With Bradenton Beach Commissioner Jan Vosburgh’s term ending and no candidates for her Ward 4 post in the Nov. 4 election, officials, based on the city charter, will fill the seat by appointment.
Meanwhile, Mayor John Chappie and Commissioners Ralph Cole and Debbie Scaccianoce will retain their seats after qualifying for reelection without competition.
The lack of a contest means Bradenton Beach voters will not head to the polls on Election Day.
Vosburgh, who has lived in Bradenton Beach since 2003 and has served on the commission for 11 years, will serve until a replacement is chosen, according to temporary city attorney Robert Lincoln.
“My understanding of the law is that she will remain in the seat until you go through the process of appointing a replacement,” Lincoln told commissioners Oct. 23. “Normally, under Florida law, you don’t leave office until somebody replaces you.”
However, Lincoln recommended the matter be reviewed by newly hired interim city attorney Erica Augello once she begins her six-month term.
“It’s something that Ms. Augello and her firm may have more direct experience with,” he said.
Under the city charter, vacancies on the dais are filled by appointment rather than by special election. So the city will seek applicants from Ward 4 and then vote for a successor, who would serve until the next regularly scheduled election.
If no one from Ward 4 — which is the south end of the city to just south of Bridge Street — steps forward, the commission will make an at-large appointment.
City Clerk Terri Sanclemente said she planned to contact Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Scott Farrington about procedure.
The approaching vacancy comes amid a shrinking electorate, with the city’s registered voters dropping from 596 in May 2024 to 483 in October, according to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections.