflecting her Christian values.

Rodriguez is a legitimate contender running a solid campaign. She could be an asset to the county commission, but Wostal has already proven his worth — even if he's ruffled feathers along the way.