Monroe Roark
The Madeira Beach election results are in, and voters not only chose a mayor, but voted on two charter amendments.
Jim Rostek defeated Doug Andrews by a scant 40 votes, with 518 votes (52.01%) to Andrews’ 478 (47.99%). The race had grown somewhat unfriendly, with Rostek filing complaints with the Florida Attorney General and the Florida Ethics Commission. Rostek complaints centered around what he said was an improperly released video. He filed the complaints against both the city manager and Andrews.
Andrews, who chose to leave his District Three seat to run for mayor, will step down from his commission seat. Eddie McGeehan will step into that role; he ran unopposed. Anne-Marie Brooks also ran unopposed and will represent District 4.
Madeira Beach Charter Amendments
Madeira Beach residents voted on two charter amendments.
Voters overwhelmingly passed Amendment One, which changes the city charter to require anyone who wants to serve as mayor or a commissioner “be an elector and resident” of the city for at least one year before they qualify to run for office. Of 976 voters, 812 (83.2%) voted yes and 164 (16.8%) voted no.
Charter Amendment Two didn’t fare as well. It would have amended the city charter so that the commission could hire a contractor or third-party firm to serve as the city’s finance director and treasurer. Of 964 votes cast, 537 (55.71%) voted no and 427 (44.29%) voted yes.
