Are petition squashers in Madeira Beach playing dirty tricks? Food fight!

Despite claims by city “leaders” that voters have been duped into signing petitions,  and despite offers to remove those signatures upon request, no requests to remove signatures from a citizen petition drive have been received by the City of Madeira Beach. Unnamed city leaders claimed last week that they “are receiving angry calls from residents” who say that petition…

“Goodism” on the Pinellas County Commission

This is the first ever Tampa Bay Guardian editorial, and we hope it’s our last. But we believe we must comment on the recent botched Pinellas County ordinance banning “fracking” that actually allows the very thing it sought to ban. The commission’s huge blunder, worthy of a solid facepalm, is a sign of deeper problems. Commissioner Janet Long first said such a…

Gulfport city councilor says St. Pete Mayor Kriseman can’t handle the truth

In a Friday afternoon news release, the City of Gulfport announced on its Facebook that its sewer system “282,000 gallons of diluted wastewater into Boca Ciega Bay between the hours of 6:00 AM Tuesday and 8:30 AM Thursday morning.” “The reason our system overflowed is because we send the water to the same place St….

Pinellas County commission passes fracking ban that allows fracking

Pinellas County Commissioners yesterday unanimously approved a ban on hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. “fracking”). However, the ordinance actually allows fracking because faulty language was used in the ordinance. The Tampa Bay Guardian discovered the fatal flaw by reading the ordinance. “What is actually banned” is obviously the key part of any ban. The problem with the ordinance that “banned fracking” in…

$146,000 county job goes to insider – job wasn’t advertised, only one applicant

Tim Ramsberger, former president of the St. Pete Grand Prix, took a $146,000 per year Pinellas County job while still serving as a Treasure Island city commissioner. The job at the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) was not advertised, even though Florida law requires that “any public employment accepted by a public officer” must be advertised. To be clear: a city commissioner is…

T.S. Colin update – weather inspires “wetburgers”

When we refer to “T.S. Colin”, it’s not somebody trying to mimic the famous author T.S. Eliot.  No, we are referring to Tropical Storm Colin, and people around the Tampa Bay area are responding to it in different ways. First things first: Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in 34 of Florida’s 67 counties…

Post-hurricane re-entry: 100% of local gov’t agencies get it wrong (article 2/3)

When the Guardian surveyed Pinellas County government agencies, all 12 agencies incorrectly claimed that an Emergency Access Permit (EAP) is required for reentry after a hurricane. The EAP program has been in place for 15 months, yet the dozen agencies who issue the permits still give citizens incorrect information. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) incorrectly says on its own website…

Times continues to flub Tribune closing, City of Tampa refuses to comment

When the Tampa Bay Times purchased and closed the Tampa Tribune on May 3rd, the Times gave different statements of facts to government agencies in required filings. The statements made to government agencies also differed from what the Times told those who they laid off. This is our second article chronicling the Times’ bungled closing of the Tribune…

Noisy St. Pete business has free rein despite 122 complaint calls

From 2009 to 2016, St. Petersburg residents made 122 calls to St. Petersburg Police complaining about noise coming from the Flamingo Resort. 45% of the calls during the last four years led to police asking or telling the Flamingo to reduce the volume, yet no citations were issued. The data raises the question of how the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD)…

Pinellas County uses tax dollars to spam itself

Pinellas County government spends tax dollars with a vendor to send e-mails to undeliverable county government e-mail addresses, a Guardian review shows.  One of the e-mail addresses belonged to Steve Spratt, the county administrator who resigned in 2007 after “the fiasco surrounding Property Appraiser Jim Smith’s land deal.” Also among the dead e-mail addresses were those…