Seeking elected office in one of Pinellas County’s many beach towns isn’t usually a headline-grabbing affair, even in one of the area’s largest beach communities, St. Pete Beach.
But the race between incumbent Mayor Adrian Petrila and challenger Scott Tate has been both competitive and feisty.
It first became clear the race would be a close one when Petrila only barely emerged as the top fundraiser, with Tate trailing him by just $1,300 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025.
Now, the two are showcasing their clashes of personality ahead of a tough battle at the ballot box next month.
Speaking during a League of Women Voters candidate forum last week, Petrila came right out of the gate swinging, accusing Tate of having an arrest record, “harassing animals” and facing two foreclosures.
Tate, rather than responding to Petrila’s accusations, answered the question that had been posed, choosing to focus on policy rather than personal attacks. Later though, Tate told The Gabber newspaper that the accusations were all false.
A Gabber review of arrest and court records show there was an injunction briefly sought in 2009 against Tate over a domestic violence claim, but the case was dismissed for lack of evidence, there was no conviction and the case was closed the same day it was filed. The Gabber also found two mortgage foreclosure cases filed against Tate in 2010 and 2013, but both were later dismissed before a hearing. There were no criminal convictions uncovered and the Gabber didn’t find any evidence of an animal cruelty case or bankruptcy.
Still, the tone was so contentious that moderators at the event had to intervene at least twice, reminding that “interruptions and personal attacks” were prohibited in the forum rules to which both candidates agreed. Later in the forum, a moderator had to again remind candidates of the rules after an audience member interrupted as Petrila again began criticizing Tate.
The candidates are in the final month of campaigning ahead of the March 10 municipal election, and this isn’t the first time the race has gotten heated. A resident video surfaced last month raising questions about Petrila’s access to the island after Hurricane Helene.
The day after the storm, on Sept. 26, 2024, residents were still blocked from returning to their homes to survey damage as crews worked to ensure it was safe to return. But Petrila, who weathered the storm from the island, was seen on video with workers already on hand performing work at his home. Petrila said the workers were allowed onto the island by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to mitigate a gas leak at his home.
But comments on the initial story about the video shows at least some question whether Petrila’s explanation will hold.
And the testy forum last week showed there’s still a divide over issues facing the beach community that were exacerbated in the wake of Hurricane Helene’s massive flooding devastation.
Petrila continues to point to about $213 million in infrastructure needs for the community, for which he is promoting plans to raise revenue from tourists, rather than residents. That includes proposed imposing tolls at the north, central and southern access points to the island. Despite his plan exempting residents, employees and business owners, it has been controversial, with some worrying such tolls would reduce tourism and other revenue-generating traffic on St. Pete Beach.
Tate opposes such tolls, arguing at the forum that they would be not only impractical, but illegal, and instead arguing the city should work within its existing means to identify a solution.
And the issue of permitting also came up, with Tate blasting the current administration for perceived delays, though Petrila defended his administration’s work, pointing to thousands of permits that have already been provided, as well as certain fees being waived for permits and new staff to help manage the flow.