The City of Bradenton stands poised to maintain course after Tuesday’s election after City Council incumbents Marianne Barnebey, Patrick Roff and Bemis Smith all won over first-time candidates. Island voters turned out one incumbent city commissioner in both Anna Maria and Holmes Beach while re-electing two others from fields of five candidates each. And Bradenton Beach returns Mayor Michael Pierce to office.
Our congratulations to all the winners.
Kudos, too, to all the other candidates — for stepping up to the rigors of a campaign and for trying to take hold of the responsibilities that come with representing fellow citizens. Civic engagement is always commendable.
Lacking congressional or county commission races, constitutional amendments and other major issues, the election drew a mostly sparse turnout — only a little more than 14 percent in Bradenton.
But the Anna Maria electorate turned out in droves, with some 60 percent of the city’s 1,349 registered voters casting ballots. That admirable number reflects strong community concern over the direction of the city as well as the division over growth. Both Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach did well, too, attracting 33 percent of voters.
In Bradenton, we expect the City Council to push for redevelopment and beautification projects, including greater density and infill in the urban core, while not sacrificing the city’s quality of life. Pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly neighborhoods should be increasingly important, too.
Ward 3 candidate Richard O’Brien’s strong showing against Roff — earning 48 percent of the vote against Roff’s 52 percent — proves that he connected with a large number of residents, particularly on the issue of crime. That should send a message to the City Council that citizens want public safety to be a higher priority in funding for the police department, despite a falling crime rate and despite smaller budget cuts for police than other city departments.
We believe Roff’s experience and commitment to the Wares Creek dredging project, Tamiami Trail redevelopment and Realize Bradenton cultural master plan won the day.
We also expect to see O’Brien out on some campaign trail in the future.
Barnebey’s 70 percent victory over Lori Melton to win her fourth Ward 2 term on the council proves her connection to voters. We figure her personal approach to representation — she’s been known to track down residents to deal with their concerns — has established a strong reputation.
Smith returns to represent Ward 4 for his third term, and his experience likely played a key role in besting his opponent, Joe Henry Sr., who put up a solid and somewhat surprising number with 43 percent of the vote.
In Anna Maria, two of the victors, incumbents John Quam and Dale Woodland, take a moderate stand on development with a commitment to the city’s comprehensive plan. Both also want a successful business district.
Political newcomer Harry Stoltzfus came in third in the race, beating out the third incumbent, Chris Tollette, for the final seat on the city commission. He campaigned against allowing additional businesses and for restricting redevelopment. Those positions attracted a significant number of voters, who presumably want their mostly residential community to remain a quiet place. While we believe an anti-growth stand will be detrimental to any city, we respect voters’ decision.
Holmes Beach will welcome Al Robinson to the commission alongside incumbents Pat Morton and David Zaccagnino. The shift here could come with Robinson’s plans to motivate fellow commissioners to operate city government like a business and boost efficiency, a worthwhile goal.
Bradenton Beach continues to embrace Michael Pierce as mayor, and we predict he will continue to be successful with civic improvements.
Again, our congratulations to all the winners.
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