Vacant St. Pete City Council Seat To Be Filled

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — The St. Petersburg City Council has opened the application process to appoint a new council member to fill the District 7 vacancy, according to a news release from the city. This area spans a large portion of South St. Petersburg.

The seat has been vacant for a week, since Lisa Wheeler-Bowman resigned from the council after being accused of no longer living in District 7. She stepped down Sept. 16.

A former mayoral candidate, Vince Nowicki, emailed documents to city councilors at the start of their Sept. 16 meeting allegedly showing that Wheeler-Bowman no longer lived in District 7, according to St. Pete Catalyst.

In his email, Nowicki said that she used a Veterans Affairs loan to purchase a home in District 6 in July, reports said. The city charter requires council members to live in the districts they represent.

Nowicki also shared his accusations during a public comment portion of the meeting.

Wheeler-Bowman first took office in January 2016, according to Ballotpedia. Her recent term was set to end in January 2024.

The St. Petersburg native graduated from Boca Ciega High School before joining the U.S. Army.

In order to be considered for the District 7 seat, eligible applicants must submit required documentation by Oct. 3 at noon. Submissions must be hand delivered to the city clerk’s office at St. Petersburg City Hall at 175 5th St N.

Eligibility requirements, process information and application details can be found at here.

Under the city charter, the person appointed to the seat must have been a District 7 resident for at least 12 months and must remain a resident of the district throughout their time in office.