PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Now that the Primary is over, we have two candidates going head-to-head for St. Pete Mayor.
Former Governor Charlie Crist will be facing incumbent Mayor Ken Welch in November in a runoff election.
One thing many people can agree on is St. Pete has a uniqueness to it.
"The culture of St. Pete with the artists and the museums. And all the old structures, all the mom and pop shops," said Eric Troy, who lives in St. Pete.
WATCH: St. Pete voters discuss expectations from future mayor
"Keeping downtown, downtown and not turning into another big city," said Victoria Clark, who also lives in St. Pete.
Voters said they want the future mayor to focus on local residents. They also said they are tired of high-rises and being priced out of their neighborhoods.
"St. Pete has such an old eclectic vibe that I would love to keep it that way and decrease the size of the high rises, as well as the neighborhoods," said Clark.
"I think one thing the entire community is concerned with is, and this ties everything in, is the overdevelopment. I think the high rise craze is out of control, I feel like we are turning into Miami Beach," said Troy.
Troy said he’s seen St. Pete change a lot over the years.
"I've got a lot of buddies at sports bars, small restaurants, cafes up on central and they’ve been forced out," said Troy.
He also said the development is causing issues with flooding.
"The infrastructure particularly downtown St. Pete is really not built originally to handle all of this," said Troy.
Clark agrees…and wants St. Pete’s future mayor to help improve stormwater drainage.
"I would love to see less flooding, maybe better barriers and ways to block the flood, so we don't flood. I flooded a few years ago and my neighborhood flooded last year," said Clark.
As we get closer to the runoff election, both Clark and Troy said they want to know more about the two candidates, incumbent Mayor Ken Welch and former Governor Charlie Crist.
"I want to see public debates. I mean, it doesn’t have to be on the local news stations, but let's do some town halls," said Troy.
"As long as everyone is able to vote on how they feel and the people they love, that would be great!" said Clark.
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Casey Albritton is dedicated to telling your stories throughout South Pinellas County. From St. Petersburg to Largo, she’s there to share the triumphs and struggles of the community she calls home. So, let Casey know about the stories that matter to you.
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