Bradenton’s Beach’s qualifying period for the Nov. 7 municipal election ended Sept. 1 and the races are on for mayor and commission.
Vice Mayor/Ward 4 Commissioner John Chappie is challenging Mayor Bill Shearon for his seat.
Two commission seats are up for re-election, but there only is a contest in Ward 3.
Ward 3 Commissioner Ralph Cole and Ward 1 Commissioner Jake Spooner will come to the end of their first two-year terms in November and, by Election Day, Mayor Bill Shearon will have served his first two-year term. He previously was elected to a two-year term as mayor in 2013, but a recall vote halted that term after a year and a half.
Mayoral race
Chappie — a former Manatee County commissioner, as well as former mayor and commissioner in Bradenton Beach — is challenging Shearon. Chappie has filed “resign-to-run” paperwork for his city commission seat, which keeps him in office until the election.
The Ward 4 seat will be filled by commission appointment following the election, whether Chappie wins or not.
A former city commissioner, Shearon was elected to his first mayoral term in November 2013. He oversaw the reconstruction of the Historic Bridge Street Pier in his partial term, which was halted by a recall vote in May 2015. He was re-elected in November 2015.
Shearon’s goal is to continue working to improve the flow of communication between city officials and staff.
“Through having more workshops with staff before we take issues to a vote, we save time and taxpayers’ dollars,” Shearon said. “If re-elected, I would work to make it mandatory that any resolution or ordinance would first be discussed in a workshop setting.”
Additionally, Shearon cited the work he’s accomplished taking the city’s budget out of the red and into the black for the first time in several years.
“When I came in as mayor, there was a material weakness. For years before that we were running in a deficit budget,” Shearon said. “I’m proud of the fact that I’ve worked with the staff and commissioners as a team to fix it. Now, after three years, we have a balanced budget. That to me is a major accomplishment.”
Chappie said he hopes to encourage the residents to trust the commission.
“Right now, there are major concerns with trust in government,” Chappie said Aug. 22. “I take the time to listen. And, when you do that, it opens up opportunities for better ideas and communication.”
Ward 3 commission contest
Cole will face off in the citywide vote against Ward 3 resident T. Randy White.
“I’m excited for everything we have been doing, and want to be here to keep it going strong,” Cole said. “We have accomplished a lot, but we still have more to do.”
First-time-candidate White is a commercial pilot and a full-time resident of Bradenton Beach since 2013. In a Sept. 2 email to The Islander, White wrote he is running “to ensure decisions at city hall are first and foremost for the residents’ best interests, and by the residents, not by decree.”
Additionally, he wrote, “I’m concerned about the direction Bradenton Beach seems to be headed with planning and development, which I believe favors commercial interests over those of the residents. I’m concerned about the present and future effects this trend will have on residents and on the unique nature and character of Bradenton Beach.”
Spooner is uncontested for his Ward 1 seat and will automatically be returned to office.
“I truly feel privileged to serve the city of Bradenton Beach for another two years,” Spooner said Sept. 1. “We have been working on a lot of important issues and I look forward to being there when they come to fruition. I also look forward to facing the challenges ahead.”
The final day to register to vote is Oct. 10. The city election will be Nov. 7.
Of 755 registered voters in Bradenton Beach, 600 people voted in the November 2016 general election.