Structure of Elected Government
St. Petersburg operates under a strong mayor-council form of government, in which the mayor serves as the city's chief executive and the City Council functions as its legislative body, as documented on the City of St. Petersburg's official council page. This structure places significant executive authority in the mayor's office while reserving ordinance-making and budgetary approval powers in the elected council. City Hall is located at 175 Fifth Street North in downtown St. Petersburg.
Council members are elected to four-year terms and are limited to two full successive terms under the city's governing rules. As of April 30, 2026, the council comprises eight members, with Lisset Hanewicz serving as the 2026 Chair and Richie Floyd as the 2026 Vice-Chair, per the City of St. Petersburg.
The Mayor
Kenneth T. Welch serves as St. Petersburg's 54th mayor, having been sworn into office on January 6, 2022. As of April 30, 2026, Mayor Welch is confirmed to be running for reelection in 2026, according to the City of St. Petersburg and Ballotpedia. The mayor's office is responsible for administering city departments, executing the budget approved by the council, and representing the city in intergovernmental matters.
Under Mayor Welch's administration, the FY2026 city budget of $976 million was approved by the City Council on October 6, 2025, taking effect October 1, 2025, as reported by the City of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine. That budget was characterized in coverage as centering on resilience and equity themes in the aftermath of the 2024 hurricane season.
City Council Members
As of April 30, 2026, the St. Petersburg City Council consists of eight members, as confirmed by official city sources. Lisset Hanewicz holds the position of 2026 Chair, and Richie Floyd serves as 2026 Vice-Chair. The six additional members are Copley Gerdes, Brandi Gabbard, Mike Harting, Deborah Figgs-Sanders, Gina Driscoll, and Corey Givens Jr.
Council meetings are held on multiple Thursdays each month and are broadcast live on StPeteTV via cable and live web stream, per the City of St. Petersburg council page. This broadcast arrangement makes council proceedings accessible to residents who cannot attend in person at City Hall, 175 Fifth Street North.
Recent Council Decisions
Among the most consequential votes in the council's recent record, the City Council unanimously voted in 2025 to terminate the $6.5 billion Gas Plant District redevelopment agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays and developer Hines, as reported by WUSF. The termination ended a long-negotiated plan for the site adjacent to Tropicana Field in downtown St. Petersburg.
The council also approved the FY2026 budget of $976 million on October 6, 2025, effective October 1, 2025, according to the City of St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine. The city has also committed approximately $55 million to repairs on Tropicana Field, whose Teflon dome roof was destroyed by Hurricane Milton in October 2024, with a stated target of readiness for the 2026 season, per the City of St. Petersburg's official project page. Separately, St. Petersburg was awarded $159.8 million by HUD for long-term hurricane recovery from Helene and earlier Hurricane Idalia, as documented by St. Pete Rising.
Public Access and Outreach
Since 2023, Mayor Welch has conducted the City Hall On Tour initiative, an outreach program that hosts open-house sessions in different St. Petersburg neighborhoods with city department directors and leadership present, as documented on the City of St. Petersburg's initiatives page. The format is intended to extend civic access beyond the fixed downtown location of City Hall at 175 Fifth Street North.
