Temple Terrace Seeks Mayoral Candidates

TEMPLE TERRACE – Residents of Temple Terrace will go to the polls this October to elect a new mayor during a special election. In the meantime, the city will soon seek candidates to run for the office.

The City of Temple Terrace announced the qualifying period for the Oct. 10 special election will begin at noon on Monday, July 31 and end at noon on Friday, Aug. 4.

The special election was called when the city’s previous mayor, Kim Leinbach, stepped down from his post on Thursday, May 18. In his resignation letter, Leinbach said he was stepping down because of the “onset of significant family health issues, coupled with the opportunity to serve once again.”

Leinbach was elected mayor on Nov. 8 last year. He has worked more than 30 years in government public service, including holding the position of Temple Terrace city manager from January 1999 through April 2013.

Leinbach also said in his resignation letter that his desire to continue in public service led him to accept the interim city manager position in Plant City.

Temple Terrace City Council Member and Vice Mayor Rober Boss has been acting as the city’s interim mayor.

Candidates seeking to run for Temple Terrace mayor must be residents of, and live in, the city limits or the areas annexed to the city, or a combination of the two, for two years immediately prior to the date of the election. The mayor must also remain a resident of Temple Terrace during their term in office.

The mayor is elected at-large and the election is non-partisan. The winning candidate will serve the remainder of Leinbach’s four-year term, ending in November 2020.

Early voting for the special election will take place Oct. 5-7 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Temple Terrace Public Library, 202 Bullard Parkway.

Candidates interested in running are asked to contact the Temple Terrace City Clerk’s office at (813) 506-6440.

Image via City of Temple Terrace Facebook page