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More than 16,400 Pinellas County residents cast their ballots to decide who will lead their cities and towns into the future.
Highlighting the races March 9 were four mayoral posts, including three in municipalities along the beaches. Below are some highlights of the official results.
Commissioner Tyler Payne
Treasure Island
There will be a new mayor in Treasure Island after Commissioner Tyler Payne handily defeated incumbent Larry Lunn with 62.33% of the vote. Payne was elected in 2020 representing District 2, which encompasses Isle of Palms and Sunshine Beach. Lunn, who was elected to a three-year term in 2018, also served as commissioner of District 2 from 2017-18.
TREASURE ISLAND â Mayor-elect Tyler Payne vowed to have the City Commission play an active role in ensuring all city departments provide the best customer service taxpayers and businesses can ask for, while improving the cityâs communication skills.
In the March 9 municipal election, Payne beat incumbent Larry Lunn by 634 votes to become the cityâs next mayor.
Mayor-elect Payne was elected to the City Commission for a two-year term in 2020 representing District 2, which encompasses Isle of Palms and Sunshine Beach. He resigned to run for mayor, and his commission seat will be filled March 16 by John Doctor, a former Bright House/Spectrum executive who was unopposed.
In Safety Harbor, âtownies versus the developersâ dominates city commission races
Safety Harbor and nine other small Pinellas municipalities will hold elections March 9.
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Candidate signs are seen along a street Friday, March 5, 2021 in Safety Harbor. It is one of 10 small Pinellas municipalities that will hold elections March 9, with four mayorâs offices and 19 council or commission seats on the ballots. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]
By William March
Updated Mar. 6
The perennial political argument in Safety Harbor â development vs. preserving what everyone calls âsmall town charmâ â is again dominating city commission campaigns in this community of about 17,000, known as the cutest town around Tampa Bay.
TREASURE ISLAND â The city has strengthened its coastal lighting standards to protect sea turtle hatchlings, by specifically going after the violator rather than just the property owner.
During a Feb. 16 City Commission meeting, City Manager Garry Brumback said the city worked rapidly to take action âthat would enforce lighting standards and protect turtles.â
At an earlier workshop, Assistant Public Works Director Stacy Boyles told commissioners that over the past two years the city has had a high number of marine turtle disorientations, âand a lot of it is due to artificial lighting that can be seen from our beach.â
She advised the city will strengthen its ordinance though heightened and pinpointed enforcement of regulations that restrict artificial lighting from reaching the beach during nesting season.