Tuesday night’s election results showed Apopka voters want to retain the strong mayor form of city government while also seeking new leadership at City Hall.  

Voters easily chose to keep the strong mayor form of government that is currently outlined in the city charter, rejecting a proposed amendment that would have moved the city to a council-manager form of government. Voters approved the other seven amendments on the ballot, which were aimed at clarifying city operations and increasing public participation.  

“The voters in Apopka have made their decision that they don’t think they need structural reform to the way the city is governed. Instead, they’re just looking for new leadership to govern the city,” Aubrey Jewett, an associate professor and associate school director at the University of Central Florida School of Politics, Security and International Affairs, said Tuesday night. “That’s sort of the clear message: they want to keep a strong mayor. They just don’t want to keep the strong mayor they currently have.” 

In preliminary results released by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, current Mayor Bryan Nelson garnered less than 27% of the vote. Challengers Nick Nesta (41.62%) and Christine Moore (31.83%) will compete in a runoff to determine who will become the city’s next strong mayor.  

Charter amendment Question 1 would have moved administrative authority from the elected mayor to a city manager appointed by the City Commission, known as the council-manager form. The question failed with 4,389 votes (57.03%) to 3,307 votes (42.97%).  

If Question 1 had passed, the changes would have taken effect 120 from Election Day and the city would have to search for a manager who would take care of the day-to-day operations as well as hire and fire employees. The mayor’s executive powers would have been significantly reduced to a vote on the dais. 

The remaining seven charter amendments passed by wide margins. Voters approved renaming the governing body from “council” to “commission” (65%), clarified the authority of the city clerk in reviewing candidate qualifying papers (72%), moved the date of city elections from the first Tuesday in December to the second Tuesday in March (77%), and set term limits for the mayor and all city commissioners of no more than two consecutive terms (86%).  

Other approved amendments included establishing that city employees are at-will (70%), allowing the City Commission to appoint and remove the city clerk and city attorney (71%), and creating a public comment period before decision items on commission agendas (91%). 

Jewett said that the amendments that passed were designed to address specific operational issues, and that voter support suggested residents are in favor of these targeted improvements. 

“There was a number of specific problems that were identified, and solutions were offered on the ballot, and the voters accepted most of them,” he said. 

Overall voter turnout was about 21%, slightly higher than the previous mayoral election in 2022, which saw 19% turnout. Jewett said it was not surprising turnout ticked up, given the combination of a high-profile mayor’s race and several important charter amendments on the ballot. 

“It probably brought more people to the polls who were concerned about the direction of the city and were looking for change,” he said. 

Since its incorporation, Apopka always had a strong mayor system, although small and medium-sized municipalities often have council-manager forms.  

Nearly two-third of municipalities throughout the state have a council-manager form of government, Jewett said in a March 3 interview.  

In additional to the charter amendments, residents also cast their votes for mayor, council seats 1 and 2, and a special election for seat 4 at one of two precincts open for the Tuesday election.  

Of a city population of more than 66,000, there are 38,698 registered voters. At 11 p.m. on Tuesday, the unofficial voter turnout was 8,109 (20.95%), totaling mail, early voting and Election Day ballots. 

For Jim Ashcraft, who voted at the Northwest Recreation Complex, he said the charter amendment he liked was the one setting term limits.  

“I think the longer you’re in office, the more susceptible you are to outside influences,” Ashcraft said.  

Voters whom The Apopka Chief spoke with outside the Apopka Community Center said they preferred to keep the strong mayor form of government.  

“I think that people want to have a voice in who’s sitting in that chair,” resident Rod Olsen, who said he had voted by mail, said. “I think most of those people that oppose the mayor are going to be voting in favor of a strong city administrator.”  

Annette Allport said she voted in favor of strong mayor “because that gives us the people the right to vote him out.” 

— With additional reporting by Sarah Merly