Benefield retains Orange Park Town Council seat; 2 of 4 Keystone Heights charter amendments pass

Tommie “Doug” Benefield defeated Kenneth “Kenny” Radwanski by more than 34 points to win a race for Seat 1 on Orange Park’s Town Council on Tuesday.

Benefield was previously appointed to Seat 1 on the council last year.

Also on the ballot for Keystone Heights, voters were four proposed charter amendment changes. Two of the four won the approval of voters.

One will amend the charter to allow a majority of the city council to set the maximum purchasing amount required for formal advertising and bids and another will create a procedure to allow city council members to censure or reprimand another council member for an alleged law violation of adopted city policy.

Two amendments failed, including an amendment that would have allowed its five city council members to elect a mayor from its members and another that would have prohibited council members from interfering with routine operations conducted by the city manager.

Nearly 9% of more than 7,100 eligible voters turned out for the election.