ROBERT BLACKMON

Top 3 Priorities, If Elected:

• Balancing smart growth with preserving our community’s character, including ensuring the existence of affordable housing for lower-income residents;
• Protecting our community’s public safety, especially for our Midtown community, and ending the spate of violent crime.
• Creating new opportunity for the community, including providing new educational opportunities like the Science Center and by relocating city services to Midtown and using the cost savings to invest in local entrepreneurs.

Hometown:  St. Petersburg

Years in St. Pete:  Life

Age:32

Current or Most Recent Non-Elected Occupation & Employer:

Self

Current or Most Recent Elected Position:

Council Member, City Of St Petersburg

5 Past or Present Community Service Roles or Projects:

• CONA Community Representative
• Board Member, Coquina Key Neighborhood Association
• Board member, Tampa Bay Estuary Program
• Member, St. Petersburg Museum of History
• Winner, Preservation Award, Preserve the Burg

5 Endorsements of Your Candidacy:        

• Former St. Pete Mayor Bob Ulrich
• Former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco
• Commissioner Kathleen Peters
• Senator Jeff Brandes
• Iron Workers Local 397

Up to 5 Organizations You Financially Support or Are a Member or Officer of:       

• Petersburg Museum of History, member
• Petersburg Yacht Club, member
• Equality Florida and St. Pete Pride, Donor

Family Details:         

Owner/Manager of a portfolio of commercial and multifamily real estate units in St. Pete. Founder/Partner, Blackmon Properties, having renovated over 250 dwellings in the past 10 years throughout the city.

3 Specific Actions, Policies or Programs I Can Influence, if Elected, That Will Make Life Meaningfully Better for African Americans in St. Pete:

1. I intend to move our Municipal Services Center to Tangerine Plaza, which will bring consumers to the area, sparking new business investment; I will use some of the savings in a community redevelopment fund for Midtown entrepreneurs.
2. I will complete the restoration of the Science Center of Pinellas County, located here in St. Pete, as a foundation for investment in STEM education for underrepresented communities, especially communities of color.

And I will stand up a new city program replacing investment in affordable housing construction with direct purchases of housing which will then be sold at cost to citizens under 80% AMI.