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Avon Park City Council At-Large Seat · Nov 3, 2026

Maria T.
Sutherland

Maria T. Sutherland is running for Avon Park City Council At-Large Seat in the Nov 3, 2026 election, against Jim Barnard, Louis Edward Bates Sr., Vern Bolton, Chris Downie and Gerald Snell.

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Nov 3Election Day

The race · City Council At-Large Seat

  1. 01Jim BarnardIncumbent
  2. 02Louis Edward Bates Sr.
  3. 03Vern Bolton
  4. 04Chris Downie
  5. 05Gerald Snell
  6. 06Maria T. SutherlandYou’re reading
All 8 Avon Park candidates →

Background

About
Former Avon Park councilwoman with around 25 years of municipal management experience, most of it in Avon Park. She has been the city's administrative director and interim city manager and most recently executive director of the Avon Park Housing Authority.

Two candidates are running for mayor (Garrett Anderson and Brenda Gray-Snell) and six for one council seat (Jim Barnard, Louis Edward Bates Sr., Vern Bolton, Chris Downie, Gerald Snell and Maria T. Sutherland). Highlands County Supervisor of Elections · Nov 3, 2026

On the record: Maria T. Sutherland

2 sourced
01Downtown1 sourced position

  • Wrote in a 2024 News-Sun Q&A that she would change the CRA facade program so it can fund improvements to vacant storefronts.

    We still have vacant storefronts on Main Street and the current facade program excludes funding for those structures if there is no active business license. I would change this.”

    Own statementHighlands News-SunLink

02Long-term planning1 sourced position

  • as reported by the Highlands News-Sun; not a direct quote

    Said at a 2024 News-Sun town hall that Avon Park needs a 20-year comprehensive plan covering the whole city, as reported by the Highlands News-Sun; not a direct quote.

    Forum answerHighlands News-SunLink

Every claim links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works

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