Ken Welch

Kenneth T. Welch (born August 15, 1964) is an American politician serving as mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida. A member of the Democratic Party, Welch served on the county commission of Pinellas County, Florida. Welch is the city's first African-American mayor.

Early life and education
Welch was born August 15, 1964, in St. Petersburg, Florida. His father, David, is a former member of the St. Petersburg city council and founded an accounting company, where Ken worked. Welch, a third-generation St. Petersburg resident, grew up in the Gas Plant District, which was repurposed to build Tropicana Field.

Welch attended Melrose and Bay Point Elementary, Bay Point Middle School, and Lakewood Senior High School. He later attended University of South Florida where he studied accounting and received his bachelor's degree. He received his Master of Business Administration from Florida A&M University.

Career
After college, Welch returned to St. Petersburg as an accountant for Florida Power Corporation. He also served as Technology Manager for his father's small accounting firm. After years of community service, Ken became the first Commissioner elected to represent County Commission District 7 in St. Petersburg, only the second African American commissioner in the history of Pinellas County. He served on the county commission for 20 years. The Tampa Bay Times criticized him in 2018 for lobbying on behalf of his wife after she was fired from a publicly funded faith-based reading program. Questions were raised over expenditures she made on behalf of the organization.

Mayoralty
Welch ran for mayor of St. Petersburg in the 2021 election. He defeated Robert Blackmon in the general election on November 2, and was sworn in to the role on January 6, 2022. He announced the cancellation of a previous request for proposals (RFP) for the Tropicana Field site where the Tampa Bay Rays play. Welch said a new RFP would include a stadium for the Rays and affordable housing.

Welch increased the amount of down payment assistance the city offered individuals that are first-time home buyers from $40,000 to $60,000.

Citing what he considered to be an insufficient amount affordable housing in the project's plans, Welch canceled approval of a redevelopment of city-owned land which had been approved prior to his mayoralty. The cancelled project would have included residential development, a hotel, and a treatment clinic operated by the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute.

Welch established a $500 monthly stipend for lower-paid municipal employees whose positions hold residency requirements. Approximately 250 employees were eligible at the time this was implemented.

Welch advocated that the city to study the impact of Albert Whitted Airport. Decommissioning the airport for recreation or development use has been proposed multiple times, dating back to 1935. The notion of reassessing the airport proved controversial among those who support retaining the airport.

Personal life
Welch and his wife, Donna, have two daughters.