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Naples council certifies election, swears in three members and selects Blankenship as vice mayor
Summary
City Clerk Patricia Rambosz certified the Feb. 3 municipal election and the council administered oaths to Ted Blankenship, John Kroll and Scott Schultz. By unanimous vote the council then confirmed Ted Blankenship as vice mayor for a two‑year term beginning Feb. 18.
The City of Naples certified its Feb. 3 municipal election and swore in three newly elected council members on Feb. 18. Patricia Rambosz, the city clerk, read the canvassing board certificate into the public record, saying the manual audit was “100% accurate” and reporting a total of 6,265 ballots cast in the council race.
Rambosz read vote totals for each candidate as part of the formal canvass and then administered the oath of office to the newly elected council members. “We, the undersigned … do hereby certify that we met on 02/05/2026 and publicly canvassed the votes,” Rambosz said while reading the certification into the record.
Shortly after the certification, council members voted to elect a vice mayor. After nominations and a paper ballot counted by the clerk, Ted Blankenship received the most votes. Councilmember Kramer moved to confirm Blankenship; Councilmember Barton seconded the motion and the council voted unanimously to elect Blankenship to a two‑year term beginning Feb. 18, 2026.
The council also used the meeting to appoint members to a range of standing bodies. Linda Peneman was elected chair of the Community Redevelopment Agency and Scott Schultz was named CRA vice chair. Council members volunteered for regional and advisory boards including the Collier County Metropolitan Planning Organization and local arts liaisons.
Why it matters: Certification closes the most direct chapter of the election process and allows the newly seated council to act with a full roster. The vice mayor position determines who runs meetings and acts for the mayor when she is absent; the appointments to the CRA and regional boards determine which council members will represent the city on planning and redevelopment matters over the coming two years.
What’s next: Council recessed for a short social and then resumed its agenda business, including public comment and several permit reviews and land‑use items scheduled for the meeting.
