Deadline To Fill Vacant City Council Seat Extended: St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — After Hurricane Ian devastated Florida last week, the deadline for filling the vacant St. Petersburg City Council seat in District 7 has been extended, according to a city news release.

Those interested in the position have until Friday at 5 p.m. to submit the required documentation. Applications should be hand delivered to the city clerk’s office in St. Petersburg City Hall.

The seat has been vacant since mid-September, when Lisa Wheeler-Bowman resigned from the council after being accused of no longer living in the district. 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.

• Stay up-to-date by viewing all Hurricane Ian coverage on Patch here.

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.

He 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.

• Also Read: Hurricane Ian: 100 Deaths, Debate Over Evacuations, 581K With No Power

The city began accepting submissions to fill the District 7 vacancy on Sept. 23 with an initial deadline of Oct. 3.

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.