Cathy Harrelson Announces Candidacy for St. Pete City Council District 3
St. Pete - Today, Cathy Harrelson announced her bid for the open seat in City Council District 3. Harrelson’s campaign is underway with an active volunteer corps that is raising money, knocking on doors in the district, and kicking off sign waving rallies. Her volunteers are excited about her candidacy because she is a strong environmental leader, and also a financial professional who lends special credibility to helping solve budget woes facing the city.
“I came to St. Petersburg nearly 30 years ago to make a better life. I joined the world of financial services, but I knew that a better life would require more than a home and career. It also meant I had to help improve the community around me,” reports Harrelson, on why she is running for office.
As St. Petersburg faces 14 million in budget cuts, and even more cuts coming in January, Harrelson is the only candidate with a professional financial background in municipal finance and investment management. She has been a financial professional for over 25 years. She currently uses her financial expertise to assist the elderly and people with disabilities.
Harrelson has been a resident of Shore Acres for over 25 years, where she raised her son Dylan. She was a Little League Team Mom and played tennis with the St. Petersburg Tennis League since 1981.
Harrelson is known for being a strong environmental leader. She is immediate past Chair of the local Suncoast Sierra Club, and because of her leadership, she was selected to join the Environmental Science Forum. This advisory board makes recommendations on important county wide environmental issues to the county staff and Board of County Commissioners of Pinellas County.
Harrelson says, “My passion remains public service. Not as a politician, but as a thoughtful planner and policy maker for people like you and me. Our biggest challenge is to protect our quality of life and the gains our neighborhoods have made the past few years. We have to look at smart growth and smart planning to make good business decisions and to protect our environment and way of life as our city and county populations grow.”
