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Tag: Holmes Beach mayor

Letter to the Editor: Thanks for protecting AMI

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

As homeowners in Holmes Beach for 25 years this very month, we write to congratulate and thank those who led our city successfully through the stressful process culminating in the OPPAGA study.

The attacks on “home rule,” including the threat of a parking garage, were led ironically by elected Republican Party representatives with minimal to no appreciation for the special character of our Island. So, we are heartened to read now that current elected officials have come to understand and support BOTH the distinctiveness of our three small cities AND to urge proactive, constructive cooperation and – when appropriate – consolidation to benefit residents. It is important we recognize such efforts were and are underway, as we hope also there will be a review of targeted additional parking spaces near our precious beaches.

Our special thanks to Mayor Judy Titsworth, someone with a long-time investment in our city and Island’s welfare, who was unwavering in her leadership. Also, to Terry Schaefer and his fellow commissioners, for being voices of reason as well as passionate advocates for their fellow citizens. To Barbara Ehren and others who organized grassroots protests and to Sean Murphy, whose community-mindedness, hospitality and humor are always so welcome… and fun. And finally, to the staff of The Sun, for extensive coverage of the news and the back stories throughout this period.

 

Helen and Tom Flynn

Holmes Beach

Mayoral candidates outline differing views

Mayoral candidates outline differing views

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – This November will see incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth facing off with political newcomer Mike Roth to see who voters decide to have represent them for the next two years. Before the ballots went out, both candidates stepped up at The Anna Maria Island Sun’s candidate forum to answer questions from the community.

Questions for the forum ranged from what each candidate thought about a city manager to the Holmes Beach budget, infrastructure and stormwater issues, and what makes them the best person to be the city’s mayor.

On the subject of a city manager, Titsworth said she feels that the Holmes Beach charter is strong with the support of strong department heads and employees. And while she doesn’t think there’s a need for a city manager right now, she said it wouldn’t be up to her to decide if it went to the voters or not. Roth said that he thinks a single manager across the entire Island could be beneficial to unite the cities in a long-term solution to handle some problems, including infrastructure and environmental efforts.

Both candidates agreed that the relationship between the city and Manatee County and Florida state leaders has changed in dynamic after the Aug. 20 primary election. Going forward, Titsworth said she expects the relationship to be much better among elected officials and she wants to work to make those relationships better. Roth said he also would want to work to help improve relationships among elected officials, but he doesn’t think that the results of the primary election halted the efforts of state and county officials to control Anna Maria Island. His concern, he said, is that he’s afraid the Island cities and residents will become complacent and think the threat has passed. While the results of the primary election are viewed by many as a win for Holmes Beach, Roth said he doesn’t think the attention on the city is gone.

On the topic of the budget, Titsworth said she still thinks there’s room to decrease the budget, but she doesn’t want to lower taxes too much and risk not being able to fund necessary infrastructure improvements. Without proper funding, she said infrastructure improvements could fall by the wayside, which could make flooding and other issues worse and negatively affect property values, which would in turn reduce the tax base for the city in the future. Titsworth said she doesn’t think it’s logical to try and save taxpayers a few hundred dollars now at the risk of costing them much more in the future. Costs aren’t going down, she said, but as a city taxpayer herself, she sees that it’s important to keep the budget as low as possible.

Roth said he feels that the city may not be approaching creating the budget in the best way. He said he doesn’t feel that the city is improving infrastructure to the point that residents feel it and he thinks there could be better ways of doing things that may not cost or inconvenience the taxpayers as much. Roth said some easy ways of improving infrastructure, such as more sidewalk improvements, could visibly help improve quality of life for residents.

To hear what each candidate had to say about these and other issues, visit The Sun’s Facebook page to watch the forum video in its entirety.

Titsworth shares re-election hopes, goals

Titsworth shares re-election hopes, goals

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Judy Titsworth has already served three terms as mayor, but she’s not ready to step down yet.

Titsworth is up for re-election on the November ballot and after running unopposed in 2020 and 2022, this year, she’ll face challenger Mike Roth.

“I feel that the community still needs me,” Titsworth said about her reasons for running for re-election. She noted that in her time as mayor, the city has worked to improve its failing infrastructure, reached a healthy reserve amount in case of a natural disaster, and worked to improve water quality with the Islanders 4 Clean Water campaign. One of the thing’s she’s most proud of is the revitalization of City Field with the creation of a larger dog park, installation of a new playground, bocce ball, pickleball and shuffleboard courts and the skatepark.

“That’s proof of what the community can do when it comes together,” she said, indicating the skatepark and accompanying skate bowl were funded by community members.

