Melbourne Beach has contested races for mayor, town commissioner seat
Two positions are on the Nov. 7 municipal election ballot in Melbourne Beach ― one for mayor and one for a Town Commission seat.
Joyce D. Barton and Alison "Al" Dennington are running for mayor, seeking to succeed incumbent Wyatt Hoover, who is not seeking reelection.
The position has a three-year term and a salary of $3,800 a year.
There also are two candidates for a seat on Town Commission that is now held by Barton, who is leaving that position early to seek the mayor's office. The candidates are Jason Judge and Adam Meyer.
This election is for a two-year term to fill the remainder of Barton's term. Commissioners are paid $3,100 a year.
The polling place is at the Melbourne Beach Town Hall Community Center, 509 Ocean. Ave. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 7.
The other three members of the Town Commission ― Sherri Quarrie, Corey Runte and Marivi Walker ― are not up for election this year.
Here are details about the 2023 candidates and what they said about the major issues:
MAYOR
Joyce D. Barton
Occupation: Self-employed.
Education: Florida League of Cities Institute for Elected Municipal Officials IEMO I and IEMO II courses. Florida Institute of Government Ethics training.
How many years have you lived in Melbourne Beach: 12
New voting rules: State law now requires voters to request vote-by-mail ballot every election cycle
Political/government/civic experience: Three years elected position on Town Commission as vice mayor; three years on board of directors of Space Coast League of Cities; three years on governing board of Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization; two years as presiding officer of South Beaches Coalition for Transportation Planning; two years as Florida League of Cities committee member of utilities, natural resources and public works.
Also served seven years as president of the Beach Gardeners and currently in my third year as president of the South Brevard Garden Club Association.
Was PTA president in Pennsylvania.
Campaign email: jdbmelbeach@gmail.com
Campaign phone number: 321-914-4311
Website, Facebook, other social media pages/links:
Campaign website: www.jdbmelbeach.com
Campaign Facebook page: www.facebook.com/jdbmelbeach
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joycedbarton/
In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Melbourne Beach, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?
My vision is to keep Melbourne Beach quaint by ensuring the small beach-town charm that has been unique to our way of life, and I want to keep it that way.
I am a believer in a community that values respect and open dialogue among all residents on all issues.
My goal as mayor is to prioritize needs and actively listen to concerns and suggestions. I am dedicated to serving the community with transparency, empathy and integrity.
Main issues are to keep height restrictions; maintain and improve infrastructure; stormwater management; short-term rental control; and fiscal responsibility.
Alison "Al" Dennington
Age: 45
Occupation: I am a retired corporate and commercial litigation attorney. I was once an attorney at a private law firm in Arkansas, specializing in complex and high-profile transactions and litigation, mergers and acquisitions, large land-development matters, antitrust, some class-action litigation, oil and gas, and all kinds of corporate and contractual disputes and transactions.
I also worked as a staff attorney in the six-lawyer department of the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, where we handled all legal issues for that large government agency.Education:
I graduated from the University of Central Florida; majored in political science, with a minor in philosophy.
I graduated summa cum laude (and on Law Review) from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where I received my Juris Doctor degree.
In law school, I clerked at several large firms, as well as at the Attorney General's Office.
Taking courses in international treaty law and negotiation in Italy, through a joint program with Hamline Law and newly graduated Italian lawyers.
My last semester of law school, I was spent taking business, tax and natural resources law courses in Denver at the Denver University Law School.
How many years have you lived in Melbourne Beach: Six
Sample ballot decision: Funding for sample ballots remains after Brevard County budget passed in 5-0 vote
Political/government/civic experience: Prior legal experience as internal in-counsel in the legal department at the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, including various regulatory law, rulemaking and human resources work I did there. My prior private practice, representing public finance corporations in Arkansas in state bond Issue. Prior practice suing public entities on behalf of newspapers in public records cases.
Vast experience reviewing, drafting and enforcing environmental permits and private contracts.
Going to all the town meetings the last couple of years, reading the town code, charter and all the Florida statutes applicable to municipalities
Campaign email: al4MayorTMB@yahoo.com and alison@AL4MayorTMB.com
Campaign phone number: 321-616-3825
Website, Facebook, other social media pages/links:
Website: al4mayortmb.com
In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Melbourne Beach, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?
Overcompensated officials repeatedly serve us heavy doses of contempt simultaneously with dishonest, empty platitudes of respect.
Revenue doesn’t falls free from palm trees. Oversight is a farce; accountability, nonexistent.
Transparency is not a dirty word.
We must save more, spend less, stop hiking taxes.
End private emailing by town officials and boards
Ensure opportunities for controlled commercial and residential development that is harmonious, not hurtful to our town’s future.
Conduct actual oversight.
Create rapid response hotline to catch, cite, escalate penalties on problem Airbnbs.
Use those metrics to lobby Tallahassee.
Find solutions to tough issues, not excuses.
TOWN COMMISSIONER
Jason Judge
Age: 43
Occupation: Business owner at JJ's Screen Printing & Embroidery
Education: Associate in Arts and some credits toward Bachelor of Arts
How many years have you lived in Melbourne Beach: 15
Political/government/civic experience: Chairman of Parks and Recreation in Melbourne Beach
Campaign email: JJscreen@cfl.rr.com
Campaign phone number: 321-508-5116x
In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Melbourne Beach, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?
Growing up in Melbourne Beach, I've monitored the progress of our community. Now, as a business owner and parent of two children, I see the importance of getting involved.
Guiding controlled growth and fiscal responsibility, I seek to balance the needs of the community, to anticipate town infrastructure requirements, while enriching the current offerings.
When I started my family, I knew that I wanted to raise them in Melbourne Beach. Foremost, I want our town to be a place that the next generation wants to raise their families, building legacy that will both protect and better our special little town.
Adam Meyer
Age: 45
Occupation: Senior program manager
Education: Bachelor of Science in earth sciences
How many years have you lived in Melbourne Beach: Eight
Political/government/civic experience: Not applicable
Campaign email: adam4commissioner@gmail.com
Campaign phone number: 321-960-9997
Website, Facebook, other social media pages/links: Not applicable
In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Melbourne Beach, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?
Preserving the small-beach-town culture that Melbourne Beach currently has by not relaxing building height restrictions, not tearing up part of Ryckman Park to put in a skateboard park, not allowing our town to start looking like a South Florida town. We want to be Melbourne Beach, not Miami Beach.
Being 100% transparent and communicating issues, plans, etc. with our residents before we make changes to the town infrastructure, town codes, town look.
Ensure our town is spending our tax dollars wisely and conservatively.
Dave Berman is business editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Berman at dberman@floridatoday.com, on X at @bydaveberman and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Mayor, town commissioner positions on Melbourne Beach election ballot
