Good morning! Welcome to Citizen Beach, the free local newsletter that highlights the best news and stories in the Gulf Beaches of southern Pinellas County — St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, and Gulfport!
This week’s highlights: We have another pearl of wisdom from local hero and happiness proponent, Gary King. Also, can Florida homesteaders stop renting their homes from the government? A major push from Gov. DeSantis. Finally, we cover the sleepy small town that’s become the focus of several news reports, as calls for the resignation of two City Commissioners grow, and we find a citizenry in open rebellion.
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In Today's Email:
In the News This Week
This week, it’s all about the drama ongoing in a once sleepy little town on the Gulf.
Treasure Island drama continues as commissioner responds to Facebook post controversy (WTSP)
Turmoil plagues Treasure Island City Council (Fox 13)
New developments in the Treasure Island commissioner's turmoil (WTSP)
Treasure Island continues talks to increase height and density options for hotels, motels (Fox 13)
Treasure Island residents push back against proposed Thunderbird Hotel expansion (WTSP)
Treasure Island leaders revise building height plan (Spectrum News)
Happiness Beach
The Politics of Unhappiness: How Emotional Poverty Is Destroying Society
By Gary King, Author of The Happiness Experiment
Gary King: Mr. Happiness
The Hidden Epidemic
For over 35 years, I’ve studied psychology, trauma, and human behavior through the lens of The Happiness Experiment. I’ve spoken with politicians, CEOs, veterans, teachers, students, and homeless individuals. Despite their vastly different lives, they all share one thing in common: they are experimenting with happiness—and most are failing. Unhappiness, not politics or economics, is the real epidemic of our time. It fuels division, addiction, suicide, homelessness, and even war. We have built entire systems on the illusion that external achievement can replace inner peace.
Read More Here: https://citizenbeach.beehiiv.com/p/politics-of-unhappiness
Community Beach
Building strong communities empowers individuals, enhances the quality of our lives, and fosters a just society.
Breaking Waves: Property Tax Relief on the Horizon for Our Coastal Communities?
Picture your morning coffee with Gulf breezes, free from the weight of a $4,000–$6,000 property tax bill that hits St. Pete Beach homesteaders hard—especially retirees and families grappling with soaring insurance costs. For a new waterfront home topping $1.2 million, that bill could skyrocket to $15,000–$20,000 a year, or more. Governor Ron DeSantis is making waves with a bold plan to eliminate property taxes on homesteads, calling them a "piggy bank" for local governments. |
City Beach
Turmoil in Treasure Island: Commissioners Face Mounting Calls to Resign Amid Leadership Crisis
In the sun-soaked coastal haven of Treasure Island, Florida—home to pristine beaches, resilient families, and a tight-knit community still piecing itself back together after the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton—the political waters have turned stormy.
Nearly a year after the storms battered the barrier island, residents are grappling not just with delayed rebuilds and FEMA red tape, but with a deepening crisis at City Hall. Two city commissioners are at the center of escalating controversies, sparking widespread calls for their resignations and amplifying divisions that threaten the very fabric of local governance.
As recovery efforts falter, a growing chorus of voices—including newly formed advocacy groups like Women of Treasure Island—is demanding accountability and a return to collaborative leadership.
Read More Here: https://citizenbeach.beehiiv.com/p/turmoil-in-treasure-island
Thank you!
Thank you for reading! Please send your comments, questions, and article ideas to The Tortuga.
