Seminole To Elect Mayor, City Council Members Tuesday

SEMINOLE, FL — With issues on the table ranging from property neglect to revitalizing the city, Seminole voters will head to the polls Nov. 5 to choose a mayor and two of six city council members.

Darren Clark is hoping to oust Mayor Leslie Waters from office.

Waters has served as mayor since 2012 when she was named interim mayor when Mayor Jimmy Johnson stepped down due to health issues. She was re-elected with no opposition in March 2013.

Prior to becoming mayor, Waters served as interim vice mayor in 2010-11 and was elected to the city council in 2009. She began her political career in 1998 when she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives. From 2006-08, she served as speaker pro tempore for the House.

She counts among her mayoral achievements helping the city maintain a strong fiscal standing, a balanced budget and a 2.48 percent tax rate for 13 consecutive years. She's especially proud of the fact that the city, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020, is debt free as of Sept. 30.

She said she's optimistic for the city's future after the city was awarded $70,000 in grants for the development of a waterfront park and redevelopment of Orange Blossom Park.

Her goals are to maintain the city's fiscal standing while offering residents of all ages robust library and recreation programs.

Her opponent, Darren Clark, owner of Professional Restoration Services of Tampa Bay, is running for public office for the first time, and he thinks that's the way it should be.

"I do not have any political experience. I am a business man," said the Pinellas County native and eight-year resident of Seminole. "I don't feel one has to be a politician to run a city. It should be run as a business."

Among his concerns are flooding, traffic and over-development. His short-term goals include offering televised city council meetings and developing a user-friendly city app for residents.

Incumbent Thomas M. "Thom" Barnhorn, Jim Olliver and Kelly Wissing are vying for two of six city council seats. The top two vote-getters in Tuesday's election will win the seats.

Fifteen-year Seminole resident Barnhorn, a financial adviser and owner of Barnhorn Financial, was first elected to the council in 2006 and then appointed to fill an empty seat in 2009. He has since been re-elected twice.

Like Waters, Barnhorn is enthusiastic about the grant awards and is looking forward to expanding the city's waterfront park offerings. At the same time, he said the city needs to continue to work on improving the quality of its storm water and implement its road repair plan.

Wissing is making her second bid for a council seat. A native of Seminole, she is a surgical consultant.

Among her priorities are developing better communication between the city and its residents. Like Clark, she'd like to see the city develop an app that would not only inform residents of what's happening in the city but would encourage more community involvement.

She would also like to see the city create a "live, shop and play" initiative that includes beautification of roads and storefronts.

While this is Jim Olliver's first bid for a seat on the council, he's no stranger to Seminole government.

The 17-year Seminole resident has served on the Seminole Charter Review Committee since 2009, including as vice chairman in 2014 and chairman in 2015-16.

Now retired, Olliver was the founding provost of the Seminole campus of St. Petersburg College and served as president and board chairman of the Greater Seminole Area Chamber of Commerce.

While he agrees that the city's fiscal position should remain in the black, he said the challenge is making sure the city makes the best use of its financial resources while being responsive to its residents who cite traffic and flooding as top concerns.

Seminole residents will also vote on four city charter amendments.

Charter Amendment 1 would amend the charter to require candidates to be residents of the city for a year before qualifying to run for office.

Charter Amendment 2 calls for electing a vice mayor at the second business meeting of November.

Charter Amendment 3 deletes language that permits the city council to assign duties to the city clerk.

And Charter Amendment 4 sets the procedure for the city council to appoint members to the charter review committee.

Polling places are at the Seminole Community Library, 9200 113th N.; Seminole United Methodist Church, 5400 Seminole Blvd.; and Starkey Road Baptist Church, 8800 Starkey Road. Click here to find your polling place.

The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For information on what identification is needed to vote in the Seminole mayor and city council elections, click here.