Following Mayor Frank Hibbard's Sudden Resignation, City Council To Discuss Filling Seat

CLEARWATER, FL — Following the unexpected resignation of Mayor Frank Hibbard during Monday's city council work session on the city's strategic plan, the Clearwater City Council has called a special meeting for Monday, March 27 at 1:30 p.m. to discuss filling the mayor's seat.

Hibbard left the council chambers during a discussion on capital projects, including the construction of a new city hall. The council currently meets at the Main Library and has been discussing constructing a new city hall for years, but is short $60 million of the $90 million needed to construct the building.

While Hibbard didn't give a specific reason for his sudden resignation, he talked about finding more creative solutions "to challenges that require finite resources."

Related: Clearwater Mayor Abruptly Resigns During Council Work Session

"I hope that you will look outside the box and remember one of our greatest strengths has been our fiscal health," he said. (See Hibbard's complete letter below.)

The vice mayor title in Clearwater is usually rotated among city council members. Currently, council member Kathleen Beckman holds the title and took over the work session after Hibbard left the council chambers.

At Monday's special meeting, the council will discuss how to fill Hibbard's seat. Hibbard's term ends in 2024, and he previously announced he would not seek re-election.

Before leaving the chambers, he recommended appointing former city council member Hoyt Hamilton to serve as interim mayor. Hibbard was elected mayor in 2020. He previously served on the Clearwater City Council for three terms, from 2002-2012, two as mayor.

"At least he knows the city," Hibbard said of Hamilton. "You're going to have to appoint somebody who doesn't want to be the next mayor."

If the members of the city council cannot come to an agreement on how to fill the seat within 30 days, a special election will need to be held, said Clearwater communications specialist Joelle Castelli.

I have loved serving the City of Clearwater and the citizens for officially 13 years. Much has been accomplished and there remains much to do to attain the goal of, "beautiful from bay to beach", certainly a goal worth pursuing.

I know that Coachman Park is a generational project that will be a place that adults will recollect stories of their childhood enjoying the playground, splashpad, fireworks and concerts.I want to thank our dedicated and talented staff.

We have employees that could be working in the private sector and making higher wages but they have a calling and so they soldier on. I know that residents only know when things go wrong and are unaware of all that goes right to make their lives better and hassle free. I pray that the employees know they work for one of the finest cities in our nation and they are the reason.

To our council I hope that you realize how critical your responsibility is to making Clearwater a great place to live, work and play. Being like other cities is not the goal, being better and more efficient is. Government is going to have to learn to be more creative in finding solutions for difficult challenges, that require finite resources. I hope that you will look outside the box and remember one of our greatest strengths has been our fiscal health. The City had a bond upgrade in 2009 in the midst of the Great Recession, which allowed for a more rapid recovery.

I will always be an advocate for the City I love and have labored for in different capacities, for over 20 years! This officially represents my resignation this 21st day of March 2023.
God bless, Frank Hibbard