SEBASTIAN — Mayor Jim Hill is seeking another term on the Sebastian City Council. He has pre-qualified to run for the November municipal election. The qualifying period doesn’t start until Aug. 24.
“We’ve done a really good job over the last four years,” Hill said of why he’d like to continue to serve on the City Council.
Hill has served a total of eight years on the council since 2000, serving two back-to-back terms from 2000 to 2004 and from 2008 to now.
Hill said the next few years in the city will be critical and the city needs stable leadership, especially now that the City Council is discussing how to make sure the city generates the revenues needed to maintain the city’s quality of life.
“That balance we’re going to have to find is going to take strong leadership,” he said.
The Sebastian City Council is currently considering a potential increase to the city’s property tax rate, as well as a $1 increase to the city’s stormwater utility fee. The tax rate’s increase would help offset the continued decline in property values, while the fee increase would help continue to fund stormwater programs and purchase aging equipment.
Hill describes the potential tax rate increase not as raising taxes but as maintaining revenue to cover the city’s quality of life.
While potential challengers for Hill’s seat could use his stance on the tax rate and fee against him on the campaign trail, Hill said he would not play politics with the city’s future, nor would he take the easy way out and allow his fellow council members “carry the water” on the issue.
Both Hill and Councilman Richard Gillmor’s seats are up for the November municipal election. Gillmor is not seeking re-election to the Sebastian City Council because he has filed to run against U.S. Representative Bill Posey.
The top two vote-getters in the Sebastian municipal election will be sworn in to serve on the council.
The qualifying period for the municipal election runs from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7. Anyone interested in running for the Sebastian City Council is encouraged to contact Sebastian City Clerk Sally Maio by calling (772) 388-8214.