With good people in office and working behind the scenes at city hall, Titsworth said she feels that the community can continue to take steps forward into a future with a good quality of life for both residents and visitors. She does not, however, support having a community manager.

Titsworth said that a community manager, one city manager serving all three Anna Maria Island cities, would mean that the cities are consolidated, something she strongly opposes unless the voters band together and decide that’s what they want to do. “If the voters want it and are in favor of it, I’ll support it,” she said of consolidation, though Titsworth added that she hopes it never comes to that. If consolidation did happen, she said it would not only put a lot of people out of work, but it could also cost taxpayers more money to implement than it would save, remove current community protections and remove the character of the three Island cities. She fears that hiring a single manager for the Island would either lead to consolidation or be a disaster for employees and property owners.

“That would be extremely messy and everything would run at a snail’s pace,” she said of hiring a community manager for the Island, noting that one person would have to manage time and responsibilities across all three cities working with three different governments. “Nothing would ever get done.”

She did say that she feels there are more ways that the three cities can work together and streamline efforts to the benefit of the community, something she’d like to work on if leaders in Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach are amenable to the discussion.

One of the issues that has plagued the city for the past few years is a strained relationship with Manatee County leaders, a problem that bled over into the city’s relationship with Florida state leaders.

Titsworth said that issues with the county stem back to four years ago when she refused to publicly endorse then-county commission candidate Kevin Van Ostenbridge. Now a county commissioner and also running for re-election, Van Ostenbridge took the dais for the first time by announcing his plans to oppose the city of Holmes Beach on a parking garage at the county-owned Manatee Beach. The issue has since escalated the issue to the state Legislature, which approved a bill allowing county leaders to build a three-story garage at the beach without regard for the city’s approval processes. The relationship between the county and city has continued to deteriorate over the years.

“The only thing that’ll change those relationships is to elect people who care about relationships back in office,” Titsworth said. “Local politics shouldn’t be Republican and Democrat. It should only be about quality of life issues. Once it became where quality of life wasn’t the focus, environment wasn’t the focus and all it was is greed and power, this is why we’re where we are today.”

“As hard as I’ve tried to mend a relationship, they don’t want a relationship with the city of Holmes Beach,” Titsworth said of the Manatee County commission. “It’s like you’re trying to make friends with a wall and there’s no breaking down that wall at this point. It’s up to the voters.”

Another issue facing the city is development, something that she said she doesn’t disapprove of but feels must be controlled to preserve the quality of life for the city’s residents.

“I’m not against development. I’m against out of control development. We’re always going to have change; we’re always going to have to adapt,” she said. “You have to be a good steward to the community you’re building in and that’s where we see that divide. They don’t care anymore. And that’s where I’m going to continue to fight for the citizens. I’m going to continue to fight for quality of life. If accepting money from certain funds means we’re trading off on quality of life, I’m not going to accept that money. We’re doing alright. Our population’s on the rise. People want to live in Holmes Beach. So, we’re making the right decisions.”

The biggest issue facing the city, she said, is water quality. And while she said she’d love to reduce the millage rate, she’s more concerned about funding infrastructure to help preserve properties on the Island for years to come.

Titsworth said she’d love to see everyone in the community step up to do their part to help improve water quality, including reducing impervious surfaces and installing native plants.

Titsworth will be answering questions from the community at The Sun’s Holmes Beach Candidate Forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at city hall. Submit your questions by Monday, Aug. 26 to news@amisun.com.

Newcomer ready to take mayoral seat

Newcomer ready to take mayoral seat

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Mike Roth may be a political newcomer on Anna Maria Island, but he has plans for what he’d like to see in the community if residents vote him in as mayor in November.

“I’ve been on-Island for over 20 years,” Roth said, noting that he and his family visited almost every weekend from their primary residence in Tampa. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said their Holmes Beach house became their primary residence and it’s a move that neither he nor his wife have regretted. Roth made his career in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret before making the move to the Army Reserves and switching careers to banking. He said he still works as a banker with an office in Tampa though he enjoys working from home most of the time and says that his work and his training with the Reserves will not impact his ability to serve as the city’s mayor.

In fact, he said his retirement from an active military life is what enabled him to be able to run for mayor. “I’ve had people say you should run for mayor, but I couldn’t. Now I can.”

Once he retired from the military, Roth said he began attending city commission meetings and was happy giving suggestions during public comment until the parking garage at Manatee Beach discussion came up.

“It doesn’t even make sense to me why we don’t have someone outside of the Island agreeing with us that it’s a waste of money, it’s going to environmentally impact a great location and it’s going to be a real pain in the butt for Manatee County residents who normally park in that lot to not be able to use it for a couple of years while the construction is going on.”

