The upcoming Sebastian City Council election will have three candidates vying for two seats. Incumbents Mayor Ed Dodd and Vice Mayor Kelly Dixon will face off against Damien Gilliams.
Kelly Dixon was elected to the Sebastian City Council in 2022, succeeding former Mayor and Councilman Jim Hill, who retired after a two-decade-long public service career. Dixon currently serves as the city’s Vice Mayor.
Ed Dodd was re-elected to the City Council in 2022 and is currently serving as the city’s Mayor.
Damien Gilliams, a former councilman who served time in jail for Sunshine Law violations, has re-entered the race. In 2020, during the Sebastian recall, citizens removed Gilliams from public office.
Charter Referendum #1
In addition to the council race, voters will also decide on Charter Referendum #1, which proposes extending council member terms from two to four years.
Supporters of the four-year term argue that holding elections in non-federal, state, or county election years imposes unnecessary costs on the city, estimated at approximately $70,000 per election.
Additionally, they contend that lower voter turnout in these off-year elections hinders the democratic process. Furthermore, supporters suggest that new council members require a substantial learning curve that could take a year or two to get up to speed.
However, former Councilman Jim Hill opposes the charter amendment, advocating for the retention of two-year terms. He argues that longer terms could hinder accountability and diminish the public’s ability to evaluate their representatives.
While acknowledging the council’s role in shaping the city’s vision, Hill maintains that day-to-day operations should primarily be managed by appointed staff.
“A council member’s impact should only be as great as their ability to persuade others on the council to support their ideas. If they don’t perform, they should be replaced, and two years is plenty of time for the public to decide if they are effective representatives. No individual council member has any level of authority greater than any other citizen in the community. There really are no good reasons to change the terms of council members to four years, but there are several reasons why it is a bad idea,” Hill said.
