Two challengers, two incumbents. Only two will win Holmes Beach Commission seats

Four candidates, including two incumbents and two challengers, will vie for two nonpartisan Holmes Beach City Commission seats on Nov. 3.

Commissioners Pat Morton and Kim Rash look to retain their seats. Morton was first elected 17 years ago while Rash won his first election as the top vote recipient in the 2018 elections.

They are being challenged by Richard Hurst and Jayne Christenson

The top two vote recipients on Nov. 3 will claim the two seats up for grabs.

Morton said he believes he has captured the citizens’ trust because he hasn’t changed how he approaches governing during his years on the commission.

“I do what I say,” Morton said. “I don’t honey coat it. I tell them how it is and what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. So people know what my policies are.”

Morton said parking and stormwater needs are some of the top priorities for him.

The city came under fire in May when officials announced they would ban public beach parking on some of the city’s residential streets. The move was designed to address a longstanding issue created by a small percentage of irresponsible visitors who were using resident yards to toss garbage and sometimes using them as bathrooms.

Protesters voiced their disapproval in June, which drew the attention of state legislators who drafted a letter demanding the city reverse the policy.

Morton said the city made the right decision.

“The majority of people like it and I understand why some don’t,” he said. “We were never trying to take away parking, just trying to make things safe for our residents and our visitors.”

Morton said another issue is ensuring the city’s landscaping is maintained after a decision was made to eliminate chemicals to do their part in reducing nitrates and pollutants that have been linked to red tide in recent years.

Morton said he’s a, “Voice for the citizens and always will be.”

Rash has a similar philosophy;

“We are a voice for the residents and don’t go along with the status quo.”

Rash has experience in construction and helped to negotiate down the cost of stormwater projects, and has long advocated against island “party houses.”

“I believe you may not always agree on something, but if not, you have to find a way to negotiate to give the citizens a fair shake,” Rash said. “I was a strong advocate for years against the party houses. I’m all about adults having fun but they can disrupt the whole neighborhood. Code and the PD are making a better effort in giving people a quality of life.”

Rash said he voted against an attempt this year to raise property taxes, “Because I don’t think everybody should be burdened with taxes so I was a major push back on that. We have to be like everybody else and learn how to manage what you have.”

The challengers

Hurst is a challenger, but has been an incumbent before. Hurst was elected in 2017, but defeated in 2019. He said residents convinced him to run again.

“I feel it is my obligation to help the city try to restore its balance by reducing the amount of catering to a small group of vocal residents that is sucking the soul of out of our community,” Hurst said. “To understand why the voters got it wrong, you have to understand the politics of Holmes Beach and the situation I was in at the time. You also have to acknowledge that voters are allowed to make a mistake and should have a chance to correct it.”

Hurst calls it a lesson learned and won’t make the mistake of taking the vocal minority for granted again.

He looks to the future and believes the city’s biggest challenges are expensive infrastructure needs during a time when municipal revenues will likely drop significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a subsequent drop in federal funding..

Hurst said no one wants to raise taxes, but the city can look at ways to reduce operational costs by 20% and negotiate better deals with contractors to subsidize the losses.

His second priority is to balance the fragile relationship between residents and visitors. He said he will push for better solutions other than recent decisions for stricter enforcement policies.

Both Hurst and challenger Christenson have outpaced the incumbents in raising political contributions.. Christenson has raised $3,635, with $1,500 coming out of pocket while Hurst has raised $2,675. Rash has raised $2,450 in his bid for reelection while Morton has raised $1,700.

Christenson is the only candidate offering an extensive background of herself on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website. She agreed to be interviewed, but did not return a call.

She notes on the website, that she has been a resident of the island city since 2007, a wife and mother of two while working for a bio pharmaceutical research and development firm for the past 24 years.

She has served on the city’s planning commission, including as vice chair and has served on the Anna Maria Island parking and congestion committee, among other civic volunteer efforts.

Christenson cites continued growth coupled with tourism as her major concerns, as well as government transparency.

“Holmes Beach requires innovative, forward-thinking commissioners who are accountable to our residents and a city government who offers full transparency,” she wrote on the elections website.

This story was originally published September 17, 2020 at 5:00 AM.