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Joseph Couture

Commissioners elected in Dade City, San Antonio

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It came more than two months later than expected, but voters in Dade City and San Antonio finally had the chance to head to the polls to elect a new group of city leaders.

The Pasco County municipal elections took place on June 30, rescheduled from the original April 14 date because of COVID-19.

A total of six people were newly elected or re-elected to serve the respective municipalities.

In Dade City, the Dade City Commission will see one familiar face and two new fresh ones on its five-member legislative body.

Incumbent Jim Shive retained his Group 3 seat for a third term, receiving 58.14% of votes to defeat challenger Matthew Shane Wilson.

Shive, a retired government employee, has served on the Dade City Commission since first being elected in 2012.

Knute Nathe garnered 56.72% of votes, defeating Ann Cosentino for the Group 4 seat.

Nathe is an attorney with McClain Alfonso P.A., who also serves on the city’s planning board. He will take over for Nicole Deese Newlon, who did not seek re-election after serving a single four-year term.

The closest race came in Group 5, where Normita Woodard received 52.46% of votes, edging out Christopher King.

Woodard is a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School. She will assume a seat held by Eunice Penix since 1993. Penix opted not to seek re-election.

In San Antonio, five candidates vied for three open seats on the San Antonio City Commission.

Unlike the head-to-head matchups of other municipalities, the top three overall vote-getters earn commission seats and serve two-year terms.

Incumbents Elayne Bassinger and Sarah Schrader won re-election, while the third open seat went to John Vogel II. Vogel II earned the highest percentage of votes (27.62%) to beat out challengers Joseph Couture and Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell.

Voter turnout was a combined 20.26% for the municipalities — 1,036 ballots cast among 5,114 registered voters. All municipal races are nonpartisan.

For more information, visit PascoVotes.com.

Pasco County municipal election results

City of Dade City
Group 3 Commissioner

  • Jim Shive — 58.14% (475 votes)
  • Matthew Shane Wilson — 41.86% (342 votes)

Group 4 Commissioner

  • Knute Nathe — 56.72% (439 votes)
  • Ann Cosentino — 43.28% (335 votes)

Group 5 Commissioner

  • Normita Woodard — 52.46% (405 votes)
  • Christopher King — 47.54% (367 votes)

City of San Antonio
San Antonio City Commissioner

  • John Vogel II — 27.62% (132 votes)
  • Elayne Bassinger — 24.69% (118 votes)
  • Sarah Schrader — 21.34% (102 votes)
  • Joseph Couture — 13.18% (63 votes)
  • Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell — 13.18% (63 votes)

Published July 08, 2020

Pasco municipal elections set for June 30

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Municipal elections for the cities of Dade City and San Antonio are scheduled for June 30.

The local elections — which will decide various city commission seats — originally were  scheduled for April, but were delayed due to COVID-19.

The Dade City voting precinct is at First Baptist Church Dade City, 37511 Church Ave., in Dade City.

San Antonio’s precinct is at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 12110 Main St., in San Antonio.

Municipal elections in Dade City and San Antonio are scheduled for June 30. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (File)

Polls for both races will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Poll workers at each precinct will be following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines of social distancing, mask-wearing and sanitation, Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley told The Laker/Lutz News.

“Anyone that does show up for election day voting, there will be those safety precautions in place. We’re not expecting a huge turnout, but for voters that do show up, they can expect to get out of there rather quickly, and we’ll take care of them,” Corley said.

For those cautious about heading to the polls amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the elections supervisor suggests voting by mail instead. Request a vote-by-mail ballot by calling (800) 851-8754, or in writing to P.O. Box 300, Dade City, FL 33526. Vote-by-mail ballots are due back in the elections’ office by 7 p.m., election day.

Whether it’s a polling place or via mail, Corley emphasized the importance for city residents to cast a ballot in the local elections.

“These municipal offices are the closest to the people and traditionally have the lowest turnout, and it should be the opposite,” Corley said. “It’s the old adage, ‘If you don’t vote, you can’t complain,’ so I would encourage all voters to come out and get their voice heard.”

Here is a closer look at the elections:

Dade City
Six candidates are running for three open seats on the Dade City Commission — for Groups 3, 4 and 5.

In Group 3, two-term incumbent Jim Shive is facing challenger Matthew Wilson. Shive is a retired government employee. Wilson is a data entry clerk for the United Parcel Service.

Groups 4 and 5 seats will see fresh faces, as Nicole Deese Newlon and Eunice Penix are not seeking re-election. Newlon served one four-year term after she won in 2016, while Penix has held her seat since 1993.

