In 1967, the State Legislature created the Arts Council of Tampa as a public authority and gave it three mandates:

• Promote, coordinate and develop the arts,
• Contract for artistic services, performances and exhibitions, and
• Develop a center or complex of facilities for the arts.

The budget in 1967-1968 was $12,000, and the staff was one secretary. For the next five years, however, the Council sponsored numerous events, published a periodic calendar of events, presented a county-wide festival, and partnered with other organizations to promote the arts. In 1972, the Council hired its first Executive Director with funds from the Junior League.

In the next 20 years, the staff grew to 15 full-time employees and numerous part-time employees. Since then, the Council initiated the Artists-in-the-Schools program under contract with the Hillsborough County School Board, helped develop the Tampa Museum of Art in 1979, helped found the Artist's Alliance, ran a storefront gallery from 1977-1981, assumed management, programming, and restoration of the Tampa Theatre in 1976 and created numerous publications, programs, public art initiatives, and outreach efforts as the needs and opportunities arose. On October 1, 1989, the Arts Council of Tampa was abolished by the State Legislature and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County was created by the Board of County Commissioners.