ST. PETERSBURG, Florida. – There will be two new faces on Saint-Pierre Municipal council after Tuesday’s elections.

Corey Givens, Jr. and Mike Harting will be sworn in as council members in January.

They will have to guide the city as it rebuilds after two of the most devastating storms the city has ever experienced.

READ: St. Pete parks damaged, nearly a dozen playgrounds remain closed after hurricanes

Both are lifelong St. Pete residents and could never have imagined they would be joining the council at such a critical time.

“You know, for most of us, we’ve never been through a natural disaster like this. It’s a learning curve for a lot of us. We’re going to have to roll up our sleeves and literally get our hands dirty and get our hands dirty We may need to do some work We need to realign some priorities and redirect some dollars in our budget to really meet our needs and not necessarily meet our wants,” said. Givens, financial planner and minister.

FOX 13 spoke with him at the children’s park recreation center where he grew up attending after-school daycare.

Corey Givens, Jr. will be sworn in as a member of the St. Pete City Council in January.

“For a long time, a community that I represent has felt neglected,” he said.

Harting, owner of Three Daughters Brewing, presented a platform on the topic of infrastructure, which is arguably even more critical after Helene And Milton.

“After this type of devastating traumatic episode, I think you will clearly start to see the city come back to our core competencies,” he said.

Mike Harting will be sworn in as a St. Pete City Council member in January.

He’s focused on the budget after the storm.

“How can we look differently at this pile of money that we call the budget and refocus our priorities to ensure that if this storm comes next year or five years from now, we are much better prepared to deal with it” , he declared.

We also asked them if they thought the city should pay to repair Tropicana Field.

Drone footage of roofless Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton.

Harting said he would need more information.

“Can they revive the Trop? And if they can, what is that associated cost? And once you understand that cost, how much will come from insurance? And how much will have to come from citizens? So I I I don’t have an answer, I can’t wait to find out more, but it’s both complex and emotional,” he said.

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On Wednesday, the council voted in favor of a study at the Trop, meaning the final decision could be up to the new council.

“Well, I don’t need a study to tell me what I can see clearly. We’re not blind, common sense will tell you that it doesn’t make sense to keep putting money in this endless money pit like Tropicana Field is going to be bulldozed and rebuilt in two years. So let’s find them another temporary home and put that money elsewhere,” Givens said.

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