On Dec. 4, St. Petersburg’s HLUT Committee agreed to pursue a plan to annex Historic Lincoln Cemetery, currently located in Gulfport.
Photo by Sierra Clark
During its Dec. 4 meeting, St. Petersburg’s Housing, Land Use and Transportation (HLUT) Committee agreed to pursue a long-term plan to annex Lincoln Cemetery, a historic Black burial ground currently located inside Gulfport city limits.
The HLUT committee unanimously approved a resolution urging Gulfport to begin the de-annexation process. The full City Council will vote on that resolution next.
While symbolic, the action signals a shift toward long-term responsibility for the 16-acre site.
Historic Lincoln Cemetery’s Conditions
Pastor Clarence Williams, who manages Lincoln Cemetery through Cross & Anvil Human Services, detailed severe storm damage and ongoing safety concerns.
“It costs $5,000 a month to mow the grass,” he said. “We have carried this project on with my own private money and my church’s money.”
He urged the City of St. Pete to become a consistent partner rather than offering short-term help.
“I want you to inherit me as your son,” he told the committee. “I want to be part of your budget considerations.”
At Gulfport’s Nov. 18 City Council meeting, Mayor Karen Love described a conversation she had with Williams.
“In his messaging to me, he was very clear. He speaks as clearly as I do, and he said, ‘I have not asked you for anything’,” Love said. “And I said, ‘and I’ll hear from you if you want to.’ [And] he said, ‘yes.’ So to me, the ball is in his court.”
When The Gabber Newspaper asked Williams about this conversation, he said, “I don’t remember having that conversation. I do remember talking to her on the phone.”
He continued to say, “I do remember… County Commissioner Rene Flowers organizing a meeting between the City of Gulfport, the City of St. Petersburg, and the County, and no one from Gulfport was present. I do remember that.”
The meeting he referred to took place on Oct. 30.
Push for Immediate Action
Williams confirmed he already requested specific assistance.
“We did ask for help with the grant writer. We did ask for surveying,” he said. “That’s a $25,000 need right there. If I don’t get it done now, the graves will be covered again.”
Council member Deborah Figgs-Sanders pressed staff to identify near-term solutions.
“I’m looking for something more tangible right now,” she said. “We’ve been having this conversation for years. What support can we provide today?”
Council member Corey Givens spoke as both an elected official and descendant. He questioned why the City could fund programs outside its limits but not support Cross & Anvil, which is based in St. Petersburg.
“We can’t find the money to help an organization located in St. Pete, but we can fund people to travel out of the city for training? That doesn’t make sense,” Givens said. “Our ancestors are counting on us. We have to stand up for them because they cannot do it for themselves.”
St. Petersburg Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Committee discussed ways to help repair and maintain Lincoln Cemetery.
Photo by Trei Johnson
Why the City Cannot Fund Repairs Today
Despite visible need, officials stressed that state law prevents St. Petersburg from spending money on property located in another city.
Under Florida Statute Chapter 166, municipalities must:
Use tax dollars within their jurisdiction
Avoid improving or maintaining private property outside their boundaries
Demonstrate municipal control when applying for grants or capital funding
Lincoln Cemetery lies south of the Pinellas Trail inside Gulfport, a fact confirmed by historic plat maps and current municipal boundaries.
Assistant City Attorney Isabella Sobel explained “those boundaries matter.”
“We cannot apply our funds to land we do not govern,” Sobel said.
Figgs-Sanders urged staff to think more creatively while remaining within the law.
“I just don’t want us to continue to use that boundary as an excuse,” she said. “We support organizations here that work outside the city all the time.”
Annexation: The Only Long-Term Solution
Annexation allows a City to expand its boundaries. De-annexation removes land from a City’s limits.
Since Lincoln Cemetery sits inside Gulfport, St. Petersburg cannot help until the boundaries change.
City staff outlined the required multi-stage process:
Gulfport must vote to de-annex the land.
Cross & Anvil must give written consent as the property owner.
The land becomes temporarily unincorporated Pinellas County.
St. Petersburg must vote to annex the property.
Once annexed, Lincoln Cemetery would qualify for:
Full municipal maintenance
Capital improvements, such as fencing and road work
Storm cleanup
Tree management
Historic preservation grants
Staff estimated the full process may take 12 to 18 months, though political delays could extend it.
Immediate Needs Still Unmet
Williams warned that the cemetery cannot wait a year or more for help.
“I’m going to have to close the cemetery to repair the hazards,” he told the committee.
He reminded officials that Lincoln Cemetery will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year and asked them to move with urgency.
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