Florida Politics71%
Meet the St. Pete City Council, District 6 candidates: Terri Balliet 33%
By Janelle Irwin Taylor68%
7/25/2026, 1:00:11 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 5 faulty reasoning types, including Self-Serving Bias, Negativity Bias, and Anchoring Bias, with Optimism Bias as the most egregious example at 31.5% saturation with 537 hits. Analysis detected 1,129 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,706 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 41.4% and a BS Rank of 33% (14,761 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 67.40% of the article peer group.
Five candidates are running in the District 6 race for St.
Petersburg City Council to replace incumbent Gina Driscoll , who is leaving office due to term limits.
Qualified for the race are Terri Balliet , Linsey Grove , Doug Homeyer , Trevor Mallory and Jameka Williams .
District 6 covers parts of southeast St.
Pete, loosely from 12th Avenue North to 54th Avenue South, from Tampa Bay to 16th Street.
As of July 10, the most recent date for which campaign finance records are publicly available, Balliet was the top fundraiser, with nearly $50,000 raised and just over $5,000 on hand.
Mallory follows with nearly $36,000 raised, and he maintains more than $14,000.
Grove has raised nearly $27,000, and has about $13,000 still in the bank, while Homeyer and Williams trail with less than $14,000 and less than $7,000 raised, respectively.
Florida Politics sent candidate questionnaires to each candidate and is publishing them as-is to allow voters to learn more about candidates appearing on the Aug.
18 Primary ballot.
Because the race features more than two candidates, if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to the General Election in November.
Below are the candidate responses from Balliet:
— Profession : Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Network of Hillsborough County.
— Education : University of South Florida (Bachelor of Arts, Criminology, minor in Communications); Argosy University (Master’s Degree in Guidance Counseling).
— Years in St.
Pete : Longtime St.
Petersburg resident.
— Years in your district : Longtime District 6 resident.
— Civil service/volunteerism : I’ve spent more than 25 years in public service and nonprofit leadership, working to improve the lives of children, families, seniors, and people experiencing homelessness or mental health challenges.
I previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services and now serve as CEO of the Children’s Network of Hillsborough County.
I’m proud to have co-founded St.
Petersburg’s nationally recognized Community Assistance Life Liaison (CALL) program, in which trained social workers respond to nonviolent 911 calls involving mental health, addiction, and homelessness.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked alongside local governments, nonprofits, law enforcement, healthcare providers, and community organizations to build practical solutions that improve people’s lives.
— Why are you running for office?
I love St.
Petersburg and believe our city works best when people come first.
I’ve served children, families, seniors, and people in crisis, and I’ve seen firsthand how local decisions shape daily life.
I want to bring that experience to the City Council to keep neighborhoods safe, strengthen infrastructure, make housing affordable, and ensure every resident feels heard.
I’ll be a voice for young people and work to create opportunities for current and future generations in St.
Petersburg.
— What makes you the best choice for voters in your district?
I bring a proven record of delivering results through executive leadership, frontline service, and a deep commitment to children and families.
Every day, I work with youth, families, schools, service providers, and community partners to solve complex challenges.
I bring a perspective that considers not only today’s needs but also the long-term impact of our decisions on future generations.
My focus isn’t ideology — it’s results, collaboration, and restoring humanity to local government.
— Top three issues to address if elected, and how would you accomplish them?
Too many families are being priced out of housing, so we need more workforce housing and faster, responsible permitting.
Due to property tax vulnerability, we must protect the essential services residents rely on while investing in stormwater, flood protection, and resilient infrastructure.
(I would also give) thoughtful consideration of the Gas Plant plan and commitment.
I’ve spent my career bringing people together to solve tough problems, and I’ll bring that experience to the City Council to keep St.
Pete safe, affordable, resilient, and ready for the future.
— How would you serve differently than your predecessor, if elected?
Every council member brings unique strengths to the role.
My experience leading large organizations, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and bringing people together to solve complex community challenges has prepared me to lead with both compassion and accountability.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked alongside state senators, state representatives, local governments, and community partners to secure resources, navigate policy, and deliver measurable results.
I will bring that collaborative, solutions-focused approach to City Council — putting people first, following through on commitments, measuring outcomes, and remaining accessible and engaged with residents every step of the way.
That’s what Vision Without Division looks like in action.
— How would you ensure residents in your district are heard and their issues addressed?
Listening has been central to my entire career.
I plan to hold regular community meetings throughout District 6, maintain open communication with neighborhood associations, business owners, and residents, and make myself accessible outside of City Hall.
