By Tomas Gomez
Islander Reporter
The U.S. Postal Service is making some special deliveries in Bradenton Beach.
The Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office told The Islander the week ending Oct. 2 that 301 mail-in ballots were sent to Bradenton Beach voters ahead of the Nov. 2 election.
Residents on the mailing list can cast their votes early for mayor, choosing between incumbent John Chappie and challenger David Galuszka.
The last time Chappie faced an election opponent was as the challenger to then-Mayor Bill Shearon in 2017, a race Chappie won by 77 votes. The SEO said 145 of 729 eligible voters opted for vote-by-mail in that election, while 242 voted at the polls on Election Day. Mail accounted for more than one-third of the ballots cast.
In 2019, Chappie won reelection after running unopposed.
This time around, with 301 mail-in requests fulfilled by SEO as of Sept. 28, vote-by-mail is still going strong as an option for a significant portion of voters.
Also on the ballot is a referendum on the extension of a special millage for the Manatee County School District and a proposed amendment to the Bradenton Beach charter.
Amendment 1 to the city charter would terminate term limits.
Currently, elected officials in Bradenton Beach can serve three consecutive two-year terms.
If the amendment is approved, elected representatives could continue to seek reelection every two years if they choose to stay in office with no cap on how many terms they can serve.
A similar proposal was made in 2018 but was rejected by voters.
Amendment 1 was approved for the ballot by city commissioners in a 3-1 vote May 6.
Commissioner Ralph Cole opposed the motion.
Chappie has suggested that ending term limits would be beneficial because of the difficulty in finding residents willing to hold office.
If reelected, Chappie would term out as mayor in 2023 unless the amendment is voted down.
He was first elected in 1997 to the commission and then won the mayor’s office in 2001.
He reached the term limit as mayor in 2007 and was elected to the county board of commissioners in 2008, but resigned mid-term in 2011 and returned to the city commission. After terming out as commissioner, he won office again as mayor in 2017.
Bradenton Beach is the only island city with term limits for elected officials.
Chappie and Galuszka did not respond to emails or phone calls for comments Sept. 30.
The deadline to request a mail-in ballot from the supervisor of elections is 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23.
