“I consider myself not to be in politics, but community service.”
Al Johnson
New England native Al Johnson has served as St. Pete Beach mayor for five years. He’s in an important position, but he’s also extremely accessible to residents. On the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, Johnson holds open office hours before commission meetings. He says it’s a chance to get community ideas he can then present to commissioners in a timely manner.
In this edition of The Gabber’s Seven Questions, we ask the Pinellas mayor his thoughts on upcoming projects, and what he would like to see next.
TG: What was the move to the Sunshine State like?
AJ: I moved to Tampa on a job transfer 42 years ago. It was a huge culture shock, seeing as I grew up in Massachusetts and worked in upstate New York. Let me put it this way, If I wanted to go skiing, I’d get on an airplane. I love it here.
How did you get into city government?
I got involved with St. Pete Beach City Hall with my late wife in 2004. I was on the Finance and Budget Committee and the mayor at the time asked me to run for mayor. I gave it a lot of thought, and I didn’t see anyone who I would trust for the job. So I said ‘Heck, I have the support.’ I’ve been mayor for five years now.
Did you enjoy running for mayor?
“I really disliked asking for money. Last time around, I ran unopposed so I immediately shut down my campaign.”
Mayor Al Johnson.
St. Pete Beach Public Library, via Facebook
What have you done for St. Pete Beach in your last five years of service?
We’re gradually getting our sewer system out of a hole. A few city managers ago, St. Pete Beach didn’t invest in maintaining the sewer system. Taxes were low because no one wanted to invest in maintenance. I do want to invest. Also the digitalization of our parking. I can find a spot on the beach from miles away.
What else would you like to see change in your city?
I’d like to see us complete our expansion of the free electronic trolley service. It would work in the balance of being a nice little Gulf Beach town and an international travel destination.
What do you think of the upcoming SunRunner project?
Initially, I was against it. A large bus on Gulf Boulevard every 15 minutes is a lot. But we negotiated, and there will only be three stops on the island. I’d like to consider the same tactics that Key West has, and have a good public transit system to connect us to St. Pete. But, we’re not a big island, so we have to adjust.
Why did you decide to start your open office program?
Well, before me, the interim mayor had a Coffee and Cookies event on Thursday afternoons. But no one could come on a work day. I wanted people to be able to catch me, and I wanted to be accessible to anyone and talk to people who maybe didn’t want to stand up at a council meeting. If something ups up at an open office, I can bring it up at a city meeting very fast.
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