As voting begins, St. Petersburg mayoral rivals spar over campaign ad
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Supporters of Charlie Crist (left) and Ken Welch are trading blows in St. Petersburg's mayoral race. Photos: Octavio Jones/Getty Images
The battle between the two likely frontrunners for St. Petersburg mayor is getting spicy.
Why it matters: Vote-by-mail is underway for the Aug. 19 primary that features six mayoral candidates, including incumbent Ken Welch and former Gov. and U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist.
State of play: A political committee supporting Crist this week revised an ad the Welch campaign said contained false claims about the property tax rate and City Hall spending.
- It's the latest attack in a race that has seen its share of mud-slinging, particularly between supporters of the mayor and the former governor.
Friction point: The original ad, released Monday, featured Crist saying, "You can't afford a house. They're raising property taxes. You're struggling to get by. They tripled their spending four years in a row."
- Welch's team sent a letter to the ad distributor saying the video contained false information and demanding it stop airing it "unless those claims can be substantiated," per a campaign news release.
By the numbers: While City Council members ultimately approve the budget, the city under Welch cut the tax rate three years in a row, although homeowners may have paid more due to higher property values.
- And while City Hall spending has increased most years, it hasn't even come close to tripling, per city budget documents.
The latest: Within hours, the Tampa Bay Times reported, the original ad, called "Know," was shifted to private on YouTube.
- A new, nearly identical video, titled "Knowing," now appears on the YouTube page for St. Pete Shines, the committee supporting Crist.
- Instead of "raising property taxes," Crist says city leaders "want to raise property taxes." Instead of "tripled spending four years in a row," he says they "increased their spending three years in a row."
Context: Next fiscal year's proposed budget calls for maintaining the current tax rate of about $6.45 for every $1,000 of assessed, taxable value.
- However, city leaders are planning to ask voters in November to approve an additional property tax to pay for drainage and sewer system upgrades.
What they're saying: "This isn't tough campaigning," Welch campaign adviser Adrienne Bogen said in a statement. "It's a deliberate attempt to mislead St. Petersburg voters."
The other side: St. Pete Shines chairperson Michelle Todd Schorsch did not return Axios' requests for comment, including a question asking how Crist arrived at the numbers in the original ad.
- Todd Schorsch told the Times she didn't receive Welch's letter and said she revised the ad "to sharpen our message."