Voters in St. Pete Beach and Indian Rocks Beach decided to make a change at the top March 10 during Pinellas County municipal elections.<\/p>\n
Those races were among the highlights of races for posts on city councils and commissions around the county.<\/p>\n
Of the 58,059 registered voters, 15,222 cast their ballots for a 26.2% turnout.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a look at some of the races, including several along the gulf beaches.<\/p>\n
St. Pete Beach<\/p>\n
The race for mayor between incumbent Adrian Petrila and Police Pension Board member Scott Tate proved to be the most contentious of the county\u2019s races. In fact, there was so much mudslinging that the League of Women Voters declined to post a replay of the candidate forum.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, voters opted for a change.<\/p>\n
Tate garnered 1,978 votes (66%), ousting Petrila, who received 1,019 (34%).<\/p>\n
Tate told Tampa Bay Newspapers his priorities are realignment, resiliency and a return to a vibrant community.<\/p>\n
A key issue in the race was a proposal to toll the barrier island’s access points by Petrila, who said the city needed new ideas in order to fund $200 million in infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n
Tate was adamant in his opposition to the measure.<\/p>\n
Instead, Tate said he would cut wasteful spending and pursue county, state and federal funding to improve the city’s financial health.<\/p>\n
In the race for the District 3 seat on the commission, political newcomer Al Causey defeated incumbent Commissioner Betty Rzewnicki.<\/p>\n
Causey received 460 votes (52%), defeating Rzewnicki who received 424.<\/p>\n
Indian Rocks Beach<\/p>\n
Indian Rocks Beach had three City Commission seats up for grabs March 10, including the mayor\u2019s post.<\/p>\n
In that race, former commissioner Lan Vaughan defeated incumbent Denise Houseberg to become the city\u2019s next mayor.<\/p>\n
Vaughan garnered 687 votes (68.15%) to beat Houseberg, who received 321.<\/p>\n
Residents also chose two more new commissioners from a field of five candidates.<\/p>\n
Kellee Watt received 625 votes (34.53%) and Janet Wilson collected 555 (30.66%).<\/p>\n
The key issue in the city proved to be short-term rental regulations.<\/p>\n
Vaughan is an outspoken proponent of the Homes Not Hotels group and has advocated for protecting the city\u2019s neighborhoods by enforcing rental ordinances.<\/p>\n
Other beach communities<\/p>\n
\u2022 Madeira Beach will have a new commissioner representing District 2 after choosing Charles \u201cChuck\u201d Dillon over incumbent Ray Kerr.<\/p>\n
Dillon received 342 votes (64.5%) compared with Kerr\u2019s 188.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Redington Shores voters made their selection for the District 1 commission seat, selecting Douglas Harr with 100 votes (55.25%). Shawn Hatfield received 81.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Indian Shores voters had two decisions to make for the Town Council. They selected Michael P. Howard with 193 votes (40.46%) and Ellen A. Bauer, who received 185 (38.78%). That left incumbent Michael A. Petruccelli on the outside looking in.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Gulfport had two City Council races on the ballot.<\/p>\n
For the Ward 1 seat, they chose Jennifer Daunch with 1,482 votes (54.17%) over Joe Guenther, who got 1,254.<\/p>\n
For Ward 3, former state legislator Jennifer Webb received 1,908 votes (71.27%) to defeat Keri Nelson, who received 769.<\/p>\n
North Pinellas races<\/p>\n
The Tarpon Springs City Commission will have a new member after voters selected Planning and Zoning Board member Lori Weaver to fill Seat 2 on the board.<\/p>\n
Weaver is a licensed U.S. Coast Guard captain and retired merchant marine officer.<\/p>\n
She received 1,289 votes (45.52%), besting Va Celia Koumendouros (990 votes) and former commissioner Craig Lunt (553).<\/p>\n
In a candidate forum, Weaver praised the current commission’s collaborative tone, contrasting it with “two years ago, when the board was rife with contention and mistrust.”<\/p>\n
“We can’t go back to those years,” she said. “This is what compelled me to run in this election.”<\/p>\n
