CLEARWATER, Fla. — When Clearwater residents head to the polls March 17, they won’t just be voting for their presidential nominee preference.
The city of Clearwater also has the mayor’s seat and two city council seats up for grabs, along with six referendum questions.
Those vying to succeed current Mayor George Cretekos include an environmental advocate named “Sea Turtle,” a former mayor, a former city councilman and the owner of a local ice cream spot and pawn shop.
Here’s who’s running to be Clearwater’s next mayor:
Elizabeth “Sea Turtle” Drayer
A former attorney, Drayer, 58, legally added “Sea Turtle” to her name to show her passion for environmental advocacy.
While Drayer’s platform includes public safety and economic expansion in Clearwater, her top priority has remained “giving nature a seat at the table.” Some of her goals include making more green spaces in the city, increasing the number of trees and working to get Clearwater transitioned to renewable energy in 2050.
Frank Hibbard
Hibbard, 52, previously served two terms as Clearwater mayor from 2005 to 2012.
His top priorities include filling the city manager and city attorney positions and strengthening the city’s finances. Hibbard, who served during the 2008 Great Recession, also supports expanding Clearwater’s “rainy day” fund.
Bill Jonson
Jonson, 75, served four terms on Clearwater’s city council and is a retired auditor for Honeywell.
His top platform issues include achieving “municipal excellence” and establishing more collaborative leadership in Clearwater. His priorities include finding a new city manager and a city attorney and improving relations among city councilmembers. He also wants to reassess the community code “that currently favors professionals over neighbors.”
Morton Myers
Myers, 40, is a Clearwater native who owns Dairy Kurl and Tampa Bay Pawn.
He bills himself as “not a politician” and someone who wants to give back to his hometown. His platform’s top priorities include preservation, creating a greener Clearwater, growing small businesses and local start-ups and re-imagining the Imagine Clearwater project. Some of his goals include seeing 1 million trees planted in the city and preserving the city’s history.
The Tampa Bay Times reported last year that Myers is “neutral” on religion, but that his parents were dedicated Scientologists before leaving the church in the early 1980s.
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There are also two seats up for election on the Clearwater city council. Here’s who’s running for those seats:
Seat 2
Mark Bunker, 63, retired TV news producer
Michael Mannino, 42, owner of Xanadu Race Management
Bruce Rector, 56, attorney for Sports Facilities Management
Eliseo Santana Jr., 61, retired supervisor with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Lina Teixeira, 50, owner of Pour Yours and vice-chair of Clearwater Downtown Partnership
Seat 3
Kathleen Beckman, 55, retired teacher and community activist
Bob Cundiff, 75, incumbent councilman and St. Petersburg College professor
Bud Elias, 81, insurance brokerage firm owner
Scott Thomas, 30, senior human resources director at HCR ManorCare Dunedin
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