Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Pinellas County's 2026 point-in-time count found 1,949 people experiencing homelessness, up 5%, with the unsheltered population jumping 18% to 635 as agencies report more families and seniors losing housing for the first time.
Local Government
The Pinellas County School Board voted 6-1 on Oct. 13 to close six schools, including Clearwater's Kings Highway Elementary, while a last-minute addition of Sunset Hills Elementary to the restructuring plan drew protests and a walkout from Tarpon Springs parents.
Local Government
Local Government
Local Government
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna pushed a ban on congressional stock trading at the RNC's first midterm convention in Dallas, while her Democratic challenger Leela Gray campaigned locally and accused Luna of ignoring cost-of-living issues facing FL-13 voters.
Local Government
A study commissioned by Clearwater-based BayCare Health System finds the health system generates $5.1 billion annually for the Pinellas County economy, with $6.6 billion in capital projects planned through 2030.
Local Government
Pinellas County Utilities will switch Clearwater's water disinfection from chloramine to chlorine from Sept. 21 through Oct. 10, which may change the taste and smell of tap water but poses no health risk to the general population.
Local Government
Pinellas County Utilities customers will pay higher water, sewer and reclaimed water rates starting Oct. 1 under the third year of a four-year rate plan the Board of County Commissioners approved in 2023, though two county web pages list different base-rate figures.
Local Government
Sam Wilson and Mark Bunker will face off Nov. 3 for Clearwater City Council Seat 5, a race shaped by debate over the Church of Scientology's expanding downtown footprint and a grassroots petition drive over the South Garden Avenue street vacation.
Local Government
A St. Petersburg coalition launched a petition to create a city-owned electric utility, contrasting with Clearwater's unanimous vote to renew its 30-year Duke Energy franchise agreement.
Local Government
Duke Energy Florida filed with the Florida Public Service Commission on Sept. 3 to lower residential rates by $0.71 per month starting in January 2027, replacing a planned 2% base rate increase through an accelerated tax-credit strategy worth $50 million.
Local Government
A Pinellas County tourism council member floated rebuilding demolished fishing piers using tourist-tax dollars, and Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector highlighted Pier 60 as evidence of what iconic waterfront access means to the county.
Local Government
FEMA is preparing updated flood insurance rate maps for Clearwater's Alligator Creek watershed that could change insurance requirements for property owners across 3,452 acres of eastern Clearwater; the city has scheduled open houses starting Sept. 12.
Local Government
Pinellas County's tourist development tax collections are on pace for a record year at $79.8 million through June, but whether that revenue can help close a $30 million budget deficit hinges on Amendment 3's fate in November and potential legislative action to loosen spending restrictions.
Local Government
Commissioner Dave Eggers asked staff on Aug. 25 to draft a resolution restating that large-scale data centers are not allowed in unincorporated Pinellas County, sidestepping a state law that blocks moratoriums until Oct. 1, 2027.
Local Government
The BayCare Sound in downtown Clearwater will host MorFlow Fest on Sept. 12, headlined by Mersiv, and Tapesgiving on Nov. 27-28, the venue's first two-night event headlined by Tape B with G Jones.
©2026 Clearwater Sentinel
Powered by Surround Sound Media