Bob Cundiff seeking re-election to Clearwater City Council

Editor’s note: This story originally ran in the July 12 edition of the North Pinellas and Clearwater Times under the headline “Cundiff to seek re-election to council.”

Bob Cundiff announced this week he will seek re-election to the Clearwater City Council.

Cundiff, 74, first won Seat 3 in 2016, when he scored an upset over then-incumbent Jay Polglaze. He said he hopes to bring much-needed experience to the table.

“With all the changes and challenges that lie ahead for our city, this is not the time for on-the-job training,” Cundiff said in a statement announcing his run.

The March 2020 elections promise to be pivotal for Clearwater. The city is in the midst of a complex redevelopment of the downtown waterfront, and longtime City Manager Bill Horne and City Attorney Pam Akin are set to retire next year.

Three seats are up next year: the mayor’s seat, which is currently held by the termed-out George Cretekos; Seat 2, held by Polglaze, — a 2018 appointee who’s said he won’t run in 2020 — and Cundiff’s Seat 3. All five council seats are decided by a city-wide vote.

Candidates are still months away from being able to qualify, but two men, Scientology critic Mark Bunker and former mayor Frank Hibbard, have announced their intentions to run for seats on the council.

For 19 years, Cundiff was the chair of the communication arts department at the now-defunct Clearwater Christian College, and has been an adjunct professor at St. Petersburg College for two decades.

He came to the council pledging to seek input from all over the city on municipal matters. Cundiff has held meetings at all five Clearwater libraries each year, his release noted.

“I hope to continue listening to Clearwater citizens and continue to earn their trust,” Cundiff said.