Candidates
Robert Blackmon
Robert Blackmon is running for city council because we need a citizen-focused approach to government. Unlike many of the other candidates, he was born in the heart of our district, and grew up here. He is a product of the public education system of our city, and attended St. Petersburg High school before graduating from Florida State University with a degree in Political Science, with dual minors in Communications and Emergency Management. As a lifelong resident, he recognizes the need for a new generation of leadership with fresh thinking and a new perspective.
| Candidate Answers & Information | |
| Hometown (City & State): | St. Petersburg, Florida |
| Years in St. Petersburg: | Life |
| Years in District (Council candidates): | 6 |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| No. of Children + Ages: | N/A |
| Organizational Endorsements: | Former NFL player Keith McCants |
| Occupation: | Real Estate Entrepreneur |
| Current & Prior Career Positions: | Self Employed |
| Education: | St. Petersburg High School, Class of 2007
Florida State University, Undergraduate degree. Political Science major, dual minors in Communications and Emergency Management. 2011. |
| Community Service/Leadership Roles: | Coquina Key Neighborhood Association Board Member, Council of Neighborhood Associations (CONA) representative, Preservation Award Winner, St. Petersburg Preservation, Regency Condominium Association Board member. |
| Organizational Affiliations: | St. Petersburg Preservation, St. Petersburg Museum of History, Coquina Key Neighborhood Association, Council of Neighborhood Associations, St. Petersburg Young Professionals |
| Priorities if Elected: | Fix the Sewer System – We need to make sure adequate resources are devoted to our city’s infrastructure at all times- not just when mandated by the state or federal government- to accommodate growth and serve our current citizenry
Focus on All Parts of the District – I have lived in Lakewood Terrace, Midtown, and Coquina Key. I want voters to know I will serve the people of the entire district, because I have lived throughout the district and am familiar with the needs of each neighborhood firsthand. Improve Conditions in Midtown – Tangerine Plaza needs a new grocery. The Manhattan Casino needs a new restaurant tenant. Public safety and car thefts are a crime. Affordable housing is a need. I have the background and unique perspective to address them all. |
| Email: | RBlackmon15@gmail.com |
| Telephone Number: | 727-244-0379 |
| Website: | Blackmon4StPete.com |
| Facebook page: | Facebook.com/Blackmon4StPete |
| Instagram page: |
| Agree & will support | Disagree & will not support | Agree in principal; suggest changes | Disagree but open to discuss | Don’t know enough; willing to learn | Other Thoughts | |
| The 2020 Plan to reduce poverty by 30% in South St. Petersburg by 2020 | X | |||||
| Collective Empowerment Group Comprehensive Plan for Economic Growth & Wealth Building | X | |||||
| People’s Budget Review
New Deal Economic Growth Policies & Initiatives |
X | |||||
| Continued use of South St. Petersburg CRA funding for workforce & business development | X | |||||
| Social Impact Bond structure to increase investments in programs to increase employment & income in community | X | |||||
| Universal Community Benefit Agreement Policy of targeting contracts and jobs to community workers and firms, for all city-supported development projects | X | |||||
| Concerned Organizations for Quality Education for Black Students (COQEBS) on-going push for school district policies, programs & investments to close the achievement gap for black students | X | All of these plans are great ideas. We need to, as a community, make sure we can enact and continue to enact these in a way that benefits the people the most! |
Eye opening event. During the great depression, Elder Jordan (a black man) loaned the City of Saint Petersburg money to operate because all the banks were closed!