By Ryan Paice and Kane Kaiman
Islander Reporters
Voters in Holmes Beach will get ballots that include a contest for Holmes Beach commission, but the race is in limbo leading up to Election Day.
Incumbent Commissioner Jayne Christenson announced Oct. 11 she was withdrawing, leaving Greg Kerchner and Daniel Diggins in the running for two seats.
Christenson’s term is expiring, as is that of incumbent Kim Rash, who did not seek reelection.
Christenson, as of Oct. 21, had not filed official paperwork to withdraw her candidacy. When she does, Kerchner and Diggins automatically win the two seats for two-year terms.
Who are they?
Greg Kerchner
Kerchner purchased property in Holmes Beach in 2014 and moved to the city in 2017, where he rented before construction on his home finished in 2018.
“I was in the race to win it, obviously, and now I’ve won it,” Kerchner said Oct. 13. “Unfortunately, it’s by default. The voters didn’t get a choice.”
“We live in a great democracy and it’d be good if the voters always had a choice. … It would sure be nice if going forward more residents on the island would want to get involved in city government and possibly run for office,” he added.
Kerchner said Sept. 30 that he worked as a process improvement engineer, using data to determine changes to maximize processes’ efficiency, for General Electric and Lockheed Martin.
He said his professional history gave him plenty of experience working with teams, which he said helped in his role as chair of the city’s planning commission since 2019.
During his time leading the board, the group revised the city’s comprehensive plan.
“I’ve enjoyed it and we’ve gotten a lot done,” Kerchner said. “From what I learned on the planning commission … I just thought I could step up my game a little bit and run for city commissioner.”
Kerchner’s campaign slogan is “Guiding growth and preserving paradise” because he views growth on the island as inevitable but said it does not need to negatively impact residents.
He added that he supports the city’s park-by-permit system and called on Manatee County to pursue additional parking from the other island cities, not just Holmes Beach.
He said he’d like the county to purchase island land to create additional parking.
Daniel Diggins
Diggins told The Islander Oct. 14 he was “quite surprised” Christenson dropped out of the race and disappointed about winning by default.
He said his top priority as an incoming commissioner is to repair the relationship between city and county government which has “gone sideways,” creating an unproductive and untenable situation.
He said Sept. 30 he has worked as a commercial pilot, aircraft controller and engineer, as well as investigated aircraft accidents out of Washington, D.C.
Diggins, who previously lived in Maryland and Virginia, spent time in Afghanistan advising the U.S. military on aviation matters.
While on home leave in 2010, Diggins visited Anna Maria Island at his stepdaughter’s recommendation and, soon after in 2011, he and his wife made the move to Holmes Beach.
Diggins challenged former Commissioner Marvin Grossman for appointment to a commission seat in 2016, when Grossman failed to qualify for reelection.
Grossman won reappointment over Diggins, who had not served in public office.
Diggins said he then worked as a contractor on a couple of overseas assignments in Afghanistan and Africa but decided in June to retire and spend more time with family.
“I’m just going to sit around and enjoy my grandbabies and enjoy golf,” he said.
Diggins said the decision also opened his schedule so he could become more involved on the city level.
He said, having witnessed “large government” spending in D.C., he’d like to reduce the millage rate in future fiscal years.
Diggins added that he supports the park-by-permit system but would push the city to better mark parking spaces and/or set up an application to notify people when spots are available.
Commissioners earn $7,819.92 annually.