ST. PETE BEACH — Police Pension Board member Scott Tate is challenging Mayor Adrian Petrila for the island city’s top elected office.
The Beacon emailed questions to both candidates. Only Tate responded. Petrila did not reply to the email or a follow-up phone call, so the Beacon drew the mayor’s campaign information from his website and Facebook page.
Tate’s platform
Tate said his priorities are realignment, resiliency and a return to a vibrant community.
“I will realign city policies so they work for, not against, our residents and small businesses,” he told the Beacon. “I will also cut wasteful spending, focus on resiliency and ensure that every resident and small business fully recovers from the storms of 2024.”
Central to Tate’s campaign is his opposition to Petrila’s proposal to toll the barrier island’s access points.
“Taking control of our state-owned roads — Gulf Boulevard, Blind Pass Road and 75th Avenue — would require the city to then take on the significant annual maintenance costs on these roads, forever,” he said. “Currently, the state pays for the maintenance on these roads, and taking control would unfairly shift these significant additional costs onto residents.”
Tate added that under Florida law, any toll revenue must be spent on the roads themselves — not on other infrastructure projects, as he said Petrila has claimed.
“In effect, this would mean that we would deter visitors from our island, harm the character of our city and only be able to use the money collected to pay for added transportation maintenance costs that are currently borne by the state,” he said.
Instead, Tate said he would cut wasteful spending and pursue county, state and federal funding to improve the city’s financial health. He also said he plans to seek Florida Department of Transportation money to beautify Gulf Boulevard and other state-owned roads and would work to expedite the reopening of the island’s Publix.
Tate said the impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton inspired his run.
“Eighteen months later, our community is still struggling to recover from the storms of 2024, and we need to promote solutions that will welcome visitors to our small businesses and encourage resilient reinvestment in our community,” he said.
He said that reinvestment should fall within the city’s existing comprehensive plan, which he said safeguards against overdevelopment.
Tate also expressed support for Freebee and similar rideshare services, saying they reduce traffic, curb impaired driving and encourage visitors to patronize local shops, restaurants and entertainment venues.
“I am ready to lead our recovery while ensuring that no one is allowed to ‘Clearwater’ our St. Pete Beach with overdevelopment,” he said.
Petrila’s platform
On his campaign website, Petrila said he is seeking reelection “because I love our town and I want to protect our quality of life.”
“I want to protect St. Pete Beach from becoming the next Clearwater Beach or Miami Beach — overdeveloped, plagued by constant traffic, and a 24/7, 365, spring break nightmare,” he wrote.
Petrila said past city leaders lacked the vision to move the community forward.
“For decades, we have watched as one administration after another sold us out to special interests while ignoring the needs of our residents,” he wrote.
Petrila’s website says he will hold developers accountable and ensure that every project brings community benefits, whether in the form of infrastructure funding, beach access or public spaces.
He pointed to the Corey Landings project as an example, saying he negotiated commitments including improved public beach access and direct financial contributions for sewer, stormwater and transportation improvements.
Petrila has proposed a seven-point plan to fund $200 million in infrastructure. A centerpiece of the plan is establishing a Community Redevelopment Area in parts of the city that need revitalization. A CRA captures tax revenue that would otherwise go to the county and directs it toward local improvements.
On his Facebook page, Petrila told residents the total bill to fix the city’s infrastructure needs is $213 million on top of the annual budget.
However, neither his website nor his Facebook page mentions the toll proposal he floated at a November commission meeting. At that meeting, Petrila proposed placing tolls at the island’s northern, central and southern access points to help rebuild infrastructure. He said tourists would be charged while business owners, employees and residents would be exempt.
The mayor did not respond to email and text requests to answer questions about the toll proposal.
On beach access, Petrila said on his website that residents deserve “convenient and free access to our beaches.” He proposed setting aside designated resident-only parking spaces and requiring that all new development guarantee adequate beach access for residents.
Election details
The municipal election is Tuesday, March 10. In addition to the mayor’s race, seats for District 1 and District 3 commissioners are on the ballot.
Vice Mayor Karen Marriott was reelected unopposed in District 1. In District 3, Al Causey is challenging incumbent Commissioner Betty Rzewnicki.