Five Holmes Beach candidates qualified for the race to fill three city commission seats up for election in the Nov. 8 city balloting.
Incumbent Commissioners Pat Morton, David Zaccagnino and Al Robinson will face off with Jean Peelen and Andy Sheridan in the city election.
Morton, who will be seeking his fifth consecutive term as commissioner, said the people of Holmes Beach must believe he has done a good job by re-electing him and he wants to continue that tradition.
“I enjoy serving the people. I am a people-minded person and always willing to listen and help,” Morton said.
Zaccagnino is seeking his fourth term as a commissioner because he wants to continue the positive direction of the city. He said he believes his record shows he’s been doing a good job.
“I think I’ve been recognized for doing a lot of good and I want to continue to work for the citizens of Holmes Beach,” he said.
Robinson is running for his second term, and said he’s again campaigning for “lower taxes” as he did when he ran for election in 2009.
He said he’s running for re-election because “I want to continue working towards lower taxes, cost-cutting measures and a more efficient city, while keeping the beautiful ambiance of Holmes Beach.”
Peelen, who was unsuccessful in her 2010 bid for election to the commission, said she’s seeking office primarily because she is concerned that “the welfare and quality of life in Holmes Beach is no longer the No. 1 concern of the commission. Tourism seems more important.”
She has concerns that growth and construction may not address environmental issues and she wants to help “preserve this beautiful island.”
Sheridan said he would issue a brief statement on his reasons for seeking office later. He too failed in a previous campaign for election to the commission.
Holmes Beach city commissioners are elected for two-year terms, with three seats up for election in odd-numbered years, and two commission seats and the office of mayor elected in even-numbered years.
The monthly salary for a Holmes Beach commissioner was increased several years ago from $400 to $500, while the mayor’s earnings went from $800 to $1,000 monthly.
SIDEBAR
Voter registration
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 11.
Voter registration forms are available at several Island locations, including The Islander newspaper, 5404 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. Registration may also be done online at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office at www.votemanatee.com.
Persons voting by absentee ballot have until Nov. 2 to request a ballot from the elections office. All absentee ballots must be received at the elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8, for those votes to be counted in the election.