When Mayor Judy Titsworth went to Tallahassee to speak with lawmakers before the bill was passed and didn’t sway any votes, Roth said he felt the city was facing a serious issue.

“That’s when I was like there’s something wrong,” he said. “I’ve got to figure out what it is and I’ve got to do something about it because I’m that person.”

Roth said a new injection of ideas and solutions could be what the community needs.

“No one comes here to start their political career,” he said, adding that, after speaking to some community members and Manatee County leaders, he feels that he can help to mend relationships with other political leaders.

“They made it very clear to me that it’s one individual,” he said, noting that while he doesn’t have an issue with any elected officials in Holmes Beach, some local politicians do, something that he would hope would change if he was elected as mayor.

“You can find creative solutions to bring both parties closer together or you can just ignore it,” Roth said. “From an outsider’s perspective, they believe that we’re not willing to compromise, we’re not willing to do anything to help Manatee County.”

One of his primary goals would be to create a better relationship among the city, the county and the state.

“We are their largest capital contribution but we have the smallest voice,” he said, noting that there are so few voters on the Island that without some give and take with Manatee County leaders, consolidation of the three Island cities would happen.

Roth said county leaders would like to have an Island-wide planner or manager, one person who would oversee planning and building to help bring agreements among the three cities to handle Island-wide ordinances. He said environmental impact would be another item that could be handled by the Island manager.

Over the next few years, Roth said it’s imperative for the three Island cities to work together and see what services can be consolidated and where resources can be shared, another goal of county commissioners.

“Manatee County is telling us they want us to do that,” Roth said. “The fact that we don’t want to do it doesn’t mean we just ignore that. And that’s going to be our problem. We have to have some level of compliance with the state of Florida and with Manatee County. We have to be able to communicate with them and keep them updated on what we’re trying to do because otherwise they can do something drastic like what they’re trying to do right now. I do believe both of those (consolidation and the parking garage) can go away. The biggest concern I have is, and I’ve asked the outside parties if they can wait until after the fifth (Nov. 5) because I really am just offering my capability, because if I don’t get elected, that’s fine. The powers that be have already told me what they plan on doing if I don’t win and I’m like okay, well the Island will be very different. May be good, may be bad, but most likely bad, in my opinion. And that’s what worries me. It’s not about me. It’s not about I’m so much better, so much smarter, so much faster. I’ve got a lot of experience in leadership and in business. I think both of them will apply here very rapidly. I do believe we have a good city government in general, I just think it needs a more professional way of handling things outside the Island and better communication with the county and the state of Florida.”

Other goals, he said, would be to incentivize owners to give city center businesses a facelift to make the area more appealing, work to conserve the environment and create better solutions to stormwater and tidal flooding.

Submit your questions to Roth for The Sun’s candidate forum at news@amisun.com.

Holmes Beach logo

Mayor, state legislator discuss consolidation

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Featured.

HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth met with Rep. Will Robinson Jr. recently to discuss the potential for consolidation or elimination of the three Anna Maria Island cities. She said that after the meeting, she feels he’s listening to city leaders’ concerns.

Robinson is one of the five-member Manatee County state legislative delegation that initiated the process for the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) study looking at consolidating the three Island cities into one, eliminating the cities and folding them into unincorporated Manatee County or the city of Bradenton, or leaving them as-is. The results of the state agency study will be sent to Robinson and Sen. Jim Boyd for review, but are not required to be released to city leaders or to the public.

During the April 23 conversation, Titsworth said that they discussed the report and Robinson said he’s looking forward to seeing the report and related numbers. One of the sticking points with state legislators and the Island cities has been a lack of consolidated services in an effort to save taxpayer money on the 7-mile Island. Titsworth said that’s something that Robinson asked about and wants to see some progress on.

While all three Island cities are looking to partner with the city of Longboat Key on enforcing mangrove protections as agents of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Titsworth said she and Police Chief Bill Tokajer are in preliminary talks with Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy about the Holmes Beach Police Department taking over law enforcement in the northern city. Currently, the city of Anna Maria is the only Island city without its own police force, contracting with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement. Titsworth said the two cities are looking at the numbers and a draft interlocal agreement to see what the options are.

In the meeting with Robinson, Titsworth said that if Island cities were given back the amount of tourist development tax they earn for the county and could use those monies for infrastructure that it would greatly reduce the burden on taxpayers. The city of Holmes Beach is one of the largest earners of tourist development tax monies, which come from a bed tax paid by visitors to the area. The funds are controlled by Manatee County commissioners and are earmarked for projects that benefit tourism. In recent years, county commissioners have withheld funding from Holmes Beach for projects due to disagreements between the two groups of elected officials. Titsworth said that Robinson agreed with her that the funds should not be “weaponized” by county leaders.

