Candidates vying for Atlantic Beach Mayor and two City Council seats shared their qualifications and views on issues facing the city at September monthly BAM meeting.
Four of the seven candidates running in the city election participated in the virtual forum.
Mayoral candidates included Rick Carper and Ellen Glasser. Bruce Bole, running for Seat 2, presented his plans for the city, and Lisa Goodrich, outlined her platform for the Seat 3 race. Invitations for the forum were extended to all Atlantic Beach candidates.
Issues highlighted during the forum included public safety, infrastructure needs, parking, city services, and tree preservation. The group also weighed in on a proposed charter amendment which changes the term of the Mayor starting in 2022 from 2 years to 4.
You can view a video of the meeting here. Please note the video starts 30 seconds into the first presentation by Mayoral candidate Rick Carper.
The Atlantic Beach Mayor and Commission Offices are elected at-large. Any resident of Atlantic Beach can vote for candidates of all seats up for election, regardless of their district. A seat’s district assignment relates to the residency requirements for candidates.
A Q&A session followed presentations by each of the participants. Here’s information and links to websites and other material for all of the candidates:
Mayor – Commission Seat #1
Rick Carper -
Ellen Glasser – incumbent
Terri Lynn Ray – Declined our invitation to speak
City Commission Seat #2
Bruce Bole
Frank Cashman - Declined our invitation to speak
Atlantic Beach resident and retired Law Enforcement Officer. No additional information provided.
City Commission Seat #3
Lisa Goodrich
Dr. Michael Waters - Declined our invitation to speak
Atlantic Beach Charter Amendment
Arguments for: This would equalize Mayoral terms with those of City Commissioners, give Mayors more time to learn and execute their job before devoting time and money to running again. Supporters of the measure argue the 2-year mayoral term makes it especially difficult for the city's top executive to tackle longer range problems like climate change.
Arguments against: The current system in which two Commission seats and the Mayor's job are up for re-election every two years, gives the citizens the power to change a majority of the commission at each election. Opponents of this measure argue the proposed change would make city government less responsive to the public.
Important Dates!
Voter Registration Deadline:
General Election: October 5, 2020
General Election Early Voting:
October 19, 2020 – November 1, 2020
General Election:
November 3, 2020
Vote By Mail!
Ballots will be sent out September 24 for people who have signed up for Vote by Mail in Duval County.
Don’t delay – return your ballot right away!
Concerned about USPS delivery? There will be collection boxes at all early voting sites during early voting.
You can check status the status of your early voting ballot here.