ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The city of St. Petersburg held its annual budget open house Tuesday night.

This year, residents get to make their voices heard in a whole new way. The city debuted its Innovative Equity Project.

Residents can vote online or at pop-up locations for their favorite of five proposed projects. 

The winning one will receive up to $1 million in the budget to become a reality. They include a rooftop replacement program, free swim lessons to all elementary-aged students, a new MLK Day of Service citywide and a program that helps homeowners manage their utility bills.

Council members praised the new initiative.

“One of the entry points for me into public service and organizing was through the People’s Budget Review and really understanding the impact of the budget on community initiatives and how that can shape the direction of where we’re going,” said Council Member John Muhammad. “So, to see one of the ideas that we had for participatory budgeting come back in a new form is always appreciated.”

Residents also got to tell council members about other areas they want to see funded in the Fiscal Year 2025 budget. The topic that came up more than any other was the need for more programs for kids and teens.

Keesha Brundridge said there are programs available for young people in the city, but as the mother of a young son, she finds they’re aimed more at teens or don’t fit in with some parents’ schedules. 

“A lot of times, the hours is the thing, you know?” said Brundridge, a resident of the Childs Park neighborhood. “Like, I am an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.-er or 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and most programs are done by then.”

Brundridge was one of the members of the group Dream Defenders at the budget open house.

A number of members described the group as an organization that believes in safety. They said residents tell them affordable housing and youth programs are among the features that make neighborhoods feel safe. Several people with the group told council members they want more programs for young people included in the upcoming budget.

“Because a lot of youth crime is happening a lot because kids don’t know what to do, and so when they don’t have anything to occupy themselves with, they’re going to seek trouble in the community,” Brundridge said.

Dream Defenders wasn’t the only group with that message. University of South Florida students Nathan Tout-Puissant and Steven Duverge told council there’s a particular need in Childs Park.

“I have personal ties to it,” said Tout-Puissant, a junior at USF. “When I was younger, I unfortunately lost two cousins to things such as gun violence. My mom always pushed us in the sense of academia and always, when she could, put us in after-school programs. Unfortunately, my cousins were not afforded the same luxury.”

The two asked council to consider putting $4 million during a five-year period toward their Fund Our Futures after-school program. They said it will be based in Childs Park.

“There is a wealth of research that shows that after-school programs not only decrease crime, but also benefit academic performance, as well as socialization skills,” said Duverge, also in his third year at USF.

Mayor Ken Welch noted creating opportunities for youth is one of his "Pillars for Progress" for the city. Welch said his team is working on efforts similar to some of the ideas brought up at the open house, and that he wanted to hear more from Dream Defenders and about Fund Our Futures.

"Need to get those programs so we can look at it, see how much of that can tie into the funding that we already have," said Welch. "We are all about investing in the same thing that you all are talking about, getting our young folks, like we did with the Mayor's Future Ready Academy, get them into career opportunities, into training."

“Sounds like there are a couple of things we can do,” said Council Member Gina Driscoll. “Number one — look at the budget and see how we can fund it better and fund it in a way that really shows the commitment that we have to our younger residents.”

The deadline for the mayor to present his proposed budget is July 15.

Innovative Equity Project voting runs until June 12. Residents can learn more about the projects and make their choice online. Ballots can also be cast at pop-up displays from April 19 to June 12. Those locations are:

• Enoch D. Davis Center, 1111 18th Ave. S.
• J.W. Cate Recreation Center, 5801 22nd Ave. N.
• Sunshine Senior Center, 330 5th St. N.
• Willis S. Johns Recreation Center, 6635 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N.