There’s no village election in Cortez. No council, no mayor, not even a police chief.
The closest thing to a governmental body in the village is the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage — the nonprofit supporting the commercial fishing way of life in Cortez for 25 years. The village is unincorporated.
FISH elected six board members and three officers at its April 11 annual meeting.
FISH runs the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival, attracting tens of thousands of attendees each February, and oversees the 98-acre FISH Preserve undergoing habitat restoration, as well as a boatworks program. FISH also supports environmental causes and the Cortez Village Historical Society’s Cultural Center on the FISH Preserve.
The 2016 officers re-elected are:
· President Kim McVey, who manages Cortez Bait & Seafood in Cortez, for a fourth term.
· Vice president Deb Ibasfaelean, for a fourth term.
· Treasurer Mike Northfield, for a second term.
Attempts to fill the office of secretary for the 182-member organization were made but no one stepped forward for the job.
About the vacancy, McVey said, “We’ll work it out.”
FISH member and former Manatee County Commissioner Jane von Hahmann had stepped in to fill the spot after former FISH secretary and Manatee County Clerk Chip Shores died in July 2015. Von Hahmann declined to run for the office.
Re-elected as board members are Karen Bell, Ibasfaelean, Northfield and Rick Stewart.
Elected to first terms are Herman Kruegle and Cortez-based Fishing for Freedom of Manatee County president Mark Coarsey.
An almost unanimous vote approved new bylaws that created two new at-large positions. FISH member Allen Gardner was the only dissenter, speaking in favor of a diverse voting membership.
The new rules require two members from the Cortez Village Historical Society, one representing commercial fishing, two from the business community and 10 from FISH membership.
Switching from a voting to an ex-officio member was a Sea Grant Florida designee.
Sea Grant partners with the Florida Board of Education, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The other bylaw change comes with the elimination of a Manatee County Historical Commission designee on the board.
According to von Hahmann, when Shores died, his designee, Cathy Slusser, who’d been performing as the secretary, recommended removing the MCHC seat.
FISH member David Zaccagnino congratulated the group for its financial improvements, raising FISH’s bank balance to more than $245,000 from $5,000 six years ago.
Von Hahmann credited the financial stability of FISH to the success of its festivals.
FISH meets the first Monday of each month.
— Kathy Prucnell