Time came and went, and the elected leadership of the cities of Belleview and Dunnellon remained the same.
The incumbent city council members of both cities secured new terms because no one wanted to challenge them.
In Belleview, Mayor Christine Dobkowski and councilors Ray Dwyer and Robert “Bo” Smith had no objections by the filing deadline of 4 p.m. on August 22.
In Dunnellon, Mayor Walter Green and council members Valerie Hanchar and Rex Lehmann are back in their seats without a challenger coming forward before the Aug. 23 noon deadline. Vice Mayor Tim Inskeep was the only council member whose seat was not up for election this year.
For the past five months, Dunnellon has had only one vacant city council seat following the resignation of former council member Chuck Dillon. Since then, city officials have had great difficulty filling the seat.
That changed Friday, when Glen Stocker became the only candidate for the seat. Stocker will serve the remaining two years of Dillon’s term before facing voters in 2026.
Both Green and Hanchar served as council members before and were appointed to their positions following the resignation of other council members.
Smith came on board in 2010. Dobkowski was elected mayor in 2011 and has held the office since then, while Dwyer was appointed to the office in 2022 to replace former Councilman Gary W. Ernst. Before taking the position, Dwyer was an officer with the Belleview Police Department for 25 years. He had been retired for two weeks when he was appointed councilman.
Smoking ban in Florida: Before changing recreational marijuana laws, lawmakers hope for a complete ban on smoking in public
Dobkowski, Dwyer and Smith will serve four-year terms until the next election cycle. Councilmen Michael Goldman and Ronald Livsey’s seats will be up for grabs in 2026.
Contact Austin L. Miller at [email protected]
This article originally appeared in the Ocala Star-Banner: Florida elections: No opposition for incumbents in Belleview and Dunnellon
