As Bradenton Beach gears up for the upcoming election, a fresh face has entered the race.
Scott Bear is in the running for the Ward 2 seat. But will there be a contest in November?
Marilyn Maro, in her fourth two-year term after being reelected in 2022, has had no response to The Islander about her candidacy.
However, city clerk Terri Sanclemente, in a June 5 email to The Islander, wrote, “We have spoken with Marilyn and she stated that she is interested and will reach back out to us after making her decision.”
The Islander has no current phone number or clear indication of the status of Maro, who has not declared the nature of the reason why she does not attend meetings.
She has missed the majority of the city commission and community redevelopment agency meetings since January.
Meanwhile, the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office showed Scott Bear as “active — filed” for the seat.
Originally from Pennsylvania, Bear has called Bradenton Beach home for 12 years and became a full-time resident two years ago.
He cited concerns about home rule and stormwater resiliency as reasons for his candidacy.
The qualifying window was to open at noon Monday, June 10, and closes at noon Friday, June 14.
This year, due to ward boundary and numbering changes approved by the commission in February, only the Ward 2 commission seat is up for grabs. Ralph Cole, whose seat would normally be up for election this year, was granted another year in office due to the rotation.
Excluding one city block between Avenues C and B, from 25th Street North to 24th Street North, Ward 2 begins at the intersection of 25th Street North and extends south to the southern property line of the La Costa condominiums. It is bordered on the east and west by Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
City commissioners receive $400 a month.
Bradenton Beach has 592 registered voters as of May 31, according to the SEO.
For more information about candidacy requirements or the election go online to the SEO website, at votemanatee.com.