Clearwater, in a relatively small turnout on March 9th, voted to keep a city council incumbent and reelect a former city council member.

Clearwater's city council elections will take place on Tuesday, March 9th. While federal elections may draw more interest, the city council elections have more direct influence on our everyday lives. Since local government is more accessible, it is easier for citizens to have a say in how it is run.  

This will be a year of many elections. We will be deciding on a new US senator and a new governor, among other offices. But perhaps the most influential in our daily lives will be the elections for city council. The Clearwater races have been drawing a lot of attention recently, with four candidates for Seat 4, where Carlen Peterson has termed out, and two for Seat 5, where incumbent Paul Gibson is seeking re-election. Having met for their first debate on February 1st, here are the candidates:

The search for Clearwater’s next Chief of Police came to an end on January 11th. Beating out over 100 other applicants for the position, Anthony “Tony” Holloway has been named as Clearwater’s next Chief of Police and retiring Chief Sid Klein’s successor.

In February, Clearwater Police Chief Sid Klein will retire after serving 29 years as the city’s Chief of Police. The daunting task of finding a replacement lies on the shoulders of City Manager Bill Horne, aided by input from citizens and city officials. Horne has whittled down the list of applicants to two qualified candidates.