By Michael Cook
Voters in Briny Breezes didn’t have an election in March, leaving most of the work of deciding the town’s “elected officials” to the Town Council.
Only one candidate met the qualifying deadline in November — incumbent Alderman Jeff Duncan. He won election without opposition and was sworn in March 17.
That left two empty seats, as outgoing Mayor Ted Gross and Alderwoman Holly Reitnauer chose not to run for reelection.
Alderman Bill Birch said he’d like to be mayor and was appointed by the council at its regular March 26 meeting. And Reitnauer, Birch’s wife, had a change of heart about continuing on the council. The council appointed her to take her seat again.
She originally opted not to run for health reasons, but said she is now in a better state to serve the town. That still leaves another opening, with Birch’s former seat needing to be filled.
Town Attorney Keith Davis said the main requirements to fill the seat are to be a registered voter, a Briny Breezes resident for at least six months of the year, and available to attend Town Council meetings.
Gross left the mayor’s position after serving in it for a single term, citing the weak-mayor system as a reason he could not execute his initiatives.
The new mayor, Birch, said he will continue to represent neighbors’ voices.
“I just like the idea of being able to go out and meet with people,” said Birch, using those conversations to inform his council decisions. However, his former position as alderman has one advantage over his current position as mayor: An alderman gets to vote on the council; the mayor doesn’t.
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