Three Holmes Beach commission seats — held by Commissioners Steve Oelfke, Terry Schaefer and Carol Soustek — will be up for grabs on Nov. 4.
The three incumbents have announced they will seek reelection as the window to qualify with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office nears.
People must qualify with the SEO between noon Monday, Aug. 25, and noon Friday, Aug. 29 — in order to run for elected office in the city of Holmes Beach.
Oelfke was appointed to the commission in February to serve the remainder of Pat Morton’s term. He previously served as a full member of the planning commission, from December 2022 until he became a city commissioner.
Oelfke wrote in an Aug. 8 email to The Islander that he plans to qualify with the SEO for a bid at reelection.
Schaefer was first elected to the board in 2019 and was reelected with opposition in 2021, then reelected again without opposition in 2023.
He told The Islander Aug. 8 that he also plans to run for reelection in November.
“I’ve been at it six years and we’ve done a lot and faced a lot,” Schaefer said. “I feel good about where we are based on the challenges we’ve had over the past 2-3 years. … I’m really proud of our city.”
Soustek is the longest-tenured member of the city commission. She was first appointed to the board in November 2014 to serve the remainder of David Zaccagnino’s term. Soustek has since been reelected..
She told The Islander Aug. 10 that she would run for reelection this November. She said she wanted to see through the city’s full recovery from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and do anything she can from the dais to help residents and property owners.
All three commissioners’ terms expire in November.
Holmes Beach city commissioners are currently paid a $8,080 annual salary, with yearly salaries increased based on cost-of-living adjustments.
This year’s election will be 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4.
The deadline to register to vote this year is Monday, Oct. 6.
Vote-by-mail ballots must be requested by 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, and returned by 7 p.m. Nov. 4, Election Day.
For election info, visit votemanatee.org.