Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts ordinance calling Aug. 18 special election and sets qualifying window
Summary
The Oldsmar City Council adopted Ordinance 2026-01 calling a special election for Aug. 18, 2026 to fill a council vacancy and approved Resolution 2026-01 establishing candidate qualifying dates and a timeline for final ballot language.
Vice Mayor Steve Graber and City Attorney Tom Trask presided over a public hearing and adopted an ordinance calling a special election to fill a city council vacancy.
"Ordinance 2026-01, an ordinance of the city of Oldsmar calling for a special election on 08/18/2026 for the purpose of filling a vacancy on the city council," City Attorney Tom Trask read by title. The hearing drew no public speakers, and council voted to adopt the ordinance by roll call, 4–0 (yes: Council members Detrozewski, Olmstead, Swagger; Vice Mayor Graber).
The council then approved Resolution 2026-01, which establishes the candidate qualifying period and the internal timeline for adopting final ballot language. Deputy City Clerk Jenny Masinowski told the council that "the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections has established a deadline of 06/12/2026 for the city to provide the ballot language," and recommended the council adopt final ballot language on 06/02/2026. Masinowski said the clerk recommends a qualifying period beginning 04/16/2026 at 8:00 a.m. and ending 05/16/2026 at 5:00 p.m.
Council made the motions, called for a roll call on the ordinance and used voice vote for the resolution; both measures passed without opposition. The council identified the Pinellas County canvassing board as responsible for canvassing the August election.
Next steps: the city will publish the qualifying dates and prepare ballot language to meet the Pinellas County deadline.
