St. Petersburg’s mayoral race is beginning to take shape around an issue dominating political conversations around Florida, from City Hall to Tallahassee: property taxes.
Days after mayoral candidate Charlie Crist pledged to reduce St. Petersburg’s operating millage rate by 0.40 mills and return roughly $14.8 million annually to residents and small businesses, Mayor Ken Welch fired back, arguing the proposal threatens the very services local governments are expected to provide.
Crist announced the pledge this week on social media, saying his first budget as mayor would deliver “real money” and “real relief” while keeping police, fire, affordable housing, storm recovery, parks, libraries and after-school programs fully funded.
“Property taxes help fund the first responders who power public safety in St. Petersburg, from the police officers and firefighters to the emergency personnel who respond during hurricanes and other crises,” Welch told the Catalyst.
“Charlie Crist’s out-of-touch proposal puts him in the same camp as Ron DeSantis when it comes to undermining the resources cities depend on to serve their residents. After spending years bouncing between Washington, cable news studios and campaign trails, Charlie apparently thinks local governments can operate without one of their primary funding sources. The people who actually run cities know better.”
The exchange comes as Gov. DeSantis is simultaneously pushing a statewide proposal that could eventually eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties altogether.
Under the governor’s “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes” proposal, lawmakers would immediately increase Florida’s homestead exemption from $50,000 to $250,000 while creating a pathway for future reductions and eventual elimination. DeSantis has argued local governments have become too reliant on property tax revenue, noting collections statewide have grown from roughly $32 billion to $60 billion over the past seven years.
That argument has been met with increasing resistance from local officials. Last week, St. Petersburg City Council members warned that significant reductions in property tax revenue could jeopardize funding for police, fire rescue, infrastructure, stormwater systems and resiliency projects.
Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz recently cautioned that losing tens of millions of dollars in revenue would force difficult decisions about services residents expect city government to provide.
The debate carries particular weight in St. Petersburg, where the city has dramatically increased spending on storm recovery, flood mitigation and infrastructure upgrades following Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Welch has made those investments a central part of his administration through initiatives such as SPAR, or St. Pete Agile Resilience, a long-term strategy focused on accelerating stormwater, sewer and water infrastructure improvements throughout the city.
“Cities cannot run on slogans and wishful thinking,” Welch said in a statement released by his campaign. “The problem is these revenues fund critical services, including police and fire services, emergency response, neighborhood safety initiatives, arts support and youth and senior programs, roads, drainage and storm protection.”
The mayor also pointed to support from public safety organizations: Richard Pauley, president of the St. Petersburg Association of Firefighters, said stable local funding remains critical for maintaining staffing, equipment and emergency response capabilities.
Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association Board President Jon Vazquez similarly warned that deep reductions in local revenue could impact how law enforcement agencies recruit, equip and retain officers.
Crist’s total elimination and phased reduction charts a middle course between maintaining current tax rates and the governor’s more sweeping property tax overhaul.
His campaign argues St. Petersburg has the highest property tax rate among major Pinellas County cities and says residents deserve relief as housing and insurance costs continue climbing, but what remains unclear is how the city would absorb a $14.8 million annual reduction in revenue while maintaining existing service levels.
That question is likely to become a central point of debate as the mayoral race unfolds.
At stake is more than a tax bill, but how much revenue can local governments afford to give up before residents begin noticing the difference in the services they receive.
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
