Lloyd Weed, the only candidate nominated to fill the vacant seat, was sworn in Tuesday.
By Ramon Lopez
Original Air Date: May 14, 2025
Host: On Tuesday, the Venice City Council filled an empty seat. WSLR News’ Ramon Lopez reports how.
Ramon Lopez: The Venice City Council on Tuesday unanimously appointed a five-decade Venice resident to fill the City Council Seat 1 vacancy.
Lloyd Weed brings to the city council extensive financial experience and is the chair of the Citizens Advisory Board of Venice.
Lloyd Weed swearing in shortly after the conclusion of the meeting.
He replaces Joan Farrell, who abruptly resigned in April. Weed was sworn in after the meeting. His term runs through the November 4, 2026 election, when five City Council seats will be on the ballot as part of Venice’s transition from three-year council terms and off-year elections.
Mayor Nick Pachota nominated Weed to fill the vacancy. Two others applied: Former two-term council member Mitzie Fiedler and Christopher Derbak. Fieldler, a Republican, lost a reelection bid to Farrell in 2023 and campaigned to get her old seat back. Farrell rode to victory on a wave of discontent over Fiedler’s vote to rezone property in North Venice for a Pat Neal Publix-anchored shopping center.
Oddly enough, none of the council members nominated a second candidate. And there was only one person who signed up to discuss the council vacancy: Venice resident Margaret Jean Cannon. Nick Pachota orchestrated the vacancy filling. As we hear, it didn’t take long.
Margaret Jean Cannon: I’m hoping that you will try something new—someone that’s different—because we need to be able to continue to grow. We need to be able to still take care of the people that are here but also look towards our future. I’m hoping that this new person would be somebody different that would help us look at the diversity we have and the challenges that we’re facing.
Nick Pachota: I’m going to open the floor for nominations with my nomination of Lloyd Weed. Madam attorney, do I need a second on that one?
Response: You do not need a second.
NP: Okay. Then we’ll move to further nominations.
Any other nominations?
Asking for the third time: are there any other nominations?
Okay. The floor is now closed. With that, Madam Attorney, do we still need to go around the dais with only one nomination?
Response: Probably not. But if you want to go ahead and make it official, that is everyone’s choice, and we can do that.
NP: Starting with Mr. Engelke, if you’d verbalize your choice from the nominations.
Kevin Engelke: Mr. Weed.
NP: Mr. Smith?
Ron Smith: Mr. Weed.
NP: Vice Mayor Boldt?
Jim Boldt: Mr. Weed.
NP: I voted Mr. Weed. Mr. Howard?
Rick Howard: Mr. Weed.
NP: And Ms. Frank?
Rachel Frank: Mr. Weed.
NP: Then, with that, the council member for Seat 1 will be Lloyd Weed.
RL: Each Venice city council member, including lone Democrat Ron Smith, then congratulated Weed on his selection and said they looked forward to working with him.
Ron Smith.
Ron Smith: First, let me congratulate Mr. Weed as well as assure him all of us look forward to working with you. Thank you for your work on the Citizen Advisory Board. It’s been impressive.
RL: Mayor Pachota told Lloyd Weed, who was in council chambers, best of luck.
NP: I’m not gonna congratulate you, Mr. Weed. I’m gonna say “good luck.” It’s like riding a hurricane. As you saw today, some days are good. Some days are more challenging than others. So, welcome to the group. I know we’re all going to work wonderfully together, collaborating for our citizens.
RL: The Council decided last month not to hold a special election, which Ron Smith and Joan Farrell argued in favor of.
Frank Mowery, president of the Venice Area Democratic Club, sent an email criticizing the appointment plan.
Mowery said: “The Republican council members intend to appoint a pro-development candidate and increase their majority instead of holding a special election to fill a seat vacated by a duly-elected Democrat.”
He added: “We must request that at a minimum they require candidates to speak of their qualifications and goals as a member of City Council.”
Joan Farrell.
WSLR News spoke exclusively with Joan Farrell after Weed’s appointment. She wanted to see more applicants for her old job. She had favored Chris Derback who she felt would best represent Venice residents. But she said, in the end, Weed is the best bet.
Farrell is happy Mitzie Fieldler was snubbed. Farrell said a Fieldler appointment would have meant a return to the status quo. Deja vu, she said.
WSLR News also called Councilman Ron Smith. We asked him why there was only one nominee among three qualified candidates, including a city council veteran. He said, “it was clear to me, the majority wanted to see Weed on the council.”
He still believes a special election was the way to go. “This was a very unfortunate way to pick a council member.”
Regarding Fiedler’s bid, Smith said, “it would have been difficult for the city council to appoint someone which the voting public turned out. I believe the public wants to go a different direction.”
Smith said Weed joining Rachel Frank as an appointed city council member is a disservice to the Venice voters. He said, “the public deserves to vote in council members. I am disappointed the council did not allow the voters to decide Joan Farrell’s successor.”
Lest we forget, this whole matter was brought on by Pat’s Publix. How this all turned out was clearly the choice of the Republican party and real estate mogul Pat Neal, believes a close observer of the city council who did not want to be quoted on the record.
This is Ramon Lopez for WSLR News.
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