ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg City Council member resigned Thursday after she was accused of not living in the district she was representing.
Any council member not living in the district is a violation of the city charter, which is what Lisa Wheeler-Bowman, who represented District 7, was accused of doing.
Vince Nowicki, who ran for mayor in the past, was at the council meeting Thursday to discuss the accusations toward Wheeler-Bowman. During the three minutes he could talk, Nowicki said he sent an email to the city clerk along with the city attorney.
After not receiving a response, he decided to read the email out during the meeting.
Nowicki stated how back on July 12, Wheeler-Bowman purchased a house in District 6 with a Veterans Affairs loan, which stipulated the home will be her primary residence.
And according to city charter, "any councilmember who does not remain a resident of the declared district during the councilmember’s term of office shall be immediately removed from office by the city council following the procedures..." Nowicki read.
"I encourage the city council along with the city attorney to promptly remove [Wheeler-Bowman] from office per the Charter," he said during the meeting.
Nowicki continued on calling the matter malfeasance and gross conduct of office.
"I definitely urge this council…to investigate this matter right away per the Charter…," he concluded.
Following the conclusion of the whole meeting hours later, Wheeler-Bowman sent her resignation letter in an email to the City Council administrative officer.
“You are aware I recently purchased a home outside of my district. I was not aware of the residence requirement that was in the huge stack of mortgage documents that were given to me at closing,” the resignation letter read, in part.
“Because of this requirement, I will be moving my residence to that location. Even though I purchased the house in July it was always my intent to live in my district until the end of my term.
She continued on writing she was submitting her resignation as council member effective immediately.
“It has been an honor to serve my community," she wrote.
Wheeler-Bowman represented District 7 since being elected in 2015. She was only in her second term which would've ended in 2024.
Watch Nowicki speak during the Thursday meeting here. (1:04:21)