Vying for Newlon’s Group 4 seat are Ann Cosentino and Knute Nathe.

Cosentino owns a communications/branding consulting firm. Nathe is an attorney with McCLain Alfonso P.A.

Christopher King and Normita Woodard are facing off for Penix’s Group 5 seat. King is the founder of The Gentleman’s Course Inc., a local youth mentorship charity. Woodard is a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School.

San Antonio
Five candidates are vying to fill three open seats on the San Antonio City Commission.

Incumbents Elayne Bassinger and Sarah Schrader are running and Joseph Couture, John Vogel and Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell fill out the field.

Unlike the head-to-head matchups of other municipalities, the top three overall vote-getters earn commission seats. San Antonio commissioners serve two-year terms.

For more voting information, call the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office at (800) 851-8754 or (352) 521-4302, or visit PascoVotes.gov.

Published June 24, 2020

Pasco seeks to delay municipal elections

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UPDATE: Postponed indefinitely per Executive Oder 20-97 from Gov. Ron DeSantis. Elections will be rescheduled “as soon as practicable.”

In the wake of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley is seeking to delay the April 14 municipal elections Dade City, Zephyrhills and San Antonio.

To that end, Corley has requested Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to move back the local county elections to the Aug. 18 state primary election date.

Corley told The Laker/Lutz News he’s had ongoing discussions on the matter with intermediaries Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee, State Division of Elections Director Maria Matthews, and incoming Senate president Wilton Simpson.

However, no decision was made by The Laker/Lutz News Monday press deadline.

Corley cited the “health and safety” of voters and poll workers in wanting reschedule the municipal elections.

The elections supervisor said it doesn’t make sense “having the public come to an election day polling place, to their own possible health peril, when our average age is not exactly, really, really young.” He also said “asking members of the public to come out and vote” runs contrary to the governor’s stay-at-home executive order.

City managers of the three local municipalities have concurred delaying the municipal election, Corley said. Holding those elections concurrently with the primary election poses no additional financial costs to those cities, he said.

The county elections office is mandated to hold the April 14 election, until it hears otherwise from the governor’s office, Corley said.

Here is a closer look at each election:

Dade City
Six candidates are running for three open seats on the Dade City Commission — for Groups 3, 4 and 5.

In Group 3, two-term incumbent Jim Shive is being challenged by Matthew Wilson. Shive is a retired government employee. Wilson is a data entry clerk for the United Parcel Service.

Groups 4 and 5 seats will see fresh faces, as Nicole Deese Newlon and Eunice Penix are not seeking re-election. Newlon served one four-year term after she won in 2016, while Penix has held her seat since 1993.

Vying for Newlon’s Group 4 seat are Ann Cosentino and Knute Nathe.

Cosentino owns a communications/branding consulting firm. Nathe is an attorney with McCLain Alfonso P.A.

Christopher King and Normita Woodard are facing off for Penix’s Group 5 seat. King is the founder of The Gentleman’s Course Inc., a local youth mentorship charity. Woodard is a secretary at Lacoochee Elementary School.

The Dade City municipal election will take place at First Baptist Church Dade City, 37511 Church Ave., in Dade City. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Zephyrhills
In this election cycle, the City of Zephyrhills will have a mayoral race, as incumbent Gene Whitfield faces off against Justin Docherty.

Whitfield has held the mayor chair since 2014 when Danny Burgess resigned to run as the area’s state representative in Tallahassee.

The Zephyrhills mayor serves mainly an ambassador’s role, being a presence at many public events, ribbon cuttings and so on. As far as citywide matters, the mayor doesn’t run council meetings, cannot make motions and cannot vote on matters before the council, but does have the ability to veto city ordinances.

On the Zephyrhills City Council, Seat 2 incumbent Alan Knight is running unopposed.

Knight is a retired educator who’s worked mainly in Pasco County Schools as a teacher, coach and administrator. He was first elected to the seat in 2014.

The Zephyrhills municipal general election will be at the Alice Hall Community Center, 38116 Fifth Ave., in Zephyrhills. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

San Antonio
Five candidates are vying to fill three open seats on the San Antonio City Commission.

Running are incumbents Elayne Bassinger and Sarah Schrader, along with Joseph Couture, John Vogel and Dacia Wadsworth Mitchell.

Unlike the head-to-head matchups of other municipalities, the top three overall vote-getters earn commission seats. San Antonio commissioners serve two-year terms.

For more voting information, contact the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections office at (800) 851-8754 or (352) 521-4302, or visit PascoVotes.gov.

Updated April 09, 2020