Monroe Roark
A recount in Kenneth City is on the way for candidates in the town’s recent election, which was just about as close as it could possibly be.
The Pinellas County Canvassing Board will meet Friday, Mar. 17, at 10 a.m. at the Election Service Center in Largo. The board will certify the unofficial results for the county’s municipal elections. It will also conduct a machine recount and, if required, a hand recount for the Kenneth City election.
Florida law requires an automatic machine recount if the margin between candidates is 0.5% or less. The state requires a manual recount if the margin is 0.25% or less.
In Kenneth City, two candidates finished in a tie. Four candidates vied for two seats on the town council. Of those four, two – Kyle Cummings and Barbara Roberts – received exactly 235 votes each. A third challenger, Tony Chan, came in a close third, with 230 votes. Jeffrey Pfannes received 106 votes. Both Cummings and Roberts currently serve on town council.
All five council members serve as “at large” representatives, meaning the entire town elects each council member. The two candidates with the most votes will serve the town on council.
Kenneth City has two voting precincts: 237 and 244. The town has 3,013 registered voters; of those, 806 voted in the Mar. 14 election, translating to a 25.75% voter turnout rate.
Anyone may attend the canvassing board meeting.
Read The Gabber’s article about the Kenneth City candidates.
