Meet the St. Pete City Council, District 6 candidates: Trevor Mallory

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 Mallory:

— Profession: President, Neighborhood Home Solutions.

— Education: Lakewood High School.

— Years in St. Pete: Since birth, except for 5 years in Toronto when the Blue Jays recruited me out of high school.

— Years in your district: 20 years.

— Civil service/volunteerism: member, St. Petersburg Affordable Housing Advisory Committee; member, St. Petersburg Citizen Redistricting Commission; member, St. Petersburg Affordable Housing Lot Disposition Committee; coach, Gulfport Little League; President, Gulfport Little League; volunteer coach, Lakewood High Baseball; President, State of Florida Democratic Black Caucus; Outreach Chair, Pinellas County DEC; horticultural specialist II, City of St. Petersburg Parks Department.

— Why are you running for office? As soon as I came back to St. Pete from playing professional baseball, I started finding ways to contribute to our community. Some of that was passing on the lessons I learned as an athlete. But more of it was working to build housing my neighbors could afford. Then I expanded to connecting people with resources to help them buy their first home. At a moment when affordability is front and center for families, I’m ready to step up and help my community handle the challenges in front of us.

— What makes you the best choice for voters in your district? I’ve spent my life in St. Petersburg and have a track record of serving this community long before running for office. I’ve done concrete work to expand access to affordable housing, I’ve served our city on various boards, and I’ve mentored local young people in their sports journey. I’ve always believed the best solutions come from listening, bringing people together, and staying focused on results.

— Top three issues to address if elected, and how would you accomplish them? Affordability remains the biggest challenge facing many people, and housing is the biggest drain on family budgets. That’s why creating housing people can afford in St. Petersburg is my top priority. We also need to strengthen infrastructure and storm resilience, including making it easier for residents to recover after disasters. Finally, I’ll focus on thoughtful planning that protects our current residents. We have to ensure that the economy of St. Petersburg benefits everyone who lives here.

— How would you serve differently than your predecessor, if elected? Every elected official brings a different perspective. I’m a Lakewood High graduate, and my approach is rooted in collaboration and community engagement. I want residents to know they’ll have a council member who listens and works with neighbors, businesses, and community organizations to solve problems together.

— How would you ensure residents in your district are heard and their issues addressed? I’ll be visible in the community. Whether that means holding regular neighborhood meetings or being at events across the city, I will maintain an open line of communication with residents and make sure people know where to turn when they need help. Being present is the first step toward solving people’s problems.

— 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 is a huge problem and we need elected officials who are tackling the issue from every possible angle. To start with, we need more housing options, smarter growth, and policies that help people stay in the neighborhoods they love. I’ll continue working with nonprofits, businesses, and government partners to expand opportunity using every tool at my disposal.

— 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 is one of the city’s core responsibilities. We need to prioritize long-term investments, improve project planning, and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently. Delaying maintenance only makes projects more expensive, so we need to stay ahead of these challenges rather than reacting to them.

— High water bills, often unexplainable, have been plaguing some city residents in recent years and months. How would you solve that issue? We need to better understand why these billing issues are occurring and improve communication with customers. I look forward to being in a position to dig into these concerns and work toward solving them. When residents receive unexpectedly high bills, they should have confidence that the city will investigate and help resolve the issue.

— 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 communities understand their challenges best. I don’t think we should be quick to ‘comply in advance’ — we should always follow the law, but the city doesn’t have an obligation to listen to everything Tallahassee politicians are saying on Twitter. I can work with anyone who cares about the people of this city, and I’ll coordinate with residents and state officials to ensure our city’s voice is heard 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? My priorities are honoring the history of the Historic Gas Plant community, while also expanding housing opportunities, creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and ensuring the project delivers lasting benefits for the people of St. Petersburg. The community deserves a transparent process that keeps residents and those with historic ties at the center of every decision.

— 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? We know stronger storms are becoming part of life in Florida, so resilience must be built into every major decision we make. That means resilience becomes a comprehensive part of everything we do. We need to invest in infrastructure, protect our green spaces, improve stormwater management, and make it easier for families to recover after disasters. We’re going to make St. Petersburg stronger tomorrow if we start preparing today.

— Please add any other personal, professional or campaign-related details not included in these questions: I’m proud to have been endorsed by sitting Councilwoman Gina Driscoll to succeed her in representing District 6. I have the support of former Councilmen Karl Nurse and Frank Peterman who each held this seat before Driscoll. And I’ve been endorsed by former Councilman Jim Kennedy who represented District 2.

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Florida Politics Senior Politics Editor Janelle Irwin Taylor contributed to this report.