Safety Harbor voters also had a decision for the commission after Carlos Diaz did not seek reelection.<\/p>\n
They chose Kevin Shanks, who secured 1,831 votes (66.27%), over David Gallagher who received 932.<\/p>\n
Shanks, who is married with two children, has lived in the city for a decade.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs both a downtown business owner and a parent raising my 3- and 5-year-old kids here, I believe I\u2019m uniquely positioned to help balance our small-town charm with a strong, thriving business community,\u201d Shanks wrote on his campaign website. \u201cI hold a degree in economics from the University of Illinois, and I\u2019m ready to put that experience to work for our city. I\u2019m running to help keep Safety Harbor a special place for generations, so my own grandchildren \u2014 and yours \u2014 can cherish it the way I always have.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mayor Joe Ayoub ran unopposed and will continue serving the city for an additional three-year term.<\/p>\n
The results<\/p>\n
Belleair Bluffs City Commision<\/p>\n
Top two earn seats<\/p>\n
Joe Barkley – 207 (37.91%)<\/p>\n
Ana Hale – 147 (26.92%)<\/p>\n
David Roberts – 192 (35.16%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 546<\/p>\n
Gulfport City Council<\/p>\n
Ward 1<\/p>\n
Jennifer M. Daunch – 1,482 (54.17%)<\/p>\n
Joe Guenther – 1,254 (45.83%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 2,736<\/p>\n
Ward 3<\/p>\n
Jennifer N. Webb – 1,908 (71.27%)<\/p>\n
Keri Nelson – 769 (28.73%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 2,677<\/p>\n
Indian Rocks Beach City Commission<\/p>\n
Mayor<\/p>\n
Lan Vaughan – 687 (68.15%)<\/p>\n
Denise Houseberg – 321 (31.85%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 1,008<\/p>\n
Commissioner<\/p>\n
Top two earn seats<\/p>\n
Kellee Watt – 625 (34.53%)<\/p>\n
Janet Wilson – 555 (30.66%)<\/p>\n
Michael Mirmanesh – 347 (19.17%)<\/p>\n
Matthew Barrowclough – 159 (8.78%)<\/p>\n
Don House – 124 (6.85%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 1,810<\/p>\n
Indian Shores Town Council<\/p>\n
Top two earn seats<\/p>\n
Michael P. Howard – 193 (40.46%)<\/p>\n
Ellen A. Bauer – 185 (38.78%)<\/p>\n
Michael A. ‘Mike’ Petruccelli – 99 (20.75%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 477<\/p>\n
Kenneth City City Council<\/p>\n
Mayor<\/p>\n
Robert Arrison – 342 (65.77%)<\/p>\n
Bonnie A. Noble – 178 (34.23%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 520<\/p>\n
Madeira Beach City Commission<\/p>\n
District 2<\/p>\n
Charles ‘Chuck’ Dillon – 342 (64.53%)<\/p>\n
Ray Kerr – 188 (35.47%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast 530<\/p>\n
Redington Shores Town Commission<\/p>\n
District 1<\/p>\n
Douglas Harr – 100 (55.25%)<\/p>\n
Shawn Hatfield – 81 (44.75%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 181<\/p>\n
Safety Harbor City Commission<\/p>\n
Seat 4<\/p>\n
Kevin Shanks – 1,831 (66.27%)<\/p>\n
David Gallagher – 932 (33.73%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 2,763<\/p>\n
St. Pete Beach<\/p>\n
Mayor<\/p>\n
Scott Tate – 1,978 (66%)<\/p>\n
Adrian Petrila – 1,019 (34%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 2,997<\/p>\n
District 3<\/p>\n
Al Causey – 460 (52.04%)<\/p>\n
Betty Rzewnicki – 424 (47.96%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 884<\/p>\n
Tarpon Springs City Commission<\/p>\n
Seat 2<\/p>\n
Lori Weaver – 1,289 (45.52%)<\/p>\n
Va Celia Koumendouros – 990 (34.96%)<\/p>\n
Craig Lunt – 553 (19.53%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 2,832<\/p>\n
Treasure Island<\/p>\n
Charter Amendment<\/p>\n
Yes – 864 (90.85%)<\/p>\n
No – 87 (9.15%)<\/p>\n
Vote Cast – 951<\/p>\n
Voters selected Scott Tate, left, to be the new mayor of St. Pete Beach and Lan Vaughan to be the mayor of Indian Rocks Beach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Voters in St. Pete Beach and Indian Rocks Beach decided to make a change at the top March…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[2715,27392,596,202,2149,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-195489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-elections","tag-indian-rocks-beach","tag-pinellas-county","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-beach","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}