2020 Election: Tarpon Springs, Oldsmar To Elect City Leaders

TARPON SPRINGS, FL — North Pinellas County voters in Tarpon Springs and Oldsmar voter will have chance to elect new city representatives and well as give their input on some ballot questions on Tuesday.

Tarpon Springs Election

Tarpon Springs voters will choose elect a commissioner for Seat 1. Susan Hales is challenging incumbent Jacob Karr.

Raised in Tarpon Springs, Karr is now raising his own family in the community. He and his wife, Carrie, who grew up in East Lake, have a daughter who is just more than a year old and are expecting a son in April.

Karr has served as a commissioner for three years. Before being elected, he served on the city's Planning & Zoning Board from 2013 to 2017 and the Historic Preservation Board from 2019 to 2013.

He earned a business management degree from the University of Florida and works as a procurement manager at a national healthcare company in Clearwater.

Hales has a bachelor's degree in finance from the University of South Alabama and spent 25 years in healthcare finance before relocating to Tarpon Springs in 2012 to work as financial reporting manager for the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg.

She's completed the Tarpon Springs Citizen's Academy program and currently serves as the vice chairwoman of the Budget Advisory Board. She's also volunteered with the Tarpon Springs Fine Arts Festival and the Rotary Triathlon, and founded a local fitness group that meets weekly in Tarpon Springs. The grandmother of five recently ran her 25th marathon.

Ballot questions include:

• No. 1 Charter Amendment: The city charter now requires a voter referendum and approval by four members of the commission if the city wants to purchase, sell, exchange, convey or lease real property in any amount greater than $250,000. The amendment would increase the limit to $350,000 and require a voter referendum.
• No. 2 Charter Amendment — This amendment more clearly lays out the powers, responsibilities and duties of commissioners, including the duty to maintain parks, improve streets and sidewalks, evaluate charter officers, review city policies, set a budget, act as the Community Redevelopment Agency Board, create boards and departments and maintain the Anclote River.
• No. 3 Charter Amendment — The city charter lays out the terms of office, qualifications and date of annual elections for elected officials but makes no reference about municipal elections being nonpartisan. This amendment will correct that oversight.
• No. 4 Charter Amendment — The city charter now prohibits the commissioners from directing and supervising city employees under the city's manager's authority but doesn't do the same for the city attorney, internal auditor, city clerk and collector's offices. This amendment prohibits commissioners from interfering with these employees as well.
• No. 5 Charter Amendment — This amendment requires that the internal auditor be a full-time employee of the city and lists the auditor's duties including auditing departments for compliance, developing an audit manual and preparing an audit calendar.
• No. 6 Charter Amendment — This amends the city charter to place the authority of the city clerk and collector to hire, discharge, or suspend employees in the charter section related to the city clerk and collector.
• No. 7 Charter Amendment — This amendment requires the city attorney or a representative of the city attorney's office to attend and advise all quasi-judicial board meetings of the city.
• No. 8 Charter Amendment — This amendment would excuse department heads and charter officers from residency requirements for up to three years with the exception of the city manager.
• No. 9 Charter Amendment — The city charter allows city employees to sell city goods and services for under $20, which is a violation of Florida statutes. So this provision is being taken out of the charter.
• No. 10 Charter Amendment — The city charter created a street and sidewalk investment fund to support street, drainage and sidewalk improvements. However, the Charter Revision Commission has determined that the funds could be better spent on sidewalk improvements throughout the city. The commission proposes amending the charter to allow the city commission to appropriate up to $100,000 annually for sidewalk improvements if it is matched by the city’s Capital Improvement Program?
• No. 11 Charter Amendment — The charter currently allows the city attorney to request an interpretation of the charter by the Charter Revision Commission. The amendment would allow the city commission to convene the charter commission and request an opinion.
• No. 12 Charter Amendment — This amendment changes the name Tarpon Springs General Hospital to the current name AdventHealth North Pinellas.
• Referendum Question — The city will ask voters for permission to sell a 2,728-square-foot city-owned surplus property at 308 High St. for its appraised value to Jesse Bozarth.

Oldsmar Election

Oldsmar is hosting a special election to fill the vacant Seat 3 on the city council. Chris Bohr, Andrew Knapp and Kelly O’Brien have thrown their hats into the race.

Voters also will be asked to answer two ballot questions.

Both questions correct errors in language about filling vacancies on the city council.

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