Bradenton Beach voters cast their ballots Nov. 8 for change.
They approved four out of five amendments to the city charter — the document that defines the organization and powers for the municipality.
Most significantly, voters approved Amendment 4, which eliminated term limits for elected officials.
Prior to the change, the charter restricted elected officeholders to three consecutive two-year terms.
Voters retained term limits in 2016, 2018 and 2021 but they approved Amendment 4 retroactive to June 16.
The vote means Commissioner Marilyn Maro, who qualified for reelection with no opposition but faced being termed out if Amendment 4 failed, will keep her seat.
Maro has served as Ward 2 commissioner for three consecutive terms. She was appointed to a two-year term in 2016 and elected in 2018 and in 2020. Now she will serve a fourth term.
Currently most of the city’s elected officials would be at or near their term limits under the old charter and some have served longer than six years due to past decisions, such as ward elimination, redistricting in 2017-18, as well as partial term appointments and nonconsecutive terms.
John Chappie has been mayor since 2017 and his current two-year term expires in November 2023. Without the elimination of term limits, Chappie would likely not be able to run for the office again in 2023.
“The people have made the decision and it’s why we have the elections,” Chappie said in a Nov. 9 interview.
Jacob “Jake” Spooner has served four two-year terms as Ward 1 commissioner, with elections in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021.
Spooner said in 2021 that changes to the ward map allowed him a reset on his term limit.
Spooner now can run for a fifth term in 2023.
Commissioner Ralph Cole, who also ran uncontested in the 2022 election, has served three nonconsecutive terms. He was elected in 2015 in Ward 3, appointed to a one-year term in 2017, elected in 2018 and again in 2020.
Cole lost his race for reelection in 2017 but was appointed to fill the seat left vacant after Chappie won the mayor’s seat.
Commissioner Jan Vosburgh has served as commissioner for Ward 4 four times, with terms beginning in 2010, 2012 and 2014 and, after terming out, again in 2019. She was elected in 2021 from Ward 3.
“I’m thrilled that it passed,” Vosburgh said. “Long overdue. It’s very difficult to get people to serve.”
Noting that Chappie would have termed out in 2023 without the change, Vosburgh told The Islander, “It would be very difficult to get anyone as dedicated as John. Bradenton Beach is lucky to have him.”
Bradenton Beach commissioners are paid $400 per month and the mayor is paid $800 monthly.
There are 683 registered voters in Bradenton Beach.
BB ballots by the numbers
2022 turnout
Registered voters: 683
Vote by mail: 219
Early voting: 49
Election Day: 226
2020 turnout
Registered voters: 756
Vote by mail: 301
Early voting: 100
Election Day: 203
2018 turnout
Registered voters: 739
Vote by mail: 235
Early voting: 64
Election Day: 255