Good policy starts with listening, but it also requires following up and keeping residents informed about what actions are being taken.
I want people to know their concerns don’t disappear after Election Day.
— St.
Pete, like many other communities, is experiencing an affordability crisis.
As a City Council member, how would you ease the financial burden for residents?
Affordability touches nearly every issue facing our city.
We need more workforce housing, faster permitting to reduce unnecessary construction costs, and smarter planning that encourages housing near jobs and transportation.
We also have to invest wisely in infrastructure so residents aren’t paying more later because we’ve delayed needed repairs.
Supporting small businesses, which provide local jobs and strengthen our economy, is equally important.
My goal is to make St.
Petersburg a city where teachers, nurses, first responders, hospitality workers, and young families can continue to afford to live.
— The city’s infrastructure is aging and long overdue for major upgrades and repairs, yet the issue has continued over several mayoral administrations.
How would you work to ensure the city’s water and wastewater infrastructure is brought to modern standards?
Infrastructure isn’t optional; it’s one of the government’s most important responsibilities.
We need a long-term capital improvement strategy that prioritizes replacing aging water and wastewater systems before they fail, uses available state and federal funding whenever possible, and provides transparency so residents understand where projects stand.
As someone who has overseen large budgets and complex organizations, I know the importance of planning ahead rather than waiting for emergencies.
We can’t continue kicking these investments down the road.
— High water bills, often unexplainable, have been plaguing some city residents in recent years and months.
How would you solve that issue?
Residents deserve answers when their utility bills suddenly spike.
I support a thorough review of our billing system and quicker investigations when unusual bills occur.
We should improve leak detection technology, provide clearer communication with customers, and ensure residents have fair opportunities to resolve billing disputes before facing penalties.
Restoring trust begins with transparency and accountability.
— Over the past many years, the state Legislature has imposed several preemptions on cities and counties.
Recently, the state forced the removal of street murals.
How would you balance the need to follow the law with the needs of the communities you serve?
Local governments have a responsibility to follow state law, even when we disagree with it.
At the same time, I’ll continue advocating for local decision-making and work with our legislative delegation whenever state policies negatively affect our community.
St.
Petersburg’s character comes from its neighborhoods, artists, businesses, and residents, and I’ll always look for lawful ways to preserve what makes our city unique while complying with state requirements.
— A decision on the future of the Historic Gas Plant will come before the next Council.
If elected, what would you prioritize for the site’s redevelopment?
The Historic Gas Plant District is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and every decision we make will have ripple effects across St.
Petersburg for decades.
I will prioritize transparency, accountability, and ongoing community dialogue to ensure residents remain part of the process.
It’s essential that we understand not only the immediate decisions before us, but how those choices will shape housing, transportation, economic opportunity, neighborhoods, and quality of life throughout our city.
I will advocate for a redevelopment that honors the site’s history, expands workforce and affordable housing, creates meaningful green space and public gathering places, supports local and minority-owned businesses, and delivers lasting benefits for generations to come.
— What steps would you take, and what measures would you support, to continue enhancing sustainability and resilience across the city as stronger and more frequent hurricanes threaten our coastal and low-lying communities?
Storm resilience has become one of the defining issues facing St.
Petersburg.
We must modernize our stormwater system, improve flood mitigation in vulnerable neighborhoods, protect Tampa Bay’s water quality, and invest in infrastructure that can withstand stronger storms and rising seas.
We also need to improve emergency preparedness and speed up post-storm recovery, including rebuilding and permitting processes.
Protecting our environment and strengthening our infrastructure are investments in our neighborhoods, our economy, and our quality of life.
— Please add any other personal, professional or campaign-related details not included in these questions : I’ve spent my career helping people, solving complex challenges, and delivering measurable results.
From serving as a child welfare case manager to leading large organizations with multimillion-dollar budgets, I’ve overseen complex operations, managed detailed line-item budgets, and made data-driven decisions that improve outcomes while remaining fiscally responsible.
I’ve built innovative partnerships, including launching the CALL program, and have worked alongside local governments, state agencies, senators, and representatives to secure resources and solve community challenges.
I believe good leadership means listening, bringing people together, and following through with accountability.
That’s the approach I’ll bring to the City Council.
St.
Petersburg is an incredible city, and I want to ensure it remains a place where families can afford to live, businesses can thrive, neighborhoods are safe, and every resident has confidence that their local government is working for them.
Jesse Mendoza of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
The post Meet the St.
Pete City Council, District 6 candidates: Terri Balliet appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections.
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