ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The former President of the St. Petersburg chapter of the NAACP recently expressed his thoughts on community engagement within Mayor Ken Welch’s administration on a podcast.
What You Need To Know
- Podcast host reports that some community members feel unheard and perceive the mayor as “unapproachable”
- Ray Tampa says Black leaders in St. Petersburg want to be heard and want more access to the mayor
- This all comes on the same night Mayor Welch is hosting a “City Hall on Tour” event Wednesday night
- In statement, Welch says he is “very comfortable with where his administration is with community engagement”
The host of the show, Ray Tampa, who was involved in Welch’s election campaign, reported that some community members feel unheard and perceive the mayor as “unapproachable.”
According to the podcast host, Black leaders in St. Petersburg want to be heard and want more access to the mayor.
“I would never say that he owes the African-American community more, but you have to understand that the African-American community overwhelmingly supported him, thinking that he would be a change agent for some of the concerns that have been in evidence for quite a while,” said Tampa.
During one of his shows, he brought up concerns he says were expressed by some African-American community members regarding the limited economic opportunities and job availability within the city. The lack of affordable housing is also a pressing issue for residents.
According to Tampa, these are issues the community feels Mayor Welch should address more assertively.
“I specifically said that we want Ken to succeed, But for him to succeed he needs to know there are some concerns,” he added.
Ray worries Welch is no longer readily accessible to the community who voted him into office and says he’s bothered by the lack of follow-ups or action he believes Welch should’ve taken.
“The issue is all the frustration that we are hearing from other people. I wish I could give you some names — you would be amazed. This is not personal,” said Tampa.
This all comes on the same night Mayor Welch is hosting a “City Hall on Tour.”
Wednesday’s open house is the second of four stops where residents can have face time with the mayor and members of his administration.
In a statement to our partners at the Tampa Bay Times, Welch says he is “very comfortable with where his administration is with community engagement.”
