ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The nation’s longest-running Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade will keep its city funding for 2025, but concerns about state scrutiny loomed large during Thursday’s St. Petersburg City Council meeting.
Big picture view:
Council members voted to maintain the parade’s $230,000 budget – $150,000 for parade operations and $80,000 for a marquee band.
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The conversation was tied to a contract for a new parade organizer, but it comes at a time when the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is preparing to audit the city’s finances next week.
Local perspective:
For many residents, the parade is a treasured tradition honoring Dr. King’s legacy. St. Pete resident Amber Woods said her family rarely misses it.
“I have five girls. They go almost every year,” Woods said.
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But with DOGE auditors set to review city spending, some residents worry the event could be at risk. Trevor Mallory, a previous organizer of the parade, voiced concern that the parade’s cultural significance could be undermined.
“With all of our African American history already under attack, that scares me,” Mallory said.
Dig deeper:
This year’s budget includes $80,000 to bring in a marquee marching band, covering transportation, lodging and meals. Last year, Florida A&M University’s band performed, but its costs were paid from a separate budget line.
Council Member Gina Driscoll questioned the expense given tight budget conditions.
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“In a difficult year, you have to ask difficult questions,” Driscoll said.
Others, like Council Member Brandi Gabbard, pushed back, saying the band brings excellence, tourism and economic benefit.
“It’s one of the longest [parades] in the nation, and we are going to sit here and nitpick it? When there is no increase in funding?” Gabbard said.
What they’re saying:
Council Member Deborah Figgs-Sanders urged her colleagues not to let the audit intimidate them.
“I know we are looking at DOGE, but I don’t want us to operate in fear and I don’t want us to feel as though we can’t continue to support a legend,” she said.
What we don’t know:
City officials have not yet provided an estimate of the parade’s economic impact. FOX 13 has reached out for that information and will update when it becomes available.
The Source: Sources from this report include a St. Pete City Council meeting, comments from residents, city leaders and staff.