Search
Close this search box.

Candidate forum set for upcoming Destin City Council election

A candidate forum for the upcoming Destin City Council election is scheduled for October 1st at the city hall annex. All seven candidates vying for the five open council seats are planning to participate in the forum. The November election will fill four seats for full four-year terms and one seat for a partial two-year […]

A candidate forum for the upcoming Destin City Council election is scheduled for October 1st at the city hall annex.

  • The event, organized by the Destin Chamber of Commerce and the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors (ECAR), will run from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Although not officially a city event, it will be treated as a sunshine meeting due to the expected attendance of multiple council members.

All seven candidates vying for the five open council seats are planning to participate in the forum. The November election will fill four seats for full four-year terms and one seat for a partial two-year term, the latter resulting from a resignation in early January.

The candidate list includes incumbents Dewey Destin, Teresa Hebert, Kevin Schmidt, and John Stephens. Stephens was appointed in January 2024 to fill a vacancy left by Matthew Sweetser’s resignation. Former city officials Rodney Braden, Lance A. Johnson (former city manager), and Sandy Trammell round out the field of candidates.

In Destin’s electoral system, council members are elected at-large, with voters selecting their preferred candidates from the entire pool. The top four vote-getters will secure the full-term seats, while the fifth-place finisher will take the partial-term position.

  • The city plans to treat the forum as a public meeting, with the city clerk taking minutes and the possibility of live-streaming the event under consideration.

According to the city charter, the candidate elected to the partial term would only be eligible to serve one additional four-year term afterward. This provision ensures rotation in council membership while maintaining continuity in city governance.

The forum offers Destin residents an opportunity to hear from all candidates before making their choices in the November election, providing insight into the perspectives and plans of those seeking to serve on the city council.

Join the conversation...

Continue reading 👇

Community Comments

“The Big U! The NMU supplied the unlicensed crew and when we lost this ship and its jobs and when U.S. Lines went bankrupt, we were on our way to...”
Respond
“Highschool is finna be more crowed now. We need another highschool not a middle or elementary school.”
Respond
“This is bittersweet. I spent a wonderful week in Cay Sal Banks on the Pilot in 2006. I will have to go pay her a visit soon....”
Respond
“I agree with Jerome. What will this accomplish since both ends are only 4 lanes?”
Respond
“The parking lot at McGuires would disappear along with the parcel that Destin purchased at the bridge.. Flooding on Okaloosa Island would close an expensive update to 98 , at...”
Respond
“This will not make a difference for traffic passing through the center of Destin along Rt. 98. The smart option is to complete the Brooks Bridge and intersection in Ft...”
Respond
“Doesn’t it still end up with 4 lanes on either end after bridges? Seems more aesthetic than a traffic plan. Which is nice too but does it increase the function?”
Respond
“It would be a money pit let’s sink it for the tourists who we don’t have enough of so more will come”
Respond
“Traffic moves pretty well on that stretch of 98, I don't see the need to waste the money. Maybe do something to deal with the traffic in Destin, and Mary...”
Respond