“He listened and I appreciate that,” she said.

Another discussion was about beach parking. Titsworth said that Robinson was happy with the strides made by the city to make public beach parking in residential areas easier to identify.

Robinson said he wants to meet with the Island city leaders again soon.

“I felt pretty good when I left,” Titsworth said.

Commissioner Terry Schaefer said that he feels the meeting with Robinson was a positive first step, but that he feels the battle is long from over. His goal, he said, is to meet with Boyd prior to organizing a town hall meeting with the community. He said that thus far his efforts to schedule that meeting with Boyd have been dismissed by the state representative, but he wants to give it another shot before scheduling the community meeting, which he hopes will be broadcast for any state or county leaders who want to view it but don’t want to attend.

Letter to the Editor: Preserve Island character

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

We applaud our Holmes Beach mayor and commissioners and their fellow civic leaders in Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach for defending longstanding, reasonable local “home rule,” certainly a tradition one would not expect to have attacked by Republican legislators like Rep. Robinson and Sen. Boyd.

But then who would expect that elected officials across the bridge in Bradenton would have such evident disregard and disrespect for the special “old Florida” vibe of Anna Maria Island? An expensive, intrusive parking garage? Really? On an island that, except for the high-rise condos on 53rd Street, has a unique character compared to Longboat Key and other beachfront communities?

Extensive, appealing, public beach access (with ample parking) is regularly underused at picturesque Coquina Beach. As several residents have wisely observed and our police chief’s recent survey of ample available parking spaces proved, we have “a traffic problem, not a parking problem.”

Yet the facts are unimportant. It’s all about political muscle and optics! As the mayor’s recent reasonable compromise proposal suggests, this is a political battle we are in danger of losing. One hopes that this very workable compromise did not come too late.

Holmes Beach has perhaps appeared to be insufficiently attentive to concerns raised about parking for daytime visitors. And to be fair, the tightening of parking regulations and removal of formerly available spaces pose an inconvenience for long-time homeowners like us – part-time or full-time residents for almost 25 years. Two wide, beach-block streets (67th and 77th streets) now suddenly forbid parking on both sides, though vehicles and pedestrians would still have ample, safe passage. The latter change is especially regrettable for those of us aged and/or requiring shelter from the sun, as 77th has a welcome beachfront shelter but few parking spaces remaining (even though golf carts have additional protected spaces).

Let’s hope that our state’s legislative representatives engage in genuine dialogue with local leaders, so we have a plan that responds appropriately to the need for parking for non-residents. But essential is a plan that recognizes and respects the primary responsibility of the Island’s elected officials to protect the quality of life for homeowners as well as visitors and the special character of Anna Maria Island.

Helen and Tom Flynn

Holmes Beach

Commission and mayoral seats up for grabs

Commission and mayoral seats up for grabs

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – If you’ve ever pictured yourself on the dais at Holmes Beach City Hall, your chance is coming up to qualify as a candidate, only, of course, if you’re a Holmes Beach resident.

This year’s election will see two positions coming available on the city commission, the seats held by Commissioners Pat Morton and Kim Rash. Also up for grabs is the mayoral office, currently held by Mayor Judy Titsworth.

All three positions hold two-year terms. Titsworth and Rash are completing their first terms on the dais as mayor and commissioner respectively. For Morton, November marks the end of his 17th year on the city commission.

Qualifying for all three elected positions begins at noon on June 8 and ends at noon on June 12. All candidate paperwork must be submitted to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office prior to the deadline to be considered as a candidate.

To qualify, prospective candidates must have been a resident of Holmes Beach for at least two years prior to the qualifying date and be a registered Manatee County voter. Candidates must appoint a campaign treasurer, open a campaign bank account and file the corresponding paperwork as well as a statement of candidate, candidate oath, residency affidavit and statement of financial interests. Candidates also are required to pay an election assessment fee equal to 1% of the annual salary of the office sought, $60 for commission candidates and $240 for mayoral candidates, and collect 15 petition signatures of voters also residing in the city.

Candidates also have the option to file an undue burden oath to eliminate the election assessment fee but must still collect 15 signatures from city voters.

Candidates may not accept campaign contributions until after a campaign treasurer is appointed and a campaign account is established.

All candidate information can be found online under the candidate information tab. Forms can be found online or picked up at the Supervisor of Elections Office. Candidates must submit all forms to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office at 600 301 Blvd W., Suite 108 in Bradenton prior to the deadline. No candidate forms will be accepted at Holmes Beach City Hall.

This year’s general election will be held on Nov. 3.

