ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The nation’s longest-running Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. parade will keep its city funding for 2025, but concerns about state scrutiny loomed large during Thursday’s St. Petersburg City Council meeting.

Big picture view:

Council members voted to maintain the parade’s $230,000 budget – $150,000 for parade operations and $80,000 for a marquee band.

The conversation was tied to a contract for a new parade organizer, but it comes at a time when the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is preparing to audit the city’s finances next week.

Local perspective:

For many residents, the parade is a treasured tradition honoring Dr. King’s legacy. St. Pete resident Amber Woods said her family rarely misses it.

"I have five girls. They go almost every year,"

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