Rent Control Referendum Nixed By St. Pete City Council

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Voters in St. Petersburg won’t see a rent control referendum on the ballot this fall, after all.

Despite the St. Pete City Council recently advancing a public hearing on a rent stabilization referendum in hopes of submitting it for the Nov. 8 ballot by the Aug. 16 deadline, councilors voted 5-3 at a special meeting Thursday to quash discussions on the topic, according to multiple reports.

Councilors initially voted 4-3 at their Aug. 4 meeting to pass a resolution moving the conversation forward.

Thursday’s council decision followed hours of public comment and dozens of speakers, most calling for rent control in the city, and an overnight demonstration in front of city hall. Over the past year, rent prices have increased by 25 percent in St. Petersburg, WFTS reported.

One speaker, who said she’s recently been displaced from her home, said, “This city has turned into a tourist town, and it doesn’t even care about the people who have worked, who have maintained, who have helped build this city.”

Some councilors were concerned that putting a rent control referendum on the ballot could open up the city to legal and financial risks.

The city’s legal department warned them Florida law has specific rent control procedures requiring the council to pass an ordinance, rather than a resolution, on the issue, the Tampa Bay Times reported. An ordinance would require two public hearings before approving the referendum for a public vote, meaning the city didn’t have enough time by the Aug. 16 deadline.

Gina Driscoll, the council chair, voted against the referendum and said she felt there were better methods for creating affordable housing in the city, WFLA reported.

“It would be incredibly difficult to create a rent control situation that would not draw a class action lawsuit,” she said.

Councilor Ed Montanari said of rent control, according to Fox 13, "I believe when the government puts price controls on things it creates shortages. To me, it’s going to exacerbate the problem that we have, not solve the problem.”

Councilor Deborah Figgs-Sanders proposed sending the issue to the city’s Youth and Family Services Committee, but this failed in a 3-5 vote, according to Creative Loafing.

“As city council continues to turn their backs on the people in times of crisis, tenants become more (and) more emboldened and militant,” the St. Pete Tenants Union wrote in an Instagram post. “After (four) hours of emotional public testimony demanding council allow VOTERS to decide on RENT CONTROL, (five) council members cast their votes to derail the democratic process in order to protect their deep-pocketed corporate donors. If they think this is going to shut us up, they’ve got another thing coming.”