Pinellas voters returned Republican Commissioner Kathleen Peters for a third Commission term Nov. 3.

Peters’ District 2, a single member “coast to coast” district connecting the Gulf Beaches across central Pinellas to Eastern St. Petersburg, gave her 55% of the vote to challenger David Glenn Jr.’s 45%.

She previously gained 60% of the vote in 2018 and avoided a challenge altogether in 2022.

Peters campaigned on her economic stewardship of Pinellas, opposition to data center proposals in the unincorporated part of the County, and mental health, on which she’s been a leader since her 2012 election to the Florida State House.

“I’m very grateful to the electorate for showing their confidence in me,” Peters told Poliverse. “I’m very happy.”

Similar to Republican State Senator Nick DiCeglie, who was narrowly re-elected despite vastly outspending his challenger, she called for a course correction, saying the election was both “a blue wave, and also a red revolt.”

“Two years ago, there was a statement that [voters] cared about the economy, and they cared about safety,” declared Peters. “And I think what happened in this election is a message saying that we voted one way because we wanted these things and we’re not getting it.”

Peters went on to note that while she felt Pinellas had been “very conservative” in its own budget, the difficult economy was affecting everyone. She pointed to a succession of cuts to the millage rate as home values ballooned. She noted that some municipalities were less frugal.

Now, thanks to Amendment 3, which will increase the non-school homestead exemptions for Florida homeowners to $150,000 of taxable value in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 and as a consequence decimate municipal budgets, all will have to make cuts

“We need to do a better job at helping people make ends meet – at making things more affordable,” she explained.

She said her focus post-Amendment 3 was ensuring the operation of “core functions of government”: water; sewer; public safety; infrastructure, including roads and beaches; and solid waste.

Anything that did not fall into those areas – “quality of life” expenditures such as libraries, parks, and the arts – would have to face streamlining, she added.

“That is going to be hard to make decisions on, but that’s going to be what’s going to happen.”

Municipalities across Pinellas have considered special fees to offset cuts stemming from Amendment 3; Peters confirmed that while these have not yet been discussed at the county level, she was going to look for opportunities to ensure core functions remained undisrupted.

She highlighted Pinellas County’s EMS Fund, which covers ambulances and fire rescue. As it is a separate millage from the County’s General Fund, the EMS Fund will also require reductions, even though it supports public safety. As it stands, the EMS Fund faces a 28% hit from Amendment 3 in Year 1 and 40% in Year 2.

“Right now in Pinellas County we have the best EMS system in the country,” she said. “If you have a heart attack in Pinellas County, you have a very good chance of survival, because our response time is 4 ½ minutes.

“If we lose 40%, that means if you have a heart attack in Pinellas County after that budget cut, with a 10 or 15 minute average response time… your likelihood of survival is significantly diminished.

“That is a big public safety issue.”

Peters confirmed there were areas where efficiencies could and would be achieved in the first year after Amendment 3, and noted that the Commission would have to work with other constitutional offices supported by the General Fund, including the Sheriff, County Attorney and Public Defender, Supervisor of Elections and other offices. She noted they had worked collaboratively thus far to identify potential savings across these offices.

Ultimately, though, the county’s residents made their voices clear – and Peters’ priority in the new term would be to preserve services where she could while respecting those voices.

“[Floridians] passed Amendment 3: That was a very loud statement that they want less government, and they want less taxes,” said Peters. “It’s our job now to meet those expectations.”