St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch announced plans Wednesday to ask voters to approve a $600 million General Obligation bond referendum. The money would speed up sewer upgrades, flooding solutions, and other infrastructure improvements across town. Welch spoke at The Palladium in downtown St. Pete.
Welch outlined accomplishments from 2025 and goals for 2026 in his State of the City speech. He described 2025 as a year of recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. He called 2026 a year focused on resilience, equity, and moving forward.
“Storms do not define St. Petersburg. How we recover defines who we are,” Welch said during the address, according to St. Pete Rising…