Based on the latest survey from St. Pete Polls, Bill Foster should be feeling pretty confident heading into the mayoral primary in three weeks, something that wasn't being said earlier this summer as his race for re-election was getting started. The poll shows him up five points over Rick Kriseman and eight over Kathleen Ford.
Fresh off a meeting with the Tampa Bay Times editorial board where he made a 180 and said he would grant the Rays' wish to speak to Tampa about a possible new stadium — an issue that never came up at the debate — Foster was in control for much of the 45-minute forum at the Roberts Recreation Center in north St. Pete on Monday night.
On the issue of community policing, Foster appeared to be smirking as he listened to his opponents describe what it is, and why it should come back to the city.
This article appears in Aug 1-7, 2013.