Anna Maria set for 1st election contest in 7 years
By Ryan Paice
Islander Reporter
A former chair of the Anna Maria City Commission will square off with its current chair for the municipality’s mayoral post in November.
Mayor Dan Murphy did not seek reelection, so his fifth two-year term will end this December and cap off a decade of service.
In his stead, former Commission Chair Brian Seymour and current Commission Chair Mark Short qualified with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office by the June 14 deadline — sparking the city’s first race since 2017.
Seymour owns the Anna Maria General Store, 503 Pine Ave., and operates the City Pier Grill and Bait Shop on a city contract at the Anna Maria City Pier.
He has also served on the city commission. He was first elected to the board in 2016, became chair in 2018 and served in that role until he resigned in August 2019, citing personal reasons.
Short is a retired accountant and originally a member of the city’s 2019 charter review committee. He was appointed to the city commission later the same year and reelected without opposition in 2020 and 2022.
Short became chair of the city commission in 2022 and remains in that role.
In the meantime, this year’s charter review committee chair, Christopher Arendt, qualified for Short’s seat.
Commissioner Gary McMullen was appointed by commissioners in January to serve the remainder of a term expiring in December. He qualified as an incumbent and saw no opposition.
Since Arendt and McMullen were the only candidates for the two available commission seats, they will serve two-year terms.
As of June 14, Short’s $500 contribution to his mayoral campaign was the only contribution or expenditure among all four candidates, according to the SEO’s website.
The Anna Maria mayor earns a $19,600 annual salary, while commissioners receive $4,800 a year.
Both offices are two-year terms.
There were 836 registered voters in Anna Maria as of May 31, according to the SEO.
No contest in Bradenton Beach, new commissioner
By Robert Anderson
Islander Reporter
There’s a “Bear” on the run.
Bradenton Beach’s Ward 2 seat will have a new commissioner in November. Scott Bear, a civil engineer and Bradenton Beach resident for the past two years was the only person to qualify for the ballot in the Nov. 5 city election.
Scott said his decision to run stemmed from a desire to advocate for the Ward 2 community, particularly on issues of home rule and stormwater resiliency.
He’ll automatically take the seat held by Marilyn Maro, who did not seek to qualify with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office. The deadline for qualification was noon June 14.
Despite efforts to reach Maro through city staff, The Islander has no current phone number for Maro and she could not be reached for comment.
She most recently was sworn into her seat in 2022 and is serving her fourth two-year term. However, she has been absent from all but 11 commission meetings this year.
Usually, two seats are up for election each cycle in Bradenton Beach.
However, due to ward boundary modifications, Commissioner Ralph Cole will keep his seat until 2025. The ward changes were implemented by the commission in February and they granted Cole an additional year on the commission.
Bradenton Beach commissioners receive an annual salary of $4,800.
While there will not be a municipal election on the Nov. 5 ballot, Bradenton Beach voters will go to the polls for county, state and federal contests.
Bradenton Beach voters also will head to the polls for the primary elections Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Bradenton Beach had 596 registered voters as of May 31, according to the SEO.
The deadline to register to vote in the primary is July 22 and for the general election is Oct. 7.
Holmes Beach election sparks 2 races for 3 seats
By Ryan Paice
Islander Reporter
There is no shortage this year of Holmes Beach residents hoping to participate in city government.
Six candidates qualified by the June 14 deadline with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office to run for mayor and two city commission seats in the upcoming city election.
Two candidates will square off for the mayor’s seat, incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth and political newcomer Michael “Mike” Ross.
Titsworth — granddaughter of the city’s namesake John Holmes Sr. — was elected as mayor in 2018 and reelected without opposition in 2020 and 2022.
Roth spent 34 years in continuous active service in the U.S. Army and the Florida Army National Guard.
He currently works as the West Florida area executive and corporate group manager for City National Bank.
Both candidates have reported campaign contributions and expenditures to the SEO.
Titsworth has reported a $1,000 contribution to herself and a $3 expense for temporary checks at a local bank.
Roth has reported $2,834.83 in campaign contributions, the bulk of which is from three checks, including $1,000 and $500 checks from Holmes Beach residents John Reed and Thomas Rushmore, respectively, as well as a $1,000 check from Tampa businessman James Hugs.
Other contributions include $214.83 from himself, $50 from both Marjorie and Richard Motzer, as well as $20 from Clearwater resident Randy Kane.
Roth also reported $377.06 in expenditures through May 31, including the costs of checks, door hangers and a website.
Also, four candidates qualified to compete for two spots on the city commission that are currently held by Dan Diggins and Greg Kerchner.
While Kerchner did not seek reelection, Diggins — who was elected to the commission in 2022 — qualified to run for a second term on the board.
Diggins may be the only incumbent in the race for two seats, but he will not be competing against newcomers.
All three of the other candidates have experience on the city’s dais.
Carol Whitmore, a former city commissioner and mayor, as well as a former county commissioner, qualified to run.
Planning commissioner Steven Oelfke and Clean Water Committee member Bill Romberger also qualified to run.
Diggins is the only commission candidate to report contributions or expenditures to the SEO as of June 14, having reported a $200 donation to his own campaign.
Residents will be able to vote for their picks on the Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Holmes Beach mayors earn a $28,160 annual salary.
Commissioners receive an $8,080 annual salary.
Both offices have two-year terms.
There were 2,440 registered voters in Holmes Beach as of May 31, according to the SEO.