Got An App Idea for Tampa?

Got an idea for an app you'd like to see in the City of Tampa? Post it in a comment below!

A first-ever contest of its kind for the City of Tampa is being hosted by Mayor Bob Buckhorn this month in the form of a , in which judges will rank smartphone apps that could help the city by their usefulness, user experience, quality and originality.

The city created a website where anyone can weigh in with an app idea to develop. Crime statistics, water use and public transportation data are all available to participants looking to develop an app that could be useful.

The Mayor's Hack-a-thon gives coders, developers, problem-solvers, and designers the opportunity to create an internet-based application. Participants developing software will be given exactly 48 hours (June 22-24) to design and build their application, and can work alone or in teams of four or less.

Thus far, some popular suggestions from the website include:

• An absentee ballot app for election season
• An app that allows residents to report potholes, streetlights and damaged signs to the city by taking a photo of it
• An app that gives your local bus schedule.
• An app that shows restaurants' health inspection scores
• An app that finds nearby parking lots

Residents can vote for their favorite suggestions online at the Hack-a-thon website. If you've got your own idea for a new app, post it in the comments section below.

Speaking of apps, be sure to download the Patch app for your iPhone or Droid to stay connected to your local community.