DUNEDIN — Four candidates will vie to fill two seats on the Dunedin City Commission in November.
Commissioner Moe Freaney is running for re-election to keep Seat 1 against challenger Stacy Rush.
Freaney, 64, is a management consultant who has served as a commissioner since 2016. Previously, she served as assistant city manager from 1998-2006. She also served as an assistant county administrator for Pinellas County from 2010-13.
“I bring a vast amount of experience to the table,” Freaney said. “I study my issues hard and I try to make decisions that are in the best interest of all residents.”
Rush, 54, is an occupational therapy assistant and chairs the Dunedin Public Safety Committee. She also cites her experience with the Coast Guard and law enforcement.
“We don’t have someone on our commission who understands safety,” she said. “I’ve been a first responder. I know what to do in a crisis.”
John Tornga and Mike Quill will face each other in the race for the open Seat 3. That seat is being vacated by Heather Gracy, who is term-limited and running against Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski.
Tornga, 73, first ran for city commission in 2009. He served as a commissioner from 2014-18, but lost the 2018 race to sitting commissioner Jeff Gow.
A former Marine officer, Tornga plans to use his military experience to his advantage.
“You learn very quickly to always do the right thing, for the right reason,” he said. “Integrity has always been important to me.”
Like Tornga, this is Quill’s third time running for commissioner. Previously, he ran in 2006 and 2009.
Quill, who has spent more than 30 years in law enforcement, describes himself as a “people person and a public servant.”
“The greatest asset we have is our citizens,” he said. “I will fight for them. I’ve done it my entire career.”
The election’s qualifying period is July 13-27.
Dunedin residents may cast their vote on Nov. 3.