Melissa Rutland

Expand workforce training that responds to local employers’ needs and creates pathways to good-paying jobs here in Pinellas.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Protect the Pinellas creative economy that supports jobs in arts and culture.

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We can keep Pinellas thriving by striking the right balance between welcoming progress and preserving what makes our community such a special place to live. It means supporting small businesses, attracting companies that create high-paying jobs, and building a plentiful workforce of skilled workers. It also means ensuring children are reading at grade level by third grade and that our schools and workforce-training programs prepare people for successful careers. And we must fight to ensure clean water, a resilient coast, and infrastructure our residents can depend on.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Strengthening Education Give every child a strong start, with early-reading support so kids are reading at grade level by third grade. Fully fund public schools, with top pay and the best training for teachers to serve our students well. Back parents with real choices and have real accountability.

melissarutland.com · Sources

A proven problem-solver who turns ideas into delivered results. Helped bring the Speer YMCA and Mangrove Bay Middle School partnership to life (serving about 500 students), landed a neighborhood Whole Foods, and closed the first project in Pinellas under the Live Local Act, bringing more workforce housing to our community.

melissarutland.com · Sources

We can keep Pinellas thriving by striking the right balance between welcoming progress and preserving what makes our community such a special place to live. It means supporting small businesses, attracting companies that create high-paying jobs, and building a plentiful workforce of skilled workers. It also means ensuring children are reading at grade level by third grade and that our schools and workforce-training programs prepare people for successful careers. And we must fight to ensure clean water, a resilient coast, and infrastructure our residents can depend on.

melissarutland.com · Sources

End the Corruption and Restore Accountability Hold elected officials to a clear standard: public office is a public trust, never a path to personal gain. Ban elected officials from using insider information to get rich at the public’s expense. Require full disclosure when politicians do business with developers.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Protect the Pinellas Way of Life Support thoughtful growth that respects the character and scale of our neighborhoods and puts the people who already live here first. Ensure land-use decisions are grounded in the community and guided by local insight to protect our waterfront, parks, and arts culture that make Pinellas special.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Smart Infrastructure Modernize stormwater, drainage, roads, and utilities so neighborhoods are more resilient. Prepare for the next 100 years instead of reacting to the last storm.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Clean Water, Resilient Coast Protect Tampa Bay and our beaches with real investment in clean water and modern stormwater. Build a coast that stands up to the next storm for future generations. Preserve the parks and waterfront that make Pinellas our home.

melissarutland.com · Sources

We can keep Pinellas thriving by striking the right balance between welcoming progress and preserving what makes our community such a special place to live. It means supporting small businesses, attracting companies that create high-paying jobs, and building a plentiful workforce of skilled workers. It also means ensuring children are reading at grade level by third grade and that our schools and workforce-training programs prepare people for successful careers. And we must fight to ensure clean water, a resilient coast, and infrastructure our residents can depend on.

melissarutland.com · Sources

She helped bring the Speer YMCA and Mangrove Bay Middle School partnership to life, worked for years to land a neighborhood grocery, and led the first project in Pinellas County to close under the Live Local Act — giving her firsthand experience with the tools that make attainable housing possible.

melissarutland.com · Sources

A proven problem-solver who turns ideas into delivered results. Helped bring the Speer YMCA and Mangrove Bay Middle School partnership to life (serving about 500 students), landed a neighborhood Whole Foods, and closed the first project in Pinellas under the Live Local Act, bringing more workforce housing to our community.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Help for Struggling Families Stand with the neighbors still struggling to get back into their homes after the latest storms, and cut through the delays that keep families out of their own houses. Hold insurance companies accountable for excessive rate increases and crack down on the fraud that drives up premiums. Work to bring new insurance companies to Pinellas and increase competition to bring down premiums. Deliver real property-tax relief so no family gets priced out of a home over a tax bill. Address the permitting delays and red tape at every level of government to reduce the cost of homes and apartments built in Pinellas.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Protect the Pinellas Way of Life Support thoughtful growth that respects the character and scale of our neighborhoods and puts the people who already live here first. Ensure land-use decisions are grounded in the community and guided by local insight to protect our waterfront, parks, and arts culture that make Pinellas special.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Smart Infrastructure Modernize stormwater, drainage, roads, and utilities so neighborhoods are more resilient. Prepare for the next 100 years instead of reacting to the last storm.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Clean Water, Resilient Coast Protect Tampa Bay and our beaches with real investment in clean water and modern stormwater. Build a coast that stands up to the next storm for future generations. Preserve the parks and waterfront that make Pinellas our home.

melissarutland.com · Sources

We can keep Pinellas thriving by striking the right balance between welcoming progress and preserving what makes our community such a special place to live. It means supporting small businesses, attracting companies that create high-paying jobs, and building a plentiful workforce of skilled workers. It also means ensuring children are reading at grade level by third grade and that our schools and workforce-training programs prepare people for successful careers. And we must fight to ensure clean water, a resilient coast, and infrastructure our residents can depend on.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Support the audits and transparency to show taxpayers where every dollar goes.

melissarutland.com · Sources

Help for Struggling Families Stand with the neighbors still struggling to get back into their homes after the latest storms, and cut through the delays that keep families out of their own houses. Hold insurance companies accountable for excessive rate increases and crack down on the fraud that drives up premiums. Work to bring new insurance companies to Pinellas and increase competition to bring down premiums. Deliver real property-tax relief so no family gets priced out of a home over a tax bill. Address the permitting delays and red tape at every level of government to reduce the cost of homes and apartments built in Pinellas.

melissarutland.com · Sources