Accusations of unprofessionalism fly at St. Petersburg City Council
Council member and possible mayoral candidate Robert Blackmon traded barbs with senior city staffers.
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St. Petersburg Council member Robert Blackmon, right, traded barbs with senior city staffers, including Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin, center. Mayor Rick Kriseman, left, called Blackmon s behavior unbecoming. [ DIRK SHADD | Tampa Bay Times ]
Updated 3 hours ago
ST. PETERSBURG â The item on Thursdayâs City Council agenda was billed as a quick update on a defaulted development project on city-owned land. But in the latest demonstration of the fractured relationship between Council member Robert Blackmon and Mayor Rick Krisemanâs administration, the discussion devolved into accusations of unprofessionalism and ended with other Council members lamenting the erosion of decorum and pleading for composure.
FOX 13 poll shows Ken Welch is tenuous frontrunner in St. Pete mayoral race
Political editor Craig Patrick reports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - FOX 13 pollster Matt Towery correctly predicted Florida’s presidential elections in 2016 and 2020 and his polls have ranked among the most accurate nation. Now his first poll of 2021 shows Ken Welch is the early, though slight, frontrunner in the St. Petersburg race for mayor.
Towery’s InsiderAdvantage Survey, exclusive to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, includes three announced candidates Wengay Newton, Darden Rice, and Ken Welch and two potential candidates, Robert Blackmon and Deveron Gibbons.
RESULTS:
Ken Welch: 12%
St. Petersburg College trustees reject contract in blow to adjuncts
The three-year agreement had been approved by top college administrators. The two sides will keep talking.
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The St. Petersburg College board of trustees declined last week to ratify a proposed contract with adjunct faculty. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]
Updated Feb. 1
After eight months of negotiations, St. Petersburg College recently agreed on a three-year contract with its newly formed union representing adjunct faculty.
The only step left was for SPCâs board of trustees to ratify it. At the boardâs meeting last week, lead union organizer Jamaica Reddick thanked the college administration for recognizing adjuncts, who are unsalaried, as an integral part of the workforce. Terrie Lee, an adjunct professor of natural sciences, called it âa promising beginning.â
St. Pete mayorâs race still has candidates weighing their options
Insiders expect jockeying to begin in earnest next month.
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By William March
Updated Dec. 14, 2020
As speculation continues about candidates in the upcoming St. Petersburg mayoral race, and insiders expect jockeying to begin in earnest next month, former state Rep. Wengay Newton said this week heâs âdefinitely consideringâ running.
Businessman and civic activist Deveron Gibbons
said people have asked him to run and heâs thinking about it, but that family considerations might get in the way.
Newton lost the Democratic primary for county commissioner to Rene Flowers in November, but he said he would perform better in a non-partisan election including Republican and no-party voters.