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District 4 offers similar hopefuls

The primary for the northeast section of the city features three candidates with comparable priorities.

By CARRIE JOHNSON
Published September 25, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - All three are women in their late 40s or early 50s. They all list public safety and affordable housing as two of the most pressing issues facing the city. Each has pledged to support neighborhood associations.

And they all want to be the next District 4 City Council member.

They will face off Tuesday in a primary that is expected to be close. Only two will go on to the citywide race Nov. 8.

Council member Virginia Littrell, 55, has held the seat since 2001. She said she thinks a lot of progress has been made throughout the city over the past four years and is urging voters to keep her in office to continue the work.

One of her highest priorities for the next four years is to find ways to counteract the lack of affordable housing. Littrell has also made fighting homelessness a top issue; she organized a series of meetings last year to discuss the problem.

Leslie Curran, 49, served eight years on the City Council before leaving in 1997 to run for mayor. She was defeated in the primary.

The owner of a small picture framing store, Curran said she would bring a business-savvy view to the council.

Curran was elected the YWCA's woman of the year and was the creator of First Night when she served on the council.

This is Kim Trombley's first run for political office. The 49-year-old property manager is an advocate of curbside recycling and would also like to see more community police officers.

Trombley is also asking for a "big box" ordinance, banning retail stores larger than 75,000 square feet from the city.

District 4 is in the northeast section of the city and includes part of downtown, Old Northeast, Crescent Lake and Allendale.

City Council members serve four-year terms and earn a yearly salary of $26,520.

Carrie Johnson can be reached at 727 892-2273 or cjohnson@sptimes.com

[Last modified September 25, 2005, 02:15:40]