Local elections occur every 2 years in Orchid, and 2022 is such an election year. 3 seats on the five-member Town Council will be up for election on November 8. Each of these seats will have a four-year term lasting through early November 2026. The seats are presently filled by Mayor Bob Gibbons and Councilmembers Browning and Oertle-Phaneuf.
The Qualifying Period for anyone interested in becoming a local candidate starts Friday, April 1, 2022, and ends Monday, May 2, at 4 p.m. Candidates for Orchid must be a resident of the Town of Orchid and must be a local elector registered to vote in Florida. Original qualifying forms must be received at Town Hall by the aforementioned deadline of May 2 at 4 p.m. A Candidate Information Packet that provides a lot of very helpful details and dates, as well as necessary forms, has been prepared by the Town Clerk's office and is immediately available upon request.
Candidates for Orchid's Town Council run at-large and on a non-partisan basis. Candidates run for a seat on the Town Council; the roles of Mayor and Vice-Mayor are appointed from within the Council by the Councilmembers annually. The Town Council generally meets once a month on the first Wednesday at 9 a.m. for a regular meeting. In addition, special meetings may be called from time to time as needed.
During summer months, regular meetings are usually canceled, though special meetings may still be called as necessary. Annually, there are 2 mandatory meetings in September scheduled about a week apart to adopt the Town's budget, and it is the Town's legal counsel's preference for all Councilmembers to attend these in-person. Councilmembers also serve on a variety of regional/county committees regarding matters of interest in Indian River County and along the Treasure Coast. Councilmembers serve without compensation.