St. Pete Mayor Rescinds Bonuses Amid Criticism

St. Petersburg's Mayor Ken Welch faced criticism after awarding $250,000 in bonuses to city staff involved in securing a stadium deal for the Tampa Bay Rays. The bonuses were initially justified as recognition for exceptional work, but following public backlash and scrutiny from city councilors, the mayor rescinded the payments. Councilor Richie Floyd acknowledged the hard work of the employees but suggested that their contributions could have been honored in a better way, such as offering time off rather than financial bonuses. Councilor Gina Driscoll sought further information from the administration, indicating that the issue may not be resolved.

In a statement, Mayor Welch recognized the need for alignment with the city’s governance principles and committed to improving processes moving forward. Some staff members even volunteered to return their bonuses to maintain the focus on the significance of the Gas Plant project. The incident highlights the challenges of recognizing employee effort while maintaining transparency and accountability in local governance. Overall, it has sparked discussions about how to appropriately reward public service contributions.