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Mayor delivers state of the city address

Mayor delivers state of the city address

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Mayor Judy Titsworth’s first of two years in office will come to a close in November. To recognize her first year as the city’s mayor, she took some time during the Oct. 8 commission meeting to discuss some of her favorite accomplishments in the past 11 months.

“This year’s flown by and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” she said.

Titsworth began her address by recognizing the city’s staff saying that she’s proud of the staff as well as their accomplishments and growth over the past year. A goal, she said, was to improve customer service across all departments. To that end, Titsworth created the role of director of development services, a position that Eran Wasserman from LTA Engineers is currently transitioning into. She also marked the change to Code Compliance for former Code Enforcement officers and the promotion of James Thomas as supervisor, along with the creating of another full-time clerk position in that department and their move to the public works annex building among some of the highlights for the year.

Another was the hiring of new Building Official Neal Schwartz. Titsworth took the time to thank John Fernandez, who stepped in to fill the position temporarily after the departure of former Building Official Jim McGuinness. She added that she’s also very happy to bring Planner Bill Brisson on the city staff as a full-time employee. Titsworth also thanked Engineer Lynn Burnett for her efforts on behalf of the city.

She said she’s also excited for the improvements to the city’s vacation rental certificate program to help it run more efficiently.

Titsworth also thanked Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer and his department for their work to help keep the city safe, and credits the newly-installed license plate reader system as an asset to the city’s police officers.

Along with the improvements happening at the city field complex, Titsworth said she’s particularly proud of the dog park expansion and the planned skate park, which will be built with a bowl. She said funds for the bowl were made possible through the efforts of Tom Sanger from Sanger Pools and area contractors who donated materials for the new skate park.

One of Titsworth’s goals for the next year of her term is to see some of the planned improvements throughout the city come to life, including the expansion of a multi-use path along Palm Drive, the widening of the city’s bicycle lanes and continued efforts to improve crosswalk visibility. She said that over the next year, residents can expect to see more stormwater improvements, the addition of fish cleaning stations at the T-end docks rented by the city to residents and that dredging in city canals also will begin.

In her address, Titsworth also took the time to thank each department head for their contributions to the city’s progress over the past year.

“Thank you again and it has been my honor to serve,” she said.

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Letters to the Editor: No late calls, please

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

Our mayor is a morning person. I remember during noise ordinance discussions, her describing sleeping in as 8 a.m., something service workers laughed at and felt compelled to correct. Our chief of police can be more of a night owl. Do you know how I know this? From the time stamps on their responses to my emails.

Both our chief and our mayor have personally intervened on my behalf when I was having issues with a certain rental agent. Both our mayor and our chief have urged me to contact them if I need their help, but because we maintain different schedules, I prefer to use email. I write the mayor at 3 a.m., and she responds at 6:30 a.m. I have likewise received responses to emails from our chief that were written in the wee hours.

I would NEVER call anyone after 11 p.m., with the exception of my friends on the West Coast where it is three hours earlier. I cannot believe the hubris of folks who think it is OK to call after 11 p.m. for a nonemergency situation, especially when they know the person they are calling is most likely in bed, let alone a city commissioner.

I so appreciate living somewhere where I have an opportunity to butt heads with our elected officials. But it does not mean I can abuse this opportunity. Especially when it is about an issue that should be handled with a call to the police, a department that works 24/7.

I support our mayor publicly stating that this is not acceptable. I support our mayor blocking the numbers of folks who abuse it, telling them she will only respond to calls made through the city switchboard, the number to which the calls should have been directed in the first place. Your rant will actually be heard better and responded to better if you call our mayor when she is actually awake. And she will also respond to rants communicated via email rather than over the phone.

With the Sunshine Laws in place, going through official channels is always preferable. And I hope our city commissioners know that.

Laurel Nevans

Holmes Beach

Holmes Beach swearing in commission

New Holmes Beach elected officials sworn in

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Nov. 29 was a day of celebration in the city commission chambers at city hall as the city’s new mayor, commissioners and charter review commission members took the oaths of their offices.

The chamber was packed with cheering friends, family members, supporters and city hall staff as each person stepped up to take the oath, administered by City Clerk Stacey Johnston.

Holmes Beach swearing in charter
City Clerk Stacey Johnston swears in members of the city’s new charter review commission, David Zaccagnino, Sean Murphy, Edward Upshaw, Claudia Carlson and Nancy Deal. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Elected to the charter review commission are Claudia Carlson, Nancy Deal, Sean Murphy, Edward Upshaw and David Zaccagnino. The charter review commission is expected to begin meeting in January.

Commissioner Pat Morton stepped up to take the oath for the ninth time, having first been elected to the city commission in 2003.

