Three more candidates qualify for Apopka elections

Decision Apopka 2018

Seven now eligible for municipal elections in March

Three more candidates qualified today to run for elected office in the Apopka municipal elections in March.

Apopka Mayor Joe Kilsheimer and Seat #2 candidates Leroy Bell and Alice Nolan joined yesterday's qualifiers Suzanne Kidd, Orange County Commissioner Bryan Nelson, Alexander Smith, and Seat #2 Apopka City Commissioner Diane Velazquez.

Kilsheimer is being challenged by Nelson for Apopka Mayor. Bell and Nolan are taking on Velazquez for her City Commission Seat#2. Alicia Koutsoulieris has also filed to run for Seat #2 but has not yet qualified.

And while Kilsheimer and Bell had previously made their intentions known by filing to run for elected office in Apopka, the Nolan filing came as a surprise. For more details, go here.

According to Linda Goff, the City Clerk of Apopka, qualifying started Tuesday, January 2nd at noon and concludes Tuesday, January 9th at noon. There are specific forms that a candidate must file during qualifying. Those forms are on the City’s website under City Clerk, City Elections. There is also a qualifying fee, (3% filing fee and 1% election assessment based on mayor and city commissioner annual salaries). The Mayor’s qualifying fee is $6,000 and Commissioner is $540.

Those who qualify by petition only pay the 1% (of the annual salary) election assessment.

According to the City website election page, a candidate must obtain at least 1% of the total number of registered voters of this geographical area based on the preceding general election’s book closing. The City of Apopka’s total registered voters from the last election, as of book closing, was 27,389. To qualify by petition there would be a total of 274 signatures required.

Kidd, Kilsheimer, and Nelson all qualified through the petition process.

Kidd joins Gene Knight, Theresa Mott, and Smith in the race to replace six-term Commissioner Billie Dean, who announced his retirement from Seat #1 in May. Knight and Mott have yet to qualify.

The Apopka city election will be held on March 13th, 2018.