Election qualifying week closed at noon June 24, leaving the Holmes Beach municipal race a cakewalk for two of the three incumbents.
At the close of the qualifying period, incumbents — Mayor Bob Johnson and Commissioner Judy Titsworth — were the only qualifiers. Without challengers, they are automatically elected to two-year terms that begin in November.
Commissioner Marvin Grossman did not qualify to be on the ballot. He apparently failed to open a campaign account to pay his qualifying fees, and instead paid by personal check. In order to qualify as a candidate, a person must pay the qualifying fees from a campaign bank account.
City Clerk Stacey Johnston said June 27 she called the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office to verify the qualification rules.
Grossman will continue as a commissioner until his term expires in November.
This will be Johnson’s second term as mayor. Titsworth will begin her third term as commissioner.
After the Nov. 8 election date and swearing in for Johnson and Titsworth, the commission will appoint someone — Grossman or another applicant — to serve until the 2017 municipal election.
The 2017 election would be for a commissioner to serve the one-year remainder of the two-year term vacated by Grossman.
Holmes Beach voters will still go to the polls in August and November to vote for candidates for other offices and legislative measures.
— Kristin Swain