District 6 City Council candidate Terri Balliet hosted her fifth fundraising event Jan. 21 in the race for the seat currently held by Gina Driscoll. The event drew supporters and endorsers to the Backstreets Capital office, which is owned and operated by Will Conroy and Craig Sher.
Among the hosts were business leaders Will Conroy and Jay Miller, both now endorsing Balliet. Miller previously served alongside Balliet on the board of Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS), where Balliet held the role of chief operating officer.
Miller credited Balliet with overseeing roughly half of the organization’s child welfare workload, managing hundreds of employees statewide and supervising a multi-million-dollar budget. That experience, he said, gives her a strong foundation for city leadership.
“She’s uniquely qualified to serve on city council,” Miller said. “She’s managed budgets and large organizations. What’s especially important is that she essentially created the CALL Program in St. Petersburg — a model that has since been replicated in other cities.”
Balliet launched the Community Assistance and Life Liaison (CALL) Program in partnership with the St. Petersburg Police Department following the killing of George Floyd. The program deploys trained social workers to respond to non-violent 911 calls. First introduced as a pilot in 2021, CALL was renewed again in 2023.
Since its inception, the program has responded to more than 19,000 calls without incident. In approximately 95% of those cases, no additional police assistance was required.
While overseeing CALL, Balliet worked closely with St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway. She said the collaboration shaped her approach to public safety reform and service delivery. Balliet has also expressed interest in expanding both CALL and PATH – Police Assisting the Homeless.
Currently serving as CEO of Children’s Network of Hillsborough County, one of Florida’s largest child welfare organizations, Balliet said the role has prepared her to navigate complex systems and advocate at the state level.
“This position has allowed me to work with challenging situations, diverse teams and large systems,” Balliet said. “It’s made me very comfortable in Tallahassee – pushing back on policy and advocating for what’s right for children and families.”
Balliet said her campaign is built around three core principles: communication, transparency and accountability. She pointed to the city’s $1.3 billion budget and noted that only 0.2% is allocated to communications.
“There’s a real opportunity to fund the communications department properly,” she said. “Especially during emergencies, residents need clear, timely information about what’s happening in their city.”
Balliet also highlighted food insecurity as a pressing issue in District 6, which includes the two ZIP codes most heavily impacted by food access challenges in the city. She said addressing the issue requires expanding partnerships beyond existing providers, including the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, which currently serves as a critical food distribution hub.
“We need more partners,” Balliet said. “If something happens to that clinic, we need others that can come in behind it. This has to be a resilient system.”
When asked why she’s running for City Council, Balliet was direct.
“Because I can, and because I should,” she said. “I grew up here. I’m an effective leader who listens, does the homework and operates ethically. I’d be honored to serve the people of St. Petersburg.”
In addition to endorsements from Miller and Conroy, Balliet has secured support from Jane Sher, longtime figures in local real estate, finance and philanthropy. Former Mayor Rick Kriseman endorsed her early in the race.
The fundraiser raised nearly $4,000, adding to Balliet’s financial edge over fellow candidates Linsay Grove and Jameka Williams.
Attendance also exceeded expectations. Balliet said she anticipated roughly 10 people but welcomed more than 30 supporters.
For Balliet, the event marked personal progress as well. In an interview with Poliverse, she said she’s growing more confident and refined in her message, fielding questions with ease and learning more about the concerns facing District 6 residents.
Her husband, Sergio Lopez, put it more bluntly.
“She was more assertive,” he said.
With five successful fundraising events, expanding endorsements and growing financial support, Balliet’s campaign is continuing to gain early traction in the District 6 race.
Content provided in promotional partnership with the Balliet campaign.