Bay County Elections Ignite: Mayoral and Commission Debates Echo Citizens' Deep Concerns

BAY COUNTY, FL - Three fierce debates occurred on March 3rd at the Bay County Government Building hosted by the Bay County Republican Party.  If you missed it, here are the highlights.  

The mayoral debate between current Mayor Michael “Doc” Rohan and Allan Branch is for the upcoming April 22 municipal election.

“I want Panama City to be a place that you move to because it brings you closer to success,” Branch said. He followed up by saying he has the skills that made profitable businesses for 22 years.  Branch said he advocates for lower taxes, improved communications, and city hall organizations to foster success and encourage entrepreneurs to contribute ideas and explain tax usage processes.

Mayor Rohan said he believes that funding should be redirected to neighborhoods for a better quality of life in the city. “I want to make Panama City something that everyone can enjoy,” Rohan said. “This is the kind of thing that I want to do for Panama City. I’ve been doing it all along, and I can tell you right now, if I get re-elected on April 22nd, then I’m gonna continue to do it.”

The City Commission debates were next in the line up,  between Robbie Hughes and Ed Young for Ward 1 and Josh Street and Demetrius Rease for Ward 4, addressing the threats in their respective wards.

“The biggest challenge for our ward (1) is the marinas,” Hughes said. “We live in a waterfront community, and we don’t have access to the water publicly.” He said if they build back the slips, then there are some positives, like an ice cream shop or replacing the civic center with an amphitheater. 

Young said a threat that is facing his ward is household income. “We have a poverty level of 17.5 percent,” Young said. “Never hear this addressed in government, whether it be county or city. We talk a lot about downtown, but this city is greater than downtown, and the average household income is suffering.”

Rease said Ward 4 needs to have more transparency and community engagement. “As of now it appears that the citizens of Panama City aren’t given the full picture, nor are they given the accessibility towards the information that ultimately dictates their lives,” Rease said.

The incumbent Commissioner Josh Street said Ward 4 needs the right people to be willing to take responsibility. “We should want leaders that are focused on results and getting things done,” Street said. 

Moving to the City of Lynn Haven, the incumbent Commissioner Jamie Warrick spoke for Seat 3 and Jamie Marler, Jeff Snyder, and former Commissioner Judy Tinder for Seat 4 as they focused on potential solutions to enhance Lynn Haven.

Commissioner Warrick’s opponent, Johnnie Beshearse has no party affiliation, so was not invited to the forum.  When asked about the state of Lynn Haven, Warrick said in his remarks the rebuild is over budget by $18M not the $5.2M as expected. He called for workshops and answers from the City Manager. .”There are a lot of things about transparency that are not happening in the city.” 

Snyder said his approach prioritizes transparency and empowerment of citizen voices. “We have to be mindful of the negative things that have happened”.   “I want to restore the trust between the citizens and city government,” Snyder said. “No citizen in Lynn Haven should worry about flooding except for natural disasters. 

Former Commissioner Tinder said she agrees with Snyder. “We have to make people accountable and change the administration and all the people that go with it,” Tinder said. “We have to start listening to our residents and take what they want to the meetings.” “Lynn Haven is a great city and there is so much potential here.”  

Marler’s motivation for running is his family.  “I am running for my young son, his children and their grandchildren.”  “I think the City of Lynn Haven has done a tremendous job..,it’s one of the top cities in the state to move to…make sure we are ready with our water, roads and police and fire services. We need to move forward and not be mired in the past. ” Marler said. 

See the full debate here: wjhg.com/2025/03/05/bay-county-republican-municipal-election-debate/ 

(Bay County Coastal does not endorse candidates.)