St Augustine mayor and commission candidates square off

Historic City News readers interested in hearing from candidates in the August 26, 2014 Primary Election for two open seats on the St Augustine City Commission, are invited to attend a candidate forum presented by the Neighborhood Council of St. Augustine, Inc.

Rhey Palmer, President of the Neighborhood Council, will serve as moderator for the forum.

If you are planning to attend, the forum will be held on Tuesday, July 15th from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at the Willie Galimore Center on Riberia Street in St Augustine.

Seat 3, the two-year-term city commission seat pre-designated as “mayor” includes three candidates. Nancy Shaver of Lincolnville and Ken Bryan of Pelican Reef, will challenge incumbent mayor, Joe Boles of Davis Shores.

Seat 4, a regular four-year-term seat, surrendered in mid-term by Bill Leary, and temporarily being filled by Donald Crichlow, has drawn three qualified candidates. Ron Berben of Lincolnville, Todd Neville of Sunset Point, and John Valdes of Anastasia Island will face each other in the August Primary Election.

If any one candidate in either the Seat 3 or Seat 4 contest, receives 50 percent of the votes cast in the Primary Election, plus one vote, they will be declared the winner of that seat and will not run again in November. Otherwise, the two highest vote getters in those two races will come back for a runoff in the November General Election. In accordance with the charter, voting for these offices is open to all registered voters in the City of St Augustine, regardless of political party affiliation.

There is also a contest for Seat 5; however, it has only drawn two qualified candidates. Both candidates, Grant Misterly, and incumbent Vice-Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, will not appear on the Primary Election ballot. Their race will be decided when voters cast their ballots in November. Misterly and Sikes-Kline will not participate in this forum.