{"id":215083,"date":"2026-04-01T21:30:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:30:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/215083\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T21:30:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T21:30:35","slug":"in-pitch-to-become-mayor-former-fire-chief-jim-large-says-st-petes-infrastructure-has-to-catch-up-with-the-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/215083\/","title":{"rendered":"In pitch to become mayor, former fire chief Jim Large says St. Pete’s infrastructure has to catch up with the growth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FormerThen St. Petersburg Fire Chief Jim Large at Demens Landing Park in St. Petersburg, Florida on Nov. 15, 2022. Credit: cityofstpete \/ Flickr<\/a><\/p>\n

Retired St. Petersburg fire rescue chief Jim Large said he has always had a desire to lead. So it makes sense to see him enter the race to be St. Petersburg\u2019s next mayor.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think at some point I figured I would move to the next level of public service, whatever that would be, when I finished my career with the fire department,\u201d Large told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n

For Large, it looks like the mayoral seat is his next move up. The 70-year-old worked under four different mayors during 50 years for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. He was chief for 18 of those years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

He told CL that many people encouraged him to run and even asked him about whether he\u2019d consider it before he retired.<\/p>\n

A political committee called A Better Burg, registered in January, supports Large, who believes his experience with the city and managing the fire department\u2019s budgets has nurtured his leadership skills and \u201cgood hand in budgeting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Large said he wants to guide that budget toward improving the city\u2019s infrastructure, where he\u2019s seen \u201cthe biggest neglect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a tremendous amount of growth when you look at St. Pete, where it was 20 years ago, 25 years ago, and where it is now,\u201d Large said. \u201cBut our streets and our infrastructure\u2014what you don\u2019t see\u2014the sewer system, stormwater system, everything, is very old and very strained.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large claimed when he spoke to a repair contractor, he learned that pipes for the sewer lines near his home in Mid-North St. Pete were 60-70 years old.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Large, that was one example of the infrastructure that needs fixing\u2014and those fixes are top-priority for the father of three grown children who want to live in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, it\u2019s not the \u2018sexy, cool\u2019 kind of thing to do, but it\u2019s the necessary thing,\u201d Large told CL. \u201cI believe infrastructure has to catch up with the growth before we continue to keep growing and not address it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large said he would also immediately revamp the permitting process and make changes to storm prevention and recovery plans, which he said were mismanaged.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a good recovery plan\u2014that was evident after Helene and after Milton,\u201d Large said. \u201cThere are certainly a lot of things that could be done differently if we get hit with a storm again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large said strong storm recovery in St. Pete is an essential goal in his campaign, and good experience and leadership is key to achieving that.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And while Large doesn\u2019t have qualms with Mayor Welch, there are other things he said he\u2019d have approached in a different way\u2014one of them being how Welch briefly placed Large on administrative leave in 2023 for anonymous hostile workplace accusations before reappointing him within the same year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI appreciate him reinstating me,\u201d Large told CL. \u201c Now, the flip side of that is, I don\u2019t agree with his leadership style and the way he handled the situation. But, everybody\u2019s different; everybody has different styles. I would have handled it a little bit differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large said he took a \u201cnon-adversarial role,\u201d toward Welch\u2019s investigations, which ultimately brought up no evidence against him.<\/p>\n

On that note, Large said he\u2019d likely do \u201ceverything\u201d differently as mayor. He doesn\u2019t believe that Welch\u2019s background as a commissioner is necessarily a \u201cleadership background.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s different when you\u2019re talking about making decisions that impact people versus making policy decisions or budget decisions,\u201d Large said. \u201cNot that they don\u2019t impact people\u2014but when you\u2019re overseeing people, there are other concerns and other things in leadership that you have to look at.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large said one of those things is being present\u2014and he promises he \u201cwon\u2019t be a part-time mayor\u201d of St. Pete.<\/p>\n

He also said he\u2019d ensure that \u201chighly qualified individuals in their respective disciplines\u201d surround him during his tenure\u2014not \u201chinge-head\u201d officials who don\u2019t offer varying perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know, one of your main jobs is a talent scout,\u201d Large said. \u201cYou have to seek out those people who would take those key positions and advance the city forward. And I think I saw a lack of that in the qualifications and how people were selected to fill key positions.\u201d<\/p>\n

On top of that, Large said he\u2019d also reevaluate the city\u2019s budget. He recalled that Blaise Ingoglia, Florida\u2019s CFO, announced that St. Pete had more than $49 million in wasteful spending this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Large, Mayor Welch wrote the news off as politics. But after working under Welch for two years, he believes there\u2019s an opportunity \u201cfor substantial savings in the budget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large also disagrees with Welch on fast-tracking redevelopment plans for the Gas Plant District.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Rays look like they\u2019re going to be in Tampa\u2014that\u2019s for certain, unless they can\u2019t come up with the money\u2014but, they\u2019re not going to have that stadium built by 2028,\u201d Large told CL. \u201cSo, you got to look at extending that lease. Why jump on a development project when you don\u2019t even know how long the Rays might need that stadium?\u201d<\/p>\n

Large said he believes that while the district\u2019s history is critical and shouldn\u2019t be ignored, St. Pete\u2019s needs are essential\u2014and the city has to remember that as it navigates how to use 86 acres of land in the Gas Plant District conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you have to look forward,\u201d Large said. \u201cYou have to be a little more forward-thinking. What can we do to recognize, memorialize some portion of the history that\u2019s tied there, and at the same time, do what\u2019s right for the city as a whole?\u201d<\/p>\n

Large also said he believes St. Pete should respect and uphold the art scene, and it\u2019s fundamental to the city\u2019s identity and tourism.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re critical to the economy and everything else that makes St. Pete what it is,\u201d Large said. \u201cI\u2019m a big believer\u2014and we got to continue to support the arts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large said he\u2019s aware of county commissioners defunding arts organizations, and he understands both sides to that story\u2014but the arts should be considered for all sectors it improves.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very hard because the city\u2019s position should be to provide fundamental services equally across the board,\u201d Large said. \u201cAnd you get a lot of discussion, a lot of argument that, \u2018Well, you\u2019re doing this special interest or you\u2019re doing this agenda.\u2019 And it\u2019s really not. It\u2019s for the benefit of the whole city.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This article appears in Mar. 26 \u2013 Apr. 1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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