Linsey Grove
Yes - I think an audit of this nature needs to have agreed upon guidelines before implementing to ensure expediency, transparency on cost, and purpose.
City Council, District 6
Questionnaire process
Sent 31/Aug/2026 · answers asked for by 10/Sep/2026.
Burg's Eye View sent the same seven questions to both candidates in this race and is publishing what came back in full, side by side and unedited. Both candidates answered, and both answered in writing.
The invitation said how the answers would be handled:
I publish responses verbatim. I fix my own typos, never yours. If I plan to add reporting or context around an answer, I will send you that context before it runs so you can respond to it. If you tell me a question is unclear or unfair, I want to hear that, and I will say so in print if you make a fair point.
Writing was not the only option offered. Each candidate could have answered out loud instead:
If writing is the wrong format for your schedule, I am glad to do this as a recorded phone or in-person interview and transcribe your answers instead. Same questions, same treatment. Your choice, and it takes about twenty minutes.
There were seven core questions, several of them asking for a yes or a no. On those, the invitation asked for more than the word:
Where a question asks for a yes or a no, a yes or a no plus your reasoning is the most useful thing for readers. If your honest answer is "it depends," say so and tell me what it depends on.
The questionnaire itself repeated the point at the top of the page each candidate filled in:
Where a question asks for a yes or a no, please state “yes” or “no”, and explain if you would like to provide more detail.
Not answering would have been reported rather than passed over in silence:
If a candidate does not respond by September 10, the published piece will note that the questions were sent on August 31 and that no response was received by the deadline.
Both candidates returned the questionnaire on time.
Every indented passage above is quoted from the invitation email sent to both candidates, except the one that is marked as coming from the questionnaire document itself. The questions, and this note, are Burg's Eye View's own words. Everything printed under a candidate's name is that candidate's own, exactly as it was sent.
The candidates
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Answered the questionnaire.
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Answered the questionnaire.
2 of 2 candidates answered.
Listed alphabetically by surname.
1 Council oversight of the administration
St. Petersburg has a strong mayor form of government. The City Auditor sits within the administration, and the mayor's office approves the annual audit work plan before audits begin.
1a Yes or no: should City Council be able to direct an audit, at any time, of any city department or office, including the mayor's office, without needing the administration's approval to start it or to release the findings?
Trevor Mallory
Yes. City Council has an important oversight responsibility. If Council believes an audit of a department or office is warranted, it should be able to initiate that review independently. Any information that is legally confidential or exempt would still need to remain protected.
1b Yes or no: If City Council currently doesn’t have this audit authority, would you consider an ordinance or charter amendment to expand council’s audit authority?
Linsey Grove
Yes - Again, I think we would need to be very clear on the limits of the authority, purpose, and frequency.
Trevor Mallory
See a.
1c If you would not support expanding council's audit authority, explain what you believe is a sufficient check on the administration today.
Linsey Grove
No response
Trevor Mallory
See a.
2 Public records and access to city data
2a Should council members be able to review records the public cannot access, such as draft audit workpapers or investigation files, in a confidential setting, so that oversight does not stop where a public records exemption begins? What limits would you put on that access?
Linsey Grove
Yes, as long as personal information and data protected under HIPAA and other privacy laws are not included.
Trevor Mallory
Yes. Council members should be able to review information necessary to carry out legitimate oversight responsibilities, even when that information cannot be released publicly. Access should be limited to official city business, handled through a secure process, and comply with all confidentiality requirements and advice from the City Attorney.
3 Spending transparency
3a Yes or no: should purchasing card statements and their supporting receipts be retained and made available to the public without a fee?
Linsey Grove
Yes
Trevor Mallory
Yes. Purchasing card statements and supporting receipts should be retained and easily available to the public, with any information protected by law appropriately redacted.
3b Yes or no: should justifications for purchases be provided with every purchase to show what was purchased and why/for what event?
Linsey Grove
Yes - This is standard practice for many government agencies. For budget line items, there may be multiple purchases under that “category” but typically, they have to meet the purchasing and procurement criteria for that funding source.
Trevor Mallory
Yes. There should be a clear business purpose associated with city purchases so residents can understand how public dollars are being used.
4 Neighborhood plans
4a Yes or no: should every adopted neighborhood plan carry a published implementation schedule, a funded budget line, and an annual public progress report against it?
Linsey Grove
Ideally, yes. We know that finding extra dollars to support this is hard and will be even harder if Amendment 3 is passed.
Trevor Mallory
Yes. When the city adopts a neighborhood plan, residents should be able to see how the city intends to move it forward. I support having an implementation schedule, identified funding needs, and regular public updates. Some timelines and funding will need to change as circumstances change, and those updates should also be transparent.
4b Yes or no: should every neighborhood plan be codified to ensure the plan is fully implemented? Context: there is concern developers can ignore neighborhood plans because they have no legal standing unless they are codified.
Linsey Grove
No - My only concern with codifying a neighborhood plan is limiting flexibility to address changing needs of residents. Many neighborhood plans aren't updated for 10, sometimes 20, years–a lot can happen in a decade. Additionally, without consistent engagement from the neighborhood association, it's hard to go through the planning process to then implement the plan and have a continuous feedback loop with the city to ensure that real world contexts are being considered during implementation. I would love to see more support for neighborhood association capacity building and sustainability to strengthen things like the neighborhood plan creation and implementation.
Trevor Mallory
No. I do not think every part of every neighborhood plan should automatically be written into law. Neighborhood plans can contain a wide range of goals and recommendations, some of which may need additional study, funding, or public review before becoming binding policy. Where a specific recommendation should be codified, Council should consider it through the normal public process.
5 Staying in tune with the community
5a What is your plan for reaching people who are not engaged due to being disenfranchised? How will you support them into partaking in the democratic process?
Linsey Grove
I would like to host more meetings virtually, hybrid, or in-person in places that provide childcare. Additionally, it's important for council members to go to others’ meetings rather than expecting people to come to theirs. I'm also open to ideas!
Trevor Mallory
Being present is the first step. I plan to hold meetings in neighborhoods throughout the district, attend community events, and meet people where they are rather than expecting everyone to come to City Hall. We also need to communicate in ways that are accessible and make sure residents know how to contact the city, follow an issue, and have their concerns heard. When someone reaches out, they deserve follow-up.
6 Council’s duties
6a What is the one change to how council operates that you would like to make in your first six months?
Linsey Grove
I think that we need to provide more info and data about the programs, services, and activities we're engaged in for the public. I'd love to see data dashboards and more media where we're explaining what we're working on and why.
Trevor Mallory
I would like to create clearer public follow-through on issues raised by Council and residents. When Council asks for information or the city commits to addressing a concern, residents should be able to see what happened next and where that issue stands.
7 Ethics and conflicts
7a Yes or no: should council members publish potential conflicts of interest due to meetings, donations, and/or conversations from/with lobbyists, developers, and applicants who have business before council? Context: the current requirement is limited and vague about when disclosure is necessary.
Linsey Grove
Yes
Trevor Mallory
Yes. Residents should know about potential conflicts involving matters that come before Council. I would support a clear and consistent disclosure process for relevant relationships, meetings, contributions, or communications involving parties with business before the city, while making sure the rules distinguish genuine potential conflicts from routine conversations with residents and stakeholders.