Author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time.”
Jack Clarke and Bill Shearon, Bradenton Beach’s current and former mayors, have their sights on the Nov. 3 election. While Shearon wants to regain the mayoral position he lost in a recall election, Clarke hopes to retain it.
Shearon achieved his goal of being elected mayor of Bradenton Beach in 2013, but then was recalled based on what he maintains were unsubstantiated claims that he violated Florida’s Government-in-the-Sunshine Laws. No charges were made against him.
Now Shearon is back. He always intended to run again in November, regardless of the outcome of the May 19 recall election.
Meanwhile, Clarke said in 2013 that being mayor was not his goal, when he ran unopposed for the Ward 1 commission seat. He later said that due to his dissatisfaction with the mayor’s administration, he felt compelled to challenge Shearon, first with a forfeiture of office effort and later in the recall.
Clarke has changed more than the paint on the walls of commission chambers and the order of seating on the dais. He promoted the city clerk and demoted the city treasurer position.
What would be his goals for a new term?
Both candidates will have ample opportunities to answer questions before the election. One venue will be a League of Women Voters of Manatee County candidate forum in collaboration with the island newspapers scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, at city hall, 107 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach.
Shearon said his goals and objectives have not changed since he upended incumbent Mayor John Shaughnessy by 17 votes in November 2013.
Shearon cites several reasons for his rematch campaign, including:
He is against deficit spending. At the local level, he is opposed to dipping into reserves to balance the budget.
He favors separation of departments, physically and financially. He said two years ago some employees worked for multiple departments, which created confusion. He was working to have employees be more accountable, but the recall halted his efforts.
Shearon also opposes the commingling of department funds.
Also, he says that two years ago he ran on transparency, “having the commission totally involved with things.
“We had extra meetings, we had three- and four-hour meetings. But the concept was we discussed things in the open, in the public forum,” he said. “Now there is no discussion.”
Clarke refused to comment when asked Sept. 3 for his goals for his first two-year term as mayor, should he win Nov. 3. He has not returned calls from The Islander since he was sworn in as mayor June 1.