Williams picked as mayor, Gold as vice mayor of Longboat Key Town Commission

With a year left before reaching her term limit, Debra Williams will end her tenure on the Longboat Key Town Commission as mayor.

She replaces Ken Schneier, who served six years as mayor. Williams was nominated for mayor by Commissioner BJ Bishop and was voted in unanimously. After the 10-minute statutory meeting, Williams said she hopes her appointment to a one-year term “starts a new tradition” among the commission that allows more to serve in the capacity as mayor.

“Looking around at other towns, the city of Sarasota and the Manatee County commissions, they rotate their chairs in the idea that everybody should have a chance to serve,” Williams said. “I thought coming after Mayor Schneier, who did a wonderful job, I thought it’d be nice to open things up a bit. Obviously it’s not my call. It’s not for me to say, but I do know a lot of people would like to hold those roles, so I’m just hoping that this commission and future commissions keep that idea in the forefront of their minds.”

Asked what she hopes to accomplish in her tenure, Williams said she would like to make progress on the town’s plans to construct a 12-foot-wide multiuse path parallel to Gulf of Mexico Drive. 

Photo by S.T. Cardinal

While Williams, who was vice mayor until Monday, was unanimously chosen by the commission, who will replace her as vice mayor was a split vote.

Commissioner Gary Coffin nominated Steve Branham and Sarah Karon nominated Penny Gold. By a 4-3 margin, including votes by Gold and Branham for themselves, Gold was elected vice mayor. Karon, Williams and Bishop voted for Gold. Coffin and Nick Gladding voted for Branham.

Also at Monday’s statutory meeting, election results were read. Turnout was abysmal, with three total votes. That’s because the votes were a formality. They were cast by and for the candidates themselves. With three open seats, only three candidates filed to fill them, including Coffin and Karon, who ran unopposed for re-election.

A new face on the dais is Gladding who was sworn in as District 3 commissioner. Gladding was formerly a land use and environmental lawyer and recently stepped down from serving on the town’s Planning and Zoning Board to take his role on the commission.