Holmes Beach swearing in pat
City Clerk Stacey Johnston congratulates Commissioner Pat Morton on his re-election. – Kristin Swain | Sun

The new commissioner on the dais this year is Commissioner Kim Rash, who received the most votes in the November election. This is Rash’s first term as commissioner.

Holmes Beach swearing in kim
Commissioner Kim Rash takes the oath of office. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Commissioner turned Mayor Judy Titsworth also took the oath of office, making her the fifth female mayor of Holmes Beach.

After the formalities were completed and the elected officials had a moment to be congratulated by their family and friends, the commissioners and mayor took to the dais for the city’s annual organizational meeting.

Holmes Beach swearing in judy
Mayor Judy Titsworth is sworn in as the fifth female mayor of Holmes Beach. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Commissioner Jim Kihm was elected as the new chair in a 4-1 vote with Morton dissenting. Morton was elected as vice-chair for the city commission in a 3-2 vote with Kihm and Rash dissenting.

At the end of the meeting, Rash took the opportunity to thank his friends, family and supporters who helped him make his way to a commission seat. “We had a real uphill battle,” he said.

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer greeted the newly elected officials by saying, “Welcome to all and good luck.” Building Official Jim McGuinness also offered his congratulations.

As the meeting concluded, Titsworth said she’s feeling good about her new position and is “ready to get going.”

Kihm said he was happy to be elected as commission chair and said he’s looking forward to working with the new commission and hopes the coming year will be a good one for the city.

Also attending the meeting was former Mayor Bob Johnson, who said he’s feeling good about sitting on the other side of the dais and is looking forward to political retirement to spend more time with his wife and family.

The newly seated commission is scheduled to have its first regular meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 11 at city hall.

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Holmes Beach says goodbye to Mayor Johnson

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – With Mayor-elect Judy Titsworth ready to take the reins at city hall, commissioners and city hall staff joined together to say goodbye to outgoing Mayor Bob Johnson during his final commission meeting Nov. 13.

The group recognized Johnson’s work at city hall over the past four years with a standing ovation as each commissioner stepped down from the dais to personally congratulate him on his retirement from administrative service to the community. He congratulated Commissioner and Mayor-elect Judy Titsworth with a hug and words of encouragement.

goodbye bob handshake
Mayor Bob Johnson shakes the hand of Commissioner and Mayor-elect Judy Titsworth as she thanks him for his service to the community. – Kristin Swain | Sun

City Clerk Stacey Johnston recounted Johnson’s service to the community, beginning with his tenure on the Island Congestion Committee, and being elected to serve on the Charter Review Commission, where he served as chair, in 2014. He was elected as mayor in the fall of 2014, winning an additional two-year term in 2016. She read off a list of accomplishments including building up financial reserves for the city, implementing Citizen Serve software which consolidated the city’s three databases into one, reconstructing the building department, overseeing improvements at Grassy Point Preserve, enacting staff outreach programs and helping with the two-year-old vacation rental certificate program.

Johnston presented Johnson with a gift on behalf of the city staff and commission.

“I want to thank you for everything you’ve done,” she said.

“We as a city have done a lot in the last four, five, six years,” he said, crediting the city commission with creating initiatives and city staff for working to implement them.

“It has just been a pleasure for me to be associated with this staff that we have in the city, watching their growth over these last few years, their modernization out of the paper world into the beginnings, the very beginnings of the coming, automated world,” Johnson said. “I can’t thank the commission enough for the way they’ve taken care of the city, their output of policy and so forth. The discussions that you have in these meetings is tremendous and that is the key.”

“I thank you for the opportunity to serve you, the citizens of this city, so much,” he said. “I will miss this, I don’t mind telling you that.”

For his part, Johnson said he’s looking forward to retiring for a second time and traveling the world with his wife, Denise.

Titsworth will take over as mayor when she’s sworn in with members of the Charter Review Committee and Commissioners-elect Pat Morton and Kim Rash at 9 a.m., Nov. 29 at city hall.

Holmes Beach mayor Joshua Linney

Postcard causes issue for mayoral candidate

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

Holmes Beach mayoral candidate Josh Linney is again coming under fire, this time for offering an hour of free technical support on his election postcard mailing.

Offering anything of monetary value in election mailings, including services, is a violation of Florida law because it implies that candidates are paying for votes.

The catch with Linney’s mailing is that, according to his company site, Digital Verb, he doesn’t charge for an hour of technical support, only labor, which is listed at $50 per hour.

According to Sharon Stief, chief deputy at the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office, the statement on the postcard is in violation of Florida Statute 104.061 which states: “No person shall directly or indirectly give or promise anything of value to another intending thereby to buy that person’s or another’s vote.”

