BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Editor
LAKE BUTLER — City residents who have been making plans to vote for their choice of candidate at the Lake Butler city election, originally scheduled for June 28, will have to find something else to do that day as the election has been canceled for lack of need.
Three seats on the Lake Butler City Commission were up for election or retention, but a lack of challengers to two city commissioners and a single candidate for the open seat has made the election unnecessary.
City Commissioner Jimmy Beasley, currently filling Seat Four on the commission stated his intention to resign a couple of months ago, leaving the seat open at the end of his term. In addition to this, incumbents in seats five and three were coming to the end of their terms as well, although both of them stated their intent to run for reelection.
Annette Redman (Seat 3) and Fred Sirmones (Seat 5) ended up running unopposed for retention, so neither of these seats would appear on the ballot. Only one candidate stated her intent to run for Seat Four and completed the qualifying requirements, once again making an election unnecessary as there was no choice of multiple candidates for voters to select from (when only one candidate runs, they automatically take the seat as there is no competition). The end result of all this is the fact that there is no need for an election.
Melissa Hendrix was the only candidate to run for Seat Four, completing all of the required actions, including qualifying. As such, she will be sworn in to her new position on June 21 at a scheduled commission meeting. Redman and Sirmones will also take their oath of office to begin their new terms and will continue in their seats and the city will save the cost of holding an election.
