St. Petersburg City Council experienced a day of change, with Council Members Copley Gerdes of District 1 and Lisset Hanewicz of District 4 officially sworn in as the City Council Chair and Vice Chair, respectively. The ceremony, detailed on the city's official website, also welcomed the reelected and newly voted members into their roles, poised to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing St. Petersburg in the coming year.
The event captured not just the formalities of office but also the resolve to directly address pressing matters such as hurricane recovery and infrastructure issues. "We have a lot of work to do in 2025, and I look forward to another year of collaboration between the City Council and Mayor Welch as we address the needs of our residents," Gerdes stated to the city's official website. Newly-elected Harting has also promised to actively keep the community updated, signaling a fresh dynamic in city governance, "I look forward to reporting back on our progress!"
The newly-elected Council Member Mike Harting is bringing over three decades of hospitality know-how to the Council, with hopes of bolstering the city's economy and culture. Harting's connection to the city runs deep, as St. Petersburg has been his home since childhood. Equally native to the area, fourth-generation native Corey Givens, Jr. enters his role on the council with a pledge to healing and hope after the city's recent hurricanes. "Now is our time to show how government can deliver on its promise of a safer and more equitable city for all," Givens, Jr. expressed to the city's official website.
The reelected and the new faces on the City Council mirror the diverse experiences and backgrounds of St. Petersburg's residents. Lisset Hanewicz brings a legal expertise and a history of breaking barriers as the daughter of Cuban exiles and the first in her family to attend college and law school. Deborah Figgs-Sanders, who takes on another term, emphasizes a bright future for the city, "Our residents deserve the best, and along with my colleagues and the Welch Administration, the City of St. Petersburg’s future will continue to be bright, shining with both acceptance and opportunities," she told the city’s website.