Linney argues that while he’s aware of the law, the statute doesn’t apply to him because the offered service has no monetary value.

“I think it’s important that it be known, the postcard doesn’t change the price or make it free, it’s always free. There isn’t any cash value, never has been because I don’t charge people,” Linney told The Sun.

Linney said that rather than offering a service to voters for their support of his campaign, he hopes that the offer on his campaign postcards will be taken as an opportunity for him to interact with the public. He said in exchange for answering residents’ questions he wants residents to tell him how, if elected, he could work to make Holmes Beach better.

“I just want to engage with the community,” he said. “I’ll do whatever they need. I’ll clean their house if they want me to.”

In an emailed statement, Linney wrote, “I don’t think it’s fair to ask hardworking residents, citizens and merchants to take time out of their day if I’m not willing to do the same. If someone has a problem and they think I have the solution, I’m willing to take the time to go meet with them personally to see if I can help them. If any in the city of Holmes Beach has anything they want me to hear about anything or wants to ask me any question any time, I’ll go to them personally to hear it. That’s the way it should be.”

The statement on his campaign postcard causes an issue because generally, technical support does come at a cost, particularly in-home assistance. Without a complaint to the state elections board that would have to be investigated, the issue won’t move forward or pose a threat to remove Linney from candidacy in Holmes Beach.

Linney said that right now he has no plans to re-release the postcard mailing without the offer, however, he said he will if necessary.

No complaints have yet been filed with the Florida Elections Commission concerning Linney’s election postcard.

Absentee voting already is underway in Holmes Beach. Early voting begins Oct. 24 in Manatee County. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Holmes Beach City Hall

Meet the Holmes Beach candidates at The Sun forum

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – If you have questions for the City Commission and mayoral candidates, Sept. 19 is your chance to get answers.

The Sun is hosting its annual candidate forum at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 19, at city hall, 5801 Marina Drive. Candidates will take to the dais to answer our readers’ questions before early voting begins in October.

During the forum, candidates will be asked to answer your questions with their fellow candidates given the chance to respond with their thoughts on the issues.

Commission candidates are first up at 6 p.m. With two two-year terms available on the City Commission, three candidates are vying for votes – Commissioner Pat Morton, Don Purvis and Kim Rash.

Morton served as commissioner since first being elected in 2003 and is currently serving a one-year term on the dais. In his current term, expiring November 2018, Morton was elected by his fellow commissioners to serve as vice-chair. He serves as liaison to Waste Pro for recycling and solid waste concerns, the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center and the Holmes Beach Police Department pension board.

Purvis is a newcomer to the local political arena. A Holmes Beach resident since 2010, Purvis works as the managing broker and an owner of Beach House Real Estate. After spending a year on the Center of Anna Maria Island’s board of directors, Purvis is ready to branch out into the local political arena to provide the City Commission with a fresh perspective on community issues.

Rash, the self-proclaimed mayor of Holmes Boulevard, is a long-time Holmes Beach resident who prides himself on giving a voice to the residents. After spending several years on the sidelines, he’s ready to dive into local politics to continue advocating for Holmes Beach residents and the rights of property owners in a more official capacity.

Immediately following the commission candidate forum, the mayoral candidates take the dais for a discussion of local issues and to answer questions. Vying for the mayoral position are Commissioner Judy Titsworth and political newcomer Joshua Linney.

Titsworth has been a lifetime resident of Holmes Beach. She was first elected to the city commission in 2012 and has served as commission chair since 2013. If elected as mayor, Titsworth hopes to use her years of local political and business management experience to benefit the city’s residents and business owners. Currently, she serves as the commission’s alternate for the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center and liaison for roads, bridges, canals and erosion issues.

Linney is a newcomer to the local political arena. A long-time resident of Holmes Beach, he currently serves as a member of the city’s Parks and Beautification Committee. He owns a website consulting service and previously served for three years in the U. S. Army. If elected, Linney says he wants to give voice to the residents of Holmes Beach.

To submit questions to be asked during the forum, email them to news@amisun.com or post them to our social media page.

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Mayoral candidate plagued by inconsistencies

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Holmes Beach Josh Linney campaign

Mayoral candidate plagued by inconsistencies

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Mayoral candidate Josh Linney is facing a lot of heat for the number of inconsistencies in his self-told background.

Despite his open and honest platform, misinformation and changing biographies are causing the public to question Linney and what he stands for. Though Linney can’t be disqualified for misrepresenting himself or altering the information in his self-written biography on the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections website, the inconsistencies are consistently placing him and his background in the public spotlight.

