Questions kept coming up.
And some answers were provided.
Social media has been critical of one candidate in the Holmes Beach commission race, questioning the legitimacy of the candidate as a resident.
In October, the newspaper learned that the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s Office was looking into a discrepancy in the Holmes Beach residence of candidate Jayne Christenson and a vacation rental license at the same address.
In an Oct. 26 email, Faith Danke, supervisor of exemptions with the county PAO, wrote to Holmes Beach code compliance officer Kim Charron, noting a discrepancy for the single-family residence at 132 49th St. that is listed as a duplex in the city’s vacation rental licensing program.
Christenson co-owns the property — with a $50,000 homestead deduction — with her mother, Sally Owen.
Danke sought information on when the property status was changed to a duplex and if the city had received any updated plans and permits.
Charron told The Islander Oct. 30 that the city could not locate any recent permits or plans.
Christenson said Oct. 30 that the property has been zoned duplex for 31 years and only the portion of the home where her family resides is homesteaded.
Christenson said she has operated a one-bedroom, one-bathroom rental in an area of her house since her mother joined the family in the main residence.
Upon a review of PAO records, The Islander confirmed about 550 square feet of the home is exempted from the homestead property.
“I spoke with the county when we decided to rent,” Christenson said. “Everything was done correctly.”
Scott Tussing at the PAO said Nov. 2 that his office knew of Christenson’s intent to rent a unit since 2016, but they were awaiting confirmation from the city that the home has two segregated units.
“We just need to make sure our data matches,” Tussing said.
A source at city hall, however, said they are looking into the legal division required for the city to consider the property a duplex — and the city prohibits Airbnb-style rentals within a home.
A June 23 screenshot of the VRBO.com property listing —provided to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity — showed a description of the property and stated, “the owners are seldom at this property.” The statement eluding to the owners’ absence was later removed from the listing.
Christenson said she traveled often for work, which resulted in her absence but, she added, that changed when the pandemic hit and the VRBO listing was edited.
“I usually travel about 50% of the time for my job,” she said Oct. 30.
While residency is not defined in the Holmes Beach charter, to qualify as a candidate for office in Holmes Beach, Christenson must have resided at the house in Holmes Beach for two years from the date of qualifying to run.
Christenson co-owns with her husband, Joe, a four-bedroom single-family residence in Bradenton that was purchased in 2016.
Christenson told The Islander, “The (Bradenton) property is an investment, which many people have. We have the right to own more than one home. This doesn’t mean I don’t live on the island.”
Christenson is challenging incumbent Commissioners Kim Rash and Pat Morton and former Commissioner Rich Hurst for two-year terms in the Nov. 3 race that will seat the best two vote-getters.