A day after winning Sanford’s mayoral election, Christina Hollerbach said on Wednesday she’s ready “to hit the ground running” in her new role.
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Hollerbach, 39, defeated business owner Charles Davis, 58, with 51% of the votes cast in the citywide, non-partisan election. Davis took in about 46%, with a third candidate who had dropped out of the race picking up another 3%.
She will be sworn in Dec. 14 at City Hall at the start of a city commission meeting. It will be the first time in six years that Sanford will have a new mayor, after incumbent Art Woodruff decided not to seek a new four-year term.
“I’m very excited to get started,” said Hollerbach, the owner of a consulting firm whose family owns the popular Hollerbach’s German restaurant downtown. “It’s kind of nice that I have four months to get my feet wet.”
Hollerbach has already started to schedule meetings with city staff, county leaders and other prominent people in the community for the coming weeks.
She added that Davis reached out to her after the ballot results.
“He did text me to wish me the best for the city that we both love,” Hollerbach said. “I have so much respect for him. And I will always be happy to work with him and his resources.”
But Hollerbach and the four other Sanford commissioners will face challenges in the coming years.
Many of the city’s aging water, sewer and stormwater systems need to be upgraded. It’s not uncommon for areas of the downtown district to flood after heavy thunderstorms.
Nearly three years ago, a wastewater treatment plant failed and millions of gallons of partially-treated sewage flowed into Lake Monroe, leaving behind a smelly mess.
In 2022, sections of downtown Sanford were closed for weeks after Hurricane Ian caused Lake Monroe to overflow and inundated roads near City Hall and Marina Isle.
In her campaign, Hollerbach said she, other residents and business owners have been frustrated at how long it’s taking the city to fix the issues.
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In recent years, Sanford has seen thousands of new homes and apartments rise on the city’s east side — especially along East Lake Mary Boulevard, near the Orlando Sanford International Airport and the county’s Boombah Sports Complex.
It is one of the last remaining rural areas in Seminole where higher density developments could be more easily approved.
Hollerbach said the city should do more in working with county officials in planning for that growth.
“The growth [in the county] is going to happen, whether we like it or not. But we need to have a bigger say,” she said last week while campaigning. “We can’t just let it happen.”
Hollerbach ran a grassroots campaign with a team of volunteers in which she knocked on doors, waved campaign signs, and attended meetings held by homeowners’ associations, apartment complexes and condominium boards.
In all, she raised just over $16,000 in campaign funds, while her opponent raised and spent nearly five times that amount.
With a population of roughly 68,000 residents and spanning nearly 25 square miles, Sanford — incorporated in 1877 — is one of Central Florida’s largest and oldest cities.
It has a thriving downtown night life, an international airport, Amtrak and SunRail train