NS. PETERSBURG, Florida – On August 24, voters in St. Petersburg will decide who will be the next mayor in the Tampa Bay area’s second largest city. Eight people are currently running for the top spot in St. Pete.
Candidates include current Alderman Robert Blackmon and Darden Rice, Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch, State Representative and Former Alderman of St. Pete Wengay Newton, Restaurante Pete Boland, Galley, Ship’s Hold and Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern includes, 20-year-old USF St. Petersburg student Michael Ingram, the founder of Stepping Stone Homeless Shelter Torry Nelson and the owner of Kenwood Organic Produce, Marcile Powers.
ABC Action News highlights every candidate for mayor starting with Robert Blackmon.
At the age of 30, Robert Blackmon became the youngest city council member in the history of St. Petersburg.
“For me, leadership doesn’t know any age. You just have to know the problems and have the best ideas. I hope we focus on this campaign that it is a war of ideas and not a war of personalities, ”he said.
As a real estate investor, Blackmon says he has identified issues that he believes are slow moving forward. “We’re constantly struggling with getting permits on the street fast enough, getting people approved, and that costs business owners money and allows them to stay out of work for months and possibly even years,” he said.
Blackmon key themes include setting a clear vision for redeveloping the Tropicana field, preserving our environment, stopping excessive redevelopment, and fighting crime with full services.
“We have to make sure that everyone in every neighborhood feels comfortable and safe when they rest their head on the pillow at night. No matter where you live and no matter how much money you make to feel safe, ”he explained.
Blackmon says transparency will be vital, which includes giving residents more details about how taxpayers’ money is spent. He also wants to focus on moving urban services and jobs to underserved communities.
“My focus is on making this city the best it can be for everyone,” he added.
If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes on August 24th, the first two will face each other in November. The new mayor will be sworn in on January 6th and will have a four-year term of office.
The post Robert Blackmon hopes the St. Pete Mayor race will bring a "war of ideas" with it first appeared on Daily Florida Press.
from Daily Florida Press https://dailyfloridapress.com/robert-blackmon-hopes-the-st-pete-mayor-race-will-bring-a-war-of-ideas-with-it/
No comments:
Post a Comment