These 4 candidates are running for spot on Holmes Beach Commission. One won’t make it
There aren’t enough seats to go around for each of the four candidates looking to get elected to the Holmes Beach City Commission on Tuesday.
Three incumbents are running for re-election, but a newcomer has also thrown his hat into the ring. Board members Rick Hurst, Jim Kihm and Carol Soustek are challenged by Terry Schaefer. The three candidates who receive the most votes will serve two-year terms of office.
Schaefer, 73, could be a newcomer to the Holmes Beach Commission but according to his candidate biography, he has more than 35 years of experience providing banking services to local governments. According to campaign finance report, he has raised nearly $4,000 in his election bid, outraising each incumbent commissioner.
“My approach to serving on the commission will be open and inclusive with a broad objective of community betterment now and into the future,” he wrote.
If elected, Schaefer, who has lived on Anna Maria Island for nearly 13 years and in Holmes Beach for three years, hopes to preserve island culture, maintain an open dialog with residents and business owners, enhance environmental standards and provide renewed budget oversight.
Hurst was first elected to the City Commission in 2017 and is pursuing his first bid for re-election. By profession, the 56-year-old has worked as an automotive entrepreneur, a software developer and managing partner of the Freckled Fin Irish Pub. Hurst has also coached youth soccer for 20 years.
Kihm, 73, who serves as vice mayor, was also first elected in 2017. A six-year resident of Holmes Beach, he says he is running for re-election “because I feel my qualifications and experience will continue to make a positive contribution to the city.”
His campaign priorities include protecting quality of life for Holmes Beach residents, lobbying Manatee County for a fair share of the tourist development tax and financial oversight of the city budget.
Soustek, 80, has served on the City Commission for five years, citing her efforts in solving problems such as noise, parking, traffic and flooding as an elected official.
“I work to see that real solutions are being applied every day. I will continue to care what happens to my city and make every effort to do what is right and fair,” said Soustek.
Soustek, who retired from corporate accounting in 2006, has lived in Holmes Beach for more than 30 years and has volunteered with numerous community organizations.
Also on the ballot for Holmes Beach voters are several charter review amendment questions that clarify legal city limits, the commission’s budget amendment process, the responsibilities of the city treasurer and more.
This story was originally published October 30, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