Regular council meetings, held on multiple Thursdays each month, are broadcast live on StPeteTV via cable and live web stream, providing a contemporaneous record of legislative proceedings for residents, per the City of St. Petersburg council page. The combination of scheduled public meetings, live broadcast, and neighborhood outreach sessions represents the documented framework through which St. Petersburg's elected officials conduct public-facing governance.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2023 https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs Used for: Population (260,646), median age (43.1), median household income ($73,118), median home value ($331,500), poverty rate (11.7%), unemployment rate (4.9%), labor force participation (72.8%), educational attainment (26.1%), housing tenure (63% owner, 37% renter), median gross rent ($1,542), total housing units (141,039); Pinellas County population density (1,326/sq km — Census-originated figure)
- City of St. Petersburg — Official History Page https://www.stpete.org/visitors/history.php Used for: City founding by John C. Williams (1875) and Peter Demens (Orange Belt Railway, 1888); incorporation February 29, 1892; naming for Saint Petersburg, Russia; 1914 spring training history with Al Lang and Branch Rickey; Tony Jannus 1914 flight
- First of Aviation World Association — The First Commercial Flight https://foawa.org/the-first-commercial-flight/ Used for: January 1, 1914 inaugural flight of St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line; Tony Jannus as pilot; documented as first scheduled commercial airline service in the world using heavier-than-air aircraft
- I Love the Burg — Mayor's State of the Economy 2024 https://ilovetheburg.com/state-of-the-economy-2024/ Used for: Raymond James as largest employer; Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital as second-largest employer; St. Pete unemployment rate below regional/state/national average as of 2024
- St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership — 2025 Development Guide https://www.stpetepartnership.org/development-guide/2025-development-guide Used for: Trust for Public Land ParkScore ranking (11th nationally, 1st in Florida); Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index perfect score (10 years); institutions outpacing national degree/certificate growth; 53% of residential unit owners listing downtown as primary residence
- City of St. Petersburg — Tropicana Field Site Current Projects https://www.stpete.org/residents/current_projects/tropicana_field_site.php Used for: Hurricane Milton roof damage to Tropicana Field; city commitment of approximately $55 million to repairs; Rays playing at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa; target of 2026 season readiness
- WUSF — St. Petersburg City Council Terminates Tropicana Field Redevelopment Agreement https://www.wusf.org/sports/2025-07-24/st-petersburg-city-council-terminates-tropicana-field-redevelopment-agreement Used for: City Council unanimous vote terminating $6.5 billion Gas Plant District redevelopment deal with Rays and Hines in 2025; context on Gas Plant District redevelopment
- St. Pete Rising — City Awarded $159.8 Million HUD Hurricane Recovery Grant https://stpeterising.com/home/city-of-st-pete-awarded-1598-million-to-support-recovery-effects-from-recent-hurricanes Used for: HUD award of $159.8 million to St. Petersburg for long-term hurricane recovery from Helene and Idalia
- St. Pete Catalyst — Recovery, Rebuilding and Big Numbers: Pinellas County's 2025 https://stpetecatalyst.com/recovery-rebuilding-and-big-numbers-pinellas-countys-2025/ Used for: 47,000 homes and 1,200+ businesses impacted by Helene and Milton in Pinellas County; 2.5 million cubic yards of sand placed on beaches in 2025; sourced from Pinellas County 2025 Accomplishments Report
- Axios Tampa Bay — Florida Affordability and Population Growth Slowdown (April 2026) https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/04/24/florida-affordability-housing-insurance-costs-population-growth-slowdown Used for: Pinellas County losing approximately 12,000 residents July 2024–2025, highest county-level population loss in U.S. outside Los Angeles; hurricane impacts and affordability attribution; Census data cited
- City of St. Petersburg — St. Pete Pier Five-Year Anniversary News Release https://www.stpete.org/news_detail_T30_R1439.php Used for: St. Pete Pier described as Southeast's largest waterfront district; 26 acres; debut in 2020; recurring events and marketplace
- Visit Florida — St. Petersburg Pier https://www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/st-petersburg-pier-activating-the-waterfront/ Used for: $92 million cost of the St. Pete Pier; completed 2020
- City of St. Petersburg — Museums, Galleries and Theaters https://www.stpete.org/visitors/attractions/museums_galleries_and_theaters.php Used for: Dalí Museum collection description (2,400+ works, every medium); Mahaffey Theater as performing arts venue; Carter G. Woodson African American Museum; Sunken Gardens listing
- St. Pete Arts Alliance — Mahaffey Theater Directory Entry https://stpeteartsalliance.org/arts-culture-directory/details?itemid=142 Used for: Mahaffey Theater as home to Florida Orchestra; 2,031-seat capacity; Class Acts program for school-age children; Big3 Entertainment management
- City of St. Petersburg — Mayor and City Council https://www.stpete.org/government/mayor___city_council/city_council/index.php Used for: City Council four-year terms; two-term successive limit; meeting schedule (multiple Thursdays); StPeteTV broadcast; City Hall address (175 Fifth Street North)
- City of St. Petersburg — Mayor Welch's City Hall On Tour https://www.stpete.org/government/initiatives___programs/mwcht.php Used for: City Hall On Tour outreach program operating since 2023; neighborhood open-house format with mayor and department directors; Kenneth T. Welch as current mayor; 54th mayor; inaugurated January 6, 2022
- St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation — Boyd Hill Nature Preserve https://www.stpeteparksrec.org/parks___facilities/boyd_hill.php Used for: Boyd Hill Nature Preserve; connection to Lake Maggiore; Lake Maggiore Environmental Education Center; city-managed preserve
- St. Pete Pier Official Website https://stpetepier.org/ Used for: Pier marketplace featuring local vendors; recurring events; 26 acres of waterfront combining Tampa Bay and downtown parks