Biography versions

Updates to Linney’s online candidate biography have been noted by The Sun on July 4, July 23, July 27 and August 4, the latest as of press time. In each incarnation, new details have emerged and some have changed or disappeared.

In the first version of his biography, Linney made several claims including declining ROTC scholarships and admission to West Point in favor of guaranteed airborne and Army Ranger training. He noted that he finished second in his Army Advanced Infantry Training class. His biography also said he was deployed for a year to Iraq and suffered a traumatic brain injury from a one-story fall from a building.

The July 23 biography lists Linney as a Gulf War veteran and changes his deployment location to the Middle East. The detail about the fall from a building was omitted.

The July 25 biography said at recruitment he was guaranteed an assignment in the Army’s airborne division and admission to the Ranger Indoctrination Program. It also said he graduated from AIT second in his class from U. S. Army Quartermaster School in 1994 and spent nearly a year traveling through the Middle East before returning stateside in 1995 and being diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome along with other medical issues. A July 27 change took his status from Gulf War veteran to a veteran of the Gulf War period. In his Aug. 4 biography, Linney is listed as a Gulf War veteran who participated in Operation Vigilant Warrior.

Military training

His military records state that Linney entered the Army on Sept. 15, 1993, and served as a private first class before receiving an honorable discharge for medical reasons Aug. 6, 1996, followed by disability. In addition to passing basic training, he completed three weeks of basic airborne training, one week of combat lifesaver training and one week of driver training.

Linney never completed any infantry training. In an Aug. 5 interview, Linney said the claim of attending Advanced Infantry Training was an error he made after seeking help from an advisor on the biography with the full name of the training he knew as AIT. The Army website lists AIT as Advanced Individual Training.

Both airborne division soldiers and Army Rangers are listed as specialty schools and training disciplines on the Army’s official website. His military record shows his only specialty as food service.

At the time Linney was in the Army, soldiers were evaluated in a three-week Ranger Indoctrination Program before qualifying for Ranger program training. At enlistment, soldiers can volunteer for airborne training if they meet the criteria, but cannot be accepted to the Ranger training program without first being enlisted and completing the required pretraining and passing the screening process. Completion of basic airborne training does not qualify a soldier for acceptance into a specialized airborne division, according to the official Army website.

Education

Linney said he was invited to attend West Point by school representatives in a letter after scoring in the top 1 percentile on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. School representatives would not confirm or deny Linney’s acceptance. The school’s website says admission to West Point requires prospective students pass each step of the rigorous acceptance process, including receiving at least one nomination from Congressional representatives, the Vice President of the United States, the Puerto Rican governor or resident commissioner, the Secretary of the Army or a military official. Linney said he had no nominations.

Injuries and Gulf War Syndrome

In a previous interview with The Sun, Linney stated his traumatic brain injury was caused by the fall from a building, but in an Aug. 5 interview said it was caused by a fall from a truck during a training exercise in California in preparation for going overseas. After he recovered from the fall, Linney said he went back to training and was deployed as scheduled with the other members of his unit.

When he was discharged, Linney said he was diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. The illness is defined by the Department of Veterans Affairs as “a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms” ranging from headaches to PTSD. Because of the widespread physical and mental symptoms documented in soldiers who served in Southwest Asia, it’s assumed that certain chronic, unexplained symptoms that persist or get worse over a six-month period are related to the syndrome. Soldiers can apply for benefits due to the syndrome if they served on active duty in the region prior to the end of 2021.

Linney served in Southwest Asia for 43 days, his only recorded deployment. The dates of his deployment line up with those from Operation Vigilant Warrior, a mission to dispel an Iraqi threat on the Kuwait border. Linney said he was a cook in the dining facility of an armored division attached to the third brigade infantry division verified to have participated in the operation. Though he did not serve during the Gulf War, Linney qualifies as a Gulf War veteran according to the VA along with any other soldier serving on active duty from Aug. 2, 1990, to present.

Despite inconsistencies in biographies, articles, or social media posts, Linney’s name is still on the November ballot for Holmes Beach voters. Though inconsistencies can’t disqualify him, voters will be left to assess a candidate with a past record in dispute who is running on an honesty platform. Linney has had several run-ins with the law, more than a dozen with the Holmes Beach Police Department whose budget he would oversee as mayor, been convicted of two driving under the influence charges, and also faced drug-related and theft charges.

These days, Linney says he lives his life free from alcohol and drugs other than those prescribed by a doctor and medical marijuana, of which he is an advocate. He says he hopes voters will not judge him based on the issues of his past, though he denies issues in his present, saying that he wants to be as “open and transparent as possible.”

“I don’t have anything to hide,” he said.