Longboat Key early voting has begun

Early voting for the town of Longboat Key’s March election began on Monday. 

Registered voters on the island can go to the Longboat Key Town Hall, located at 501 Bay Isles Road, to cast early ballots. Polls for early voting are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. from Monday, March 3 through Saturday, March 8. 

The town clerk’s office will offer a spread of treats for early voters throughout the week, including root beer floats in the afternoons.

The election includes a contested race for a commission seat, which is a rarity for Longboat Key elections. The last time Longboat Key had a contested commission race was in 2018.

Steve Branham and Debbie Murphy will vie for the at-large seat which will become vacant as Vice Mayor Mike Haycock terms out. 

Also on the ballot is a referendum that asks town voters if the town should be allowed to pursue a State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan of up to $33 million for the subaqueous force main replacement project. 

The project is necessary, and this SRF loan offers a lower interest rate than alternative routes, like revenue bonds. If the referendum fails, the town would need to go with bonds at a higher interest rate, which would result in utility rates for residents being re-adjusted. 

The last two items on the ballot are charter amendments.

The first deals with the town commission’s summer recess schedule. The town code already permits the commission to break in August, and it’s been a long-standing practice for the commission to wrap up voting matters during the last meeting in June and cancel July meetings to allow for a two-month recess. This amendment would make that two-month recess a part of the town code. 

The other charter amendment clarifies some language to allow the town manager or town commission to appoint an acting town manager in the event the town manager is unable to serve for some reason. 

Election day will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on March 11. Manatee County voters can cast their ballots at the Longboat Island Chapel (6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive) and Sarasota County voters will need to go to the Longboat Key Town Hall (501 Bay Isles Road).