ORLANDO, Fla. – Voters in several Lake County cities and towns will pick candidates and decide on issues in municipal elections on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Elections are happening in five cities and towns. In some cases, a candidate was automatically elected because they faced no opponents.
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The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for these elections has passed.
To find out if you are eligible to vote in any of these elections, and where you vote, head to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections website.
You can check your registration information, check the status of your vote-by-mail ballot or find your polling place.
Clermont
Clermont had two city commission seats up for election. However, Jim Purvis, the incumbent council member for Seat 2, did not get an opponent and was automatically reelected.
In Seat 4, two candidates are vying for a seat vacated by Ebo Entsuah.
Clermont City Council, Seat 4
MAX KRZYMINKSI — Website
Max Krzyminski is a commercial real estate broker who has also served on the city’s planning and zoning board. Krzyminski says if elected he wants to focus on managing growth in the city, finding balance between growth and preservation by pushing infrastructure improvements, pushing for sustainable developments and protecting green spaces. He also wants to increase community involvement in the city by establishing advisory committees and better utilizing communication platforms.
CHANDRA MYERS — Website
Chandra Myers is a military wife and a member of the city’s code enforcement board. If elected, Myers’ priorities include balancing the budget and getting property taxes lowered, fixing congested streets, pushing for an infrastructure-first approach to growth, and supporting first responders.
CLERMONT ORDINANCE PROPOSAL
Voters in Clermont will also decide on a proposed ordinance to change the length of terms in office for council members and also institute term limits. Here is the ballot language.
Currently, the city charter requires council members to serve two-year terms with a maximum of four consecutive terms. A yes vote for this amendment, effective with the elections in November of 2024 and 2026, approves increasing council terms to four years, with council members elected in November 2025 serving a one-year term, and reduces term limits to three consecutive terms. A no vote rejects the amendment.
Lady Lake
The town council in Lady Lake had four wards up for election. However, only one election attracted two candidates.
In Ward 1, Treva Roberts was elected automatically. In Ward 3, incumbent Ed Freeman won reelection without opposition. A special election was going to be held for Ward 4, but Ed Regan attracted no opponents and was elected automatically.
That means there is only an election for Ward 5 on the town council.
Ward 5
JIM RIETZ — Website
Jim Rietz is the incumbent for Ward 5 on the town council and the mayor of Lady Lake. Rietz is a web designer who has worked for several big companies. Rietz believes that development is necessary to increase the tax base for the town, but growth needs to be accompanied by infrastructure. He says he would also work to keep a tight budget, help make Lady Lake a golf cart community, and throw a great 100th birthday bash for the town.
MIKE SAGE — Facebook
Mike Sage owns Silver Springs Kayaking LLC, and is retired from AT&T. He says he wants to continue to work to keep the town’s tax rate low, keep growth and development responsible, particularly by adding businesses that require fewer services. He wants to improve road conditions in the town, and hire more police.
Mascotte
In Mascotte, the mayor and two council seats were up for election. However, incumbent mayor Steven Sheffield was reelected without opposition, as was Seat 1 Council Member Ellen Cruz.
Seat 5 Council Member Randy Brasher is up for reelection, however, Brasher told News 6 he was not actively campaigning. His opponent is Sharee Hodge.
City Council Seat 5
RANDY BRASHER — No campaign website
Randy Brasher is the former fire chief for the City of Mascotte and the current seat 5 council member. He has lived in the city for over 40 years.
SHAREE HODGE — Facebook
Sharee Hodge is the CEO of the HAPPI Foundation, a nonprofit that mentors parents and offers classes. Hodge says she supports creating stable affordable housing, neighborhood preservation and revitalization and promoting economic development.
Minneola
Minneola has three city council seats up for election, one of which is the mayoral seat (seat 3). Voters will also decide on two ballot questions regarding city council terms in office.
City Council Seat 1
MONICA LUNA — Website
Monica Luna is a former teacher who still works for the Lake County school district. If elected, Luna said she would push for low taxes, protect the self-sufficiency rights of property owners and support a strong law enforcement agency.
