Ken Welch

“You can’t let that deter you from doing the job,” St. Petersburg's mayor said after his former treasurer stands accused of stealing more than $207,000 in campaign money.

”Fortunately, I have a lot of friends, and they’ve been very kind to me,” Charlie Crist told the Catalyst. “And I love them for it.”

His campaign finance reports also indicate the bulk of his 2025 outflows — a total of $207,500 — were listed as “unauthorized transactions.”

They have until Feb. 3 to pitch their plans to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District.

St. Petersburg Councilmember Corey Givens Jr, whose district includes the underserved area, said that the city “can’t afford to keep kicking the can down the road.”

“This is a transformative project for our city,” Mayor Ken Welch said.

Mayor Ken Welch said any agreement must “make sense for the city” and cannot impede long-awaited plans to redevelop roughly 60 acres of prime real estate surrounding the stadium.

More than a year after Hurricane Milton damaged the stadium, interior repairs are set to begin. Construction is ahead of schedule for the Rays to return to their longtime home for the 2026 season.

Support for Fluoride for Families comes in response to the state banning fluoridation in local water systems, Mayor Ken Welch said.

“One thing to be clear about – it’s reductive and misleading to frame this as science center versus infrastructure.”

Mayor Ken Welch addressed the measures the city is taking to prevent any future damage, a year after hurricanes devastated the city.

In a memo sent to city council members, Mayor Ken Welch highlighted his administration’s progress on public art and placemaking opportunities.