Tampa City Council has given final approval to a repeal of a 2011 ordinance that banned panhandling along city streets.
Council made the move after being sued by a non-profit group that says it relies on donations from motorists to help the homeless.
Council and the mayor simply did not want to get bogged down in a long-running court fight that would cost taxpayers.
Repeal of the city ordinance means little though.
Hillsborough County has a similar ban on begging next to streets and roads that covers the city of Tampa.
And Tampa will keep, for now, a ban on panhandling near ATM’s, outdoor cafes, and bus stops.
