Three things you can do without leaving your kitchen.
Civic engagement is record-keeping with eye contact. The county doesn’t count posts. It counts calls, emails, sign-in sheets, and signatures. Here is what to do this week.
The decisions are local. The calendar is small. The people in the room win.
The Pinellas County Commission, the Pinellas County School Board, and the seven city commissions in our service area make roughly 1,400 binding votes per year. The average meeting has fewer than ten public commenters. Every one of those rooms has a sign-in sheet. The sheet is the work.
Call a county commissioner.
Pinellas County Commission votes Thursday on the short-term-rental cap renewal. Call your commissioner, give your name, give your zip code, vote yes. We have a script.
Call NowEmail the school board.
The August 18 candidate forum schedule is being set this Friday. Email the chair and request public Q&A time for residents. Copy our draft, swap in your name.
Email NowShow up to the monthly meeting.
First Tuesday, 6 PM, Coastal Community Hall. Agenda is published Sunday. Free childcare. Spanish interpretation. The sign-in sheet is the work.
RSVPFive questions we get every Tuesday.
Do I have to be a registered voter to take action?
No. You can call, write, attend meetings, sign petitions (if a US resident), and volunteer regardless of voter status. To vote on the ballot itself, yes — see our Voter Resources page.
I am uncomfortable on the phone. Is calling actually the best thing I can do?
Yes, when there is a live vote. Staff log calls by zip code and tally them for the commissioner before the vote. A 90-second call from your zip code is worth more than a 600-word email from out of district.
Can I bring my kids to a meeting?
Yes. Free childcare is provided at every monthly meeting. We have a dedicated room with a coordinator and two volunteers. Spanish interpretation is also booked for every meeting.
Is the coalition partisan?
We are non-partisan in the legal sense (501(c)(4)) but we are explicit about our values: democratic participation, voting rights, public records, public schools, and local accountability. Candidates of any party are welcome at our vetting forums.
How is the coalition funded?
Individual donations from members, mostly under $50. We do not accept corporate PAC dollars. Our 990 is published every March. Treasurer reports are read aloud at every monthly meeting.
Don’t walk away.
Pick one action above. Set a reminder. Do it before Friday. Then tell one neighbor you did it.
Join the Coalition