City Council Race Results and Reactions, Bylaw Changes • St. Pete Catalyst

While the main focus of attention after the local elections in St. Petersburg on Tuesday was the historic mayoral victory of Ken Welch, residents also made several other decisions that will shape the future of the city for years to come.

In addition to the election of its first new mayor since 2014, the city also decided on four city council elections – including the vacated seat of Robert Blackmon, who ran against Welch in the mayoral election campaign.

The ballot also included seven city law changes, a rare occurrence that only occurs every 10 years. However, the rarity of the occasion was insufficient to woo voters as only two amendments were passed.

As in the mayor’s race, the city council competitions are impartial. While primary voting was restricted to a candidate’s district, the general election is open to residents across St. Pete. Here are the full results and responses.

Copley Gerdes, a financial planner whose father Charlie Gerdes served on the city council, defeated Bobbie Shay Lee in District 1. Gerdes received 53.69% of the vote versus 46.31% of Lee and will now take Blackmon’s place on the podium.

Lisset Hanewicz, a former public prosecutor of Cuban descent, is taking over from Darden Rice in District 4. Rice was also a candidate for mayor and was temporary. Hanewicz received 54.27% of the vote from Tom Mullins 45.28% and becomes the first Hispanic to sit on St. Petersburg City Council.

Incumbent Gina Driscoll secured a pivotal victory over newcomer Mhariel Summers in District 6. Driscoll, a former executive in the hospitality and tourism industry, received 69.71% of the vote versus 30.29% for Summers.

By far the closest race of the night was between Jeff Danner and Richie Floyd. Floyd, a local teacher, defeated Danner in District 8 in a race that was too short by 10 p.m. While it’s a small margin, the 1.4% difference is much larger than the 0.5% that would trigger a recount.

Wow what a night! In the end, every effort was necessary. This victory belongs to the working people of St. Pete and every single person who has supported us and fought by our side! A better world is possible and it starts in St. Pete!

– Richie Floyd (@richiejfloyd) November 3, 2021

In all the debate about possible changes to the Charter, the recommendations of the Charter Review Commission (CRC), which had been going on for decades, were mostly disregarded by the voters.

Charter Amendment # 1 could have changed the way the city selects its councilors. Currently, voters across the city are voting on the candidates for the city council in the general election. This has the potential to undermine the preferences of voters in that candidate’s district. Funding a city-wide campaign is also more expensive than focusing on a specific district, and the CRC believes this gives minority candidates an unfair advantage.

Moving the city council race to single-district voting was rejected, with 58.7% of residents voting against the change.

Charter Amendment No. 2 would introduce a new procedure for setting district boundaries for city council members. It would also require council members to live in the district they represent for 12 months after taking office. Currently, a candidate only needs to reside in the district for 12 months before the election.

The voters rejected the change, 56.23% voted no.

Charter Amendment No. 3 would create a City Equity Officer position to address equity gaps in the city. Current Mayor Rick Kriseman is a vocal supporter of the measure; However, 55.07% of voters said no to the change.

I understand that the change related to the appointment of the Chief Equity Officer was not passed last night, but it is a priority of my office and we will continue to take steps to bring this important position in line with our commitments to build a fairer one St. Pete.

– Rick Kriseman (@Kriseman) November 3, 2021

Charter Amendment No. 4 also dealt with equity, as it would make a requirement for charter-protected equity financing. The measure would prevent equity financing from being used for other purposes. The voters did not agree to this measure either, 56.20% voted no.

Statute amendment No. 5 would place new demands on the city administrator, the city clerk and the administrative officer of the city council. This change would add a residency requirement for the city clerk, requiring removal of a city clerk to have both mayor and city council approval, and providing the city council administrative officer with the same protections and duties as the city clerk.

Charter Amendment No 5 is one of two proposals that have been approved by the electorate, with 58.41% voting in the affirmative.

Charter Amendment # 6 would change the city’s charter review process to avoid conflict with the reallocation process. Both processes take place every 10 years, in years that end in one. A determined 70.02% of the electorate also approved this amendment.

Charter Amendment No. 7 would add a preamble to better describe the spirit of the Charter and the city’s governance philosophy. The ambitious declaration would describe the city’s vision, goals, values ​​and priorities while recognizing the shortcomings of the past. Residents did not agree to the addition as 52.66% voted no.

A referendum that was supposed to give the city council the authority to grant exemptions from the business development tax was narrowly rejected, with 50.08% voting against the expansion of power.

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