Kelly Hayes
Vice Mayor Glenn Gunn and Council Member Jody Shirley held on to their seats on the Belleair Beach Council after being reelected Tuesday. The Council will also welcome newcomer Frank Bankard.
Belleair Beach had three City Council seats on the ballot, and voters could choose from five candidates.
Bankard took the most votes, pulling 23.08% of the pool. Incumbent Gunn came in next, with 22.60% of votes. Shirley narrowly held on to her seat, winning by one vote, and earning 20.22% of votes cast.
Shirley works in land and real estate development and is prioritizing infrastructure and policies to help the ecosystem.
Gunn is a former Coast Guard officer and said in an interview with TBN he wants to move forward with solving the city’s infrastructure problems, streamlining the budget and positioning the city for the future.
The open seat taken by Bankard will replace Council member Marv Behm, who was not running for reelection.
The three non-incumbent candidates included Bankard, Kathleen Klaeser and Leslie Notaro.
Bankard is running on a platform of personal and public safety, and has more than 20 years of experience in dealing with township and city governments.
Klaeser, who serves as a program manager for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, wants to address traffic and power outages within the town.
Notaro, who is a lawyer, served as the town’s Mayor after being elected in 2016, and before that, she served on the Council. She lost reelection to the Mayor’s seat in 2019 against current Mayor Joseph Manzo. Notaro is pushing for sustainable economic development.