PAM SERVISS — Facebook
Incumbent council member Pam Serviss has served on the Minneola city Council for 12 years, including 10 years as vice mayor. She has run unopposed in the seat since 2013. She has also worked in graphics as a consultant.
City Council Seat 3
NATHAN FOCHT — Website
Nathan Focht is a small business owner who wants to see Minneola have a long-term fiscal plan for the government. He wants to push for state funding to build large scale civic projects, increase school choice options, make the city attractive for small businesses, and work with developers on manage growth.
PAT KELLEY
Pat Kelley is the mayor of Minneola and chair of the Community Redevelopment Agency. He was first elected to the city council in 2007 and was elected to Seat 3 and mayor in 2009.
Kelley did not respond to an email request for campaign website links. However, he did recently talk to News 6′s Justin Warmoth about his philosophy for governing growth in Minneola. Kelley says he’s worked to make Minneola a “pay-as-you-go” city when it comes to growth, and working with developers to make sure infrastructure is in place before building new neighborhoods.
City Council Seat 5
JUANA DELACRUZ — Website
Juana Delacruz is a bookkeeper and paralegal who also helps with child and mental health programs in the county. Delacruz has three priorities if elected to office: ending the business tax receipt and getting rid of charging for permits on house improvements like fence replacements, improving access to city government decisions via online and in social media, and implementing term limits for council members.
KELLY PRICE — Facebook
Kelly Price is a retired teacher who served on the city council for a time and is looking to come back. Price said she wants to come back to finish projects she started while on the council, and like working to make the city debt-free, establishing the community garden, adding amenities to Trailhead Park and other things. Price also says she wants to be part of efforts to plan the new growth happening in the city to make sure developments are well thought out.
JOSEPH SAUNDERS — Facebook
Joseph Saunders is an electrician and engineer, and an incumbent city council member who was first elected in 2009. Saunders touts a number of accomplishments in his time in office, including the decision to focus on paying down the city’s debt and building reserves without raising taxes, supporting the new Florida’s Turnpike interchange and repairing streets. Saunders says his top priorities if reelected are repairing or replacing aging infrastructure, maintaining the tax rate, adding street lights, traffic lights, sidewalks and crossing guards, completing the central fire station, bringing a charter technical high school to the city, and paying down the last of the city’s loan on the sewer treatment plant.
BALLOT QUESTION NUMBER 1
The city of Minneola is asking voters whether they approve changing the terms in office for city council members from two years in office to four years in office. Here is the ballot language:
Currently, the city charter provides for annual city council elections and staggered two-year terms of office. The proposed amendment increases the term from 2 to 4 years and provides staggered four-year terms of office. If the amendment is approved, Council Seats 1, 3, and 5 shall be up for re-election for a four-year term starting in November 2026 and Seats 2 and 4 shall be up for re-election for a four-year term starting in November 2024. Shall the above-described amendments be adopted? Yes [ ] no [ ]
BALLOT QUESTION NUMBER 2
The city is asking voters if they want to implement a term limit of eight years and 60 days for the city council members. Here is the ballot language:
Currently, the city charter contains no city council term limits. The proposed amendment provides for a term limit of eight years and sixty days beginning after the November 2023 election. The proposed amendment allows someone who would otherwise not qualify to serve on city council due to such term limit to sit out once for an intervening term of office and thereafter qualify for one additional maximum of eight years and sixty days on city council. Shall the above-described amendment be adopted? Yes [ ] no [ ]
Tavares
The City of Tavares had two seats on its council up for election. In Seat 4, incumbent Troy Singer attracted no opposition and was reelected. That leaves Seat 2 on the council, with two candidates.
City Council Seat 2
SANDY GAMBLE
Incumbent Sandy Gamble is a pastor who has been on the city council off and on since 2008, including a stint as the city’s mayor and a term on the Lake County School Board. He is currently vice mayor. Gamble did not respond to a request for campaign website or social media links and nothing was found online.
Doug Keown — Facebook
Doug Keown is a Navy veteran and part-time teacher at UCF. He wants to find ways to save the city money so it can reduce property taxes while still balancing the budget, make sure there is infrastructure to meet growth demands, find new ways to promote city events, and support the needs of first responders.
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