HOLMES BEACH – Qualifying is over, and five candidates are entering the race for three open seats on the Holmes Beach city commission with the Nov. 2 election as the finish line.
Commissioners Carol Soustek and Terry Schaefer are the two incumbents hoping to hold on to their spots on the dais.
![](https://www.amisun.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/election-carol-soustek.jpg)
If re-elected, this will be Schaefer’s second term as a commissioner. He was first elected to the city commission in November 2019.
![](https://www.amisun.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hb-terry-schaefer-scaled.jpg)
Soustek was first appointed to the commission Nov. 25, 2014 to fill the unexpired term of previous commissioner David Zaccagnino. She was elected to the commission in 2015 and re-elected for two more terms in 2017 and 2019. If re-elected in November, this will be her third two-year term on the city commission.
Joining Soustek and Schaefer in this year’s race are Renee Ferguson and former city commissioners John Monetti and Pat Morton.
![](https://www.amisun.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/John-Monetti.jpg)
This is Ferguson’s first attempt at joining the city commission, though she has actively participated in commission meetings and attended meetings regularly as a Holmes Beach resident.
![](https://www.amisun.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hb-renee-ferguson-1-scaled.jpg)
Morton, who served as a city commissioner for 17 years, is hoping for another go at a seat on the dais after losing in 2020 to Commissioner Jayne Christenson.
For Monetti, winning in November would mark a return to the city commission after a nearly 10-year hiatus. Previously, Monetti has served not only on the city commission but also on the planning commission.
![](https://www.amisun.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hb-candidate-Pat-Morton-200x300.jpg)
Commissioner Jim Kihm, whose term also expires in November, opted to not run for a third term as commissioner.
In an Aug. 27 email to his fellow commissioners and The Sun, Kihm said that he had decided not to run for re-election due to personal reasons.
“Today I am announcing my decision not to see re-election as commissioner for the city of Holmes Beach for personal reasons,” Kihm’s email reads. “I have enjoyed serving the people of Holmes Beach over the past four years and I feel that I am leaving the city in good hands as I finish out the rest of my current term. I would like to thank all the voters for putting their trust in me and electing me to serve them. I have made every effort to serve to the best of my ability.”
![](https://www.amisun.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/hb-jim-kihm-172x300.jpg)
City commissioners serve two-year terms on the dais. When Holmes Beach voters cast their ballots in November, the top three vote-getters will take the open commission seats. Voters are allowed to support up to three candidates at the polls, one for each available position.
With a five-person city commission, the coming election may prove to be very important for the future of Anna Maria Island’s largest city as most ordinances and resolutions require only a simple majority of three votes to pass or fail commission approval. A large change in the commission lineup could potentially mean big changes for how the city is governed.
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