Bill Foster talks about his first year as St. Petersburg's mayor

ST. PETERSBURG — Bill Foster told about 150 attendees at Wednesday's Suncoast Tiger Bay luncheon that his first year as mayor has been a "glorious ride, satisfying fun."

But he also spent much of his speech, which resembled an abbreviated "State of the City" address, telling the crowd at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club about how hard it was to oversee a city of about 250,000. He said his 10 years on the City Council didn't prepare him for what it would be like as mayor.

"This past year was pretty intense; it's not like anything I expected," Foster said. "I didn't expect being under the microscope. The scrutiny. Your life isn't your own."

Even weekend trips to Publix, Lowe's or Home Depot turned into impromptu meetings with residents, Foster said. He said he welcomes such interactions, and emphasized that his regularly scheduled events like "Breakfast with the Mayor" and "Mayor's Night Out," where residents can meet with him individually, are meant to encourage such one-on-one access.

But Foster pointed out that his commitment comes at a price. For instance, at social gatherings and official functions, where everyone else is scarfing appetizers and draining cocktails and wine, Foster said he abstains.

"If you see me at social gatherings, I don't eat or drink," said Foster, who quickly added that he does eat and drink, just not at the gatherings.

The point of such sacrifice, he said, is so that people have complete access to him while they talk to him. He also takes calls at all hours of the day. He has instructed his fire and police chiefs to call him in cases of large fires and homicides. When a water main broke in Pinellas County late last month, he gave his city's water utility the go-ahead to help out during a call he took while having dinner with his family.

"You are never off," Foster said.

He also took questions from the audience, which is customary during the political club's luncheons.

Foster was grilled about the Pier (he doesn't support a referendum on whether to demolish it), what his biggest challenge is (the homeless), recycling (he wants to keep it voluntary), school vouchers (he supports them as long as they don't take money out of current public school budgets), and the budget (it continues to shrink, with an estimated $8 million deficit expected this year, smaller than last year's $12 million hole).

Foster drew laughs for his self-deprecating humor and applause for the new homeless shelter, which opens today. Many in the audience gave the speech raves, saying it hit on all the right points.

But state Rep. Rick Kriseman said Foster could have braced the crowd better for the upcoming legislative session, which is expected to slash government spending and force local governments to pick up the difference.

"This session could be devastating for the city," said Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg. "I would have loved for the mayor to have said that because how else are people going to know that this is happening and for them to do something about it?"