Stage set for March elections
By KATHY FERGUSON
Article published on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005  |
SEMINOLE – Three City Council seats will be up for grabs in the March 14, 2006, election race.
To prepare for that election, contenders are watching the calendar, as the qualifying period for potential candidates starts Tuesday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. and continues through Monday, Dec. 19, 4 p.m.
To qualify, candidates must either pay $100 and gather no support petitions or pay $74.62 and round-up 40 petitions.
In keeping with transitional changes approved in the city’s charter, councilor’s terms are gradually being increased from two to three years. In the upcoming election, the top two vote getters will get three-year terms while the lowest vote getter will serve a two-year term. These seats are considered at-large, and the candidate must have been a Seminole resident for one year.
Legislative seats currently belong to Vice Mayor John Counts, Councilor Bob Matthews and Councilor Janet Long. In the 2004 election, all three candidates were unopposed, and the election was canceled.
Down the road, the departure of Mayor Dottie Reeder from Seminole to run for Pinellas County House of Representatives will no doubt complicate the legislative process. Reeder’s term in Seminole isn’t up until March 2007.
Once Reeder’s mayoral resignation is effective in November 2006, another mayor will need to be appointed, probably from the council. That move could potentially open up a seat for another council member appointment.
“We won’t be holding a special election for the mayor’s seat,” said Lesley DeMuth, city clerk.
Candidate packages are available from DeMuth at City Hall located at 9199 113th St. N. For more information about qualifying requirements, call DeMuth at 391-0204, ext. 102.
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Article published on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005
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