City of Gulf Breeze Election Information 2024

City of Gulf Breeze Election Information

General Election Tuesday, November 5, 2024

City Council Information

The Gulf Breeze City Council consists of five members, including the Mayor. All members of the Council are elected at large by a majority vote of the qualified voters of the City voting in the general election.

One council office shall be the office of the Mayor. The other four (4) council offices shall be designated by separate seats (“A,” “B,” “C,” and “D”). All members of the Council, including the Mayor, take office thirty (30) days after the general election in which they are elected. These positions should be considered volunteer positions. The salary is $1.00 per year.

The terms of each Council office shall be four (4) years. Terms of office for members of the Council other than the office of Mayor shall be staggered such that two offices of the Council are elected for their four (4) year terms at the general election every two (2) years. The first four (4) year term of the office of Mayor shall commence with the general election of 2024.

City Council meetings are held on the first and third Mondays of each month at 5:30 p.m. The meeting schedule has been adjusted for September to accommodate the budget public hearings and may be adjusted periodically to avoid federal or state holidays. In addition to the regular meeting schedule of two Council meetings per month, there are numerous other workshops. boards, committees, events, etc., that you may be called on to represent the City and attend.

Seats up for Election

The City of Gulf Breeze will have the following seats up for election on November 5, 2024
Mayor, Seat A, Seat B, and Seat C.

Mayor – Currently held by Cherry Fitch (four-year term 2024-2028)
Seat A – Currently held by JB Schluter (four-year term 2024-2028)
Seat B – Currently held by Tom Naile (four-year term 2024-2028)
Seat C – Currently held by Brittany Simpson (2024-2026) * (appointed by Council to fill a vacancy and serve until the 2024 general election)

The first four (4) year term of the office of Mayor shall commence with the general election of 2024. Terms are assigned to the Seat by the City Charter.

*Seat C term will serve a two-year term. (the second half of the four-year term for Seat C)

Qualifying

Qualifying to become a candidate for Mayor or City Council opens at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, August 5, 2024, and closes at noon on Friday, August 16, 2024.

Qualifying is a ten-business-day period in which a candidate must submit Oaths, Financial Disclosure Forms, and the Qualifying Fee or the Petition Completion letter. Per the Florida Division of Elections and Florida Election Code, the qualifying period to run for Mayor or City Council is strictly enforced and not flexible.

Those seeking to qualify must be a qualified elector of the City and a bona fide resident of the City of Gulf Breeze (32561)and shall comply with applicable Florida statutory provisions, including provisions on payment of an election assessment, and shall also comply with provisions of the Florida Election Code applicable to municipalities, Chapters 97–106, including provisions on payment of a qualifying fee or use of the petition process in lieu of payment of the fee.

Filing of Form 6 Full and Public Disclosure of Financial Interests

When to File: Candidates: During the qualifying period.

Who Must File Form 6: All persons holding or qualifying as candidates for the following positions: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Cabinet members, members of the Legislature, State Attorneys, Public Defenders, Clerks of Circuit Courts, Sheriffs, Tax Collectors, Property Appraisers, Supervisors of Elections, County Commissioners, elected Superintendents of Schools, members of District School Boards, Mayor and members of the Jacksonville City Council, Judges of Compensation Claims; the Duval County Superintendent of Schools, and members of the Florida Housing Finance Corporation Board, each expressway authority, transportation authority (except the Jacksonville Transportation Authority), bridge authority, toll authority, or expressway agency created pursuant to Chapter 348 or 343, F.S., or any other general law, mayors, elected members of the governing body of a municipality, each member of the Commission on Ethics and judges, as required by Canon 6, Code of Judicial Conduct.

“*NOTE: The requirement for Municipal Officials and non-incumbent candidates to file Form 6 Full and Public Disclosure is being litigated. When a candidate has created an account and proceeds to file their financial disclosure, the electronic filing management system will bring up the form they are required to file, which, depending on the litigation status at that time, may be Form 1 Limited Disclosure of Financial Interests.” Candidates are urged to allow ample time to register, create a profile and username/password, and complete the disclosure.

Candidate Qualifying Packet

Election Qualifying Packets, which include election information and candidate filing forms needed to run for Mayor or City Council, are available electronically or for pick-up at the City Clerk’s Office.

An individual may prequalify by filing Form DS-DE9 (Appointment of Campaign Treasurer) with the City Clerk’s office at any time before the qualifying period. Note: The depository must be named on the DS-DE9 form when filing for office. The DS-DE 9 must be filed with the City Clerk before opening any account. The campaign account must be completely separate.

Where to File

The City Clerk is the official Filing Officer for the City of Gulf Breeze. Qualifying is handled through the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, 1070 Shoreline Drive, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561. Qualifying is by appointment and can be made by contacting the City Clerk’s office at 850-934-5115 or email to [email protected]

Qualifying Officer:

Leslie Guyer, CMC, City Clerk
1070 Shoreline Dr.
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
850-934-5115
[email protected]

Unopposed Candidates

The name of any unopposed candidate for the office of Mayor or City Council will not appear on any ballot. In the event that no candidate is opposed to the election and no referendum matters are to be submitted, then the regular municipal election shall not be held. The City Clerk shall certify all unopposed candidates as elected.