BY TRACY LEE TATE
Times Staff Writer
LAKE BUTLER — Just a month from now, the city of Lake Butler will hold a special election to fill Seat 2 on the Lake Butler City Commission. The seat became open due to the resignation of Mayor Jack Schenck late last year.
The commission had decided earlier this year to hold a special election rather than appoint a commissioner to fill out their number. The commission asked the Union County supervisor of elections to administer the election and she agreed, starting a long process of getting ready to have an election.
There is a great deal of work to be done to meet all of the state laws and regulations governing an election. The election must be announced so potential candidates will have chance to first, declare that they will run for the position and, second, qualify for that position after a specified length of time — all the while doing things like getting signatures or paying qualifying fees, opening special bank accounts and getting the word out about their candidacy. The elections office must make the future candidates aware of all the requirements they must meet and, after qualifying ends, have time to have ballots printed and sent out to voters that wish (or must) vote by mail – these include men and women in the military who may wish to cast their vote from another country. All these requirements are the reason it has taken several months to get everything ready for the April 4, 2023 special election date.
Qualifying as a candidate for the special election ended at noon on Feb. 17, 2023 with only two candidates vying for the seat. As per the requirements for running for the position, both are residents of the city of Lake Butler for at least the past six months and are registered voters. Each has paid their qualifying fees ($106.74 , which is 1% of a commissioner’s salary, plus a $25 qualifying fee) and been officially sworn in as a candidate. For them, all that’s left is to make their presence known in the community by campaigning.
The candidates are:
Rondoll Huggins – Huggins is 50 years old and works as a warehouse supervisor for Victory Packaging in Jacksonville. He was born and raised in Lake Butler and has returned home after a few years working out of state.
When asked why he chose to run for a seat on the city commission, Huggins said, “This is a life-long dream of mine. When I was a child, I set myself with a number of accomplishments I wanted to make in my life and this is one of them. I want to serve the residents of my hometown and be able to help bring a positive vibe to the city. I want to serve with a purpose and be proactive in the resolution of resident’s concerns.”
Joe Stephenson – Stephenson is 72 years old and is retired. He is best known as a member of the family that owned Lake Butler Apparel.
When asked why he chose to run for the commission seat, Stephenson said, “I have always wanted to serve my community, but I have always been working and too busy to run and serve. Now that I am retired I have the time to do the job and feel a duty to help deal with problems in the city. This is a ‘call of duty’ for me and I feel with my background in business I can be of service. I love problem solving.”
The Special Election will be held April 4, 2023, at the Hal Y. Maines Lake Butler Community Center from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. There will be no early voting, but vote by mail ballots are available. Voters must be registered voters in Union County and present a photo ID at the polling place. Voters are also encouraged to check and make sure that they have a current signature card on file at the supervisor of elections office, as signatures can change over time.
As the supervisor of elections office will be conducting the election, any questions may be directed to that office, either by dropping by its location at 175 W. Main St. in Lake Butler, or by calling the office at 386-496-2236.
