After originally stating he would not run for Town Council, wanting to spend more time with his grandkids, Scott Safford has changed his mind and announced this week he’s running for the Town Council seat he was appointed to back in February.
Safford was in a 5-person battle for the open seat and was appointed when the seat became open when Bill Veach resigned. The seat is one of three on the ballot this November.
Safford joins Mayor Dan Allers and Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt as announced candidates. All three of those seats are up for election. Council seats are for 4 years. Any resident can run for Town Council as long as they have lived on the beach for a minimum of one year. Candidates can rent or own. The deadline to submit your name is June.
Here’s Scott Safford’s announcement statement:
After much deliberate thought and encouragement from family and friends, I am excited to announce my candidacy for the upcoming FMB Town Council election this November.
Hurricane Ian changed our lives forever and we are on the road to recovery. That road, however, is going to be long and complicated. In the next four years we have the unique opportunity to create an island community that will serve the generations to come.
We are all in different phases of recovery and that has been our primary focus. We need to now take the next steps in coming up with a strategic plan for our island. I am committed to helping with this plan, focusing on sustainability, inclusion, safety, transportation and protection of our natural resources. The plan must also be balanced, taking into account full time and seasonal residents, visitors and businesses.
I have served over 8 years on the LPA and have a deep understanding of the needs of our town. I am eager to utilize my skills and experience to contribute to the development and growth of our community. As a resident and business owner myself, I understand the challenges we face and am determined to address them head-on.
I respectfully ask for your support and vote for Town Council November 5th.
Scott has been an excellent addition to the council. While we as residents would like to see representatives not have to recuse themselves on sensitive issues, Scott has asked the right questions and has represented the town issues very well. While waiting for an AAC meeting recently, I witnessed Scott at town hall working to get answers for residents. We need representatives that aren’t involved in the businesses asking for development.