Meet Kathleen Peters

Kathleen Peters was elected to the Pinellas County Commission in 2018, and re-elected without opposition in 2022. As your Pinellas County Commissioner, Kathleen has been a strong voice for residents, businesses and our local economy. She was the only Commissioner to oppose raising taxes in 2021, and opposes the proposed gas tax increase. Because of Kathleen's leadership, Pinellas County is moving closer to creating a coordinated access model for mental illness and addiction, a true "no wrong door" approach for those who need help. Kathleen fought to keep Bunces Pass open to boaters, and has supported the acquisition of critical environmental lands for conservation purposes. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kathleen assisted local business by working with law enforcement and Tallahassee to allow them to operate.

Kathleen moved to Pinellas County in 1985. She received her BA degree from Eckerd College majoring in Human Development. Prior to serving on the County Commission, she represented District 69 (southwest Pinellas) in the Florida House of Representatives, where she served on the Commerce Committee, Ways & Means, and the Government Operations and Technology Appropriations Subcommittee, and chaired the Energy and Utilities Committee.

In the Legislature she secured funding to establish the Center of Excellence for Orthotics and Prosthetics at St. Petersburg College, won funding for local beach re-nourishment, reduced taxes for apartment and condominium owners, and passed boater-safety legislation named for a local teen lost in a boating accident. She also led the "Who Knew?" campaign on homelessness. Earlier, she worked at the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County and at the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, where her award-winning YMCA Youth Enhancement Skills Program was presented at a 2004 Congressional Briefing.

Away from public service, Kathleen is a proud wife, mother of four sons, and grandmother of eight who has called Pinellas County home for more than 40 years. A former small-business owner, she keeps her family and her core principles at the forefront of every decision she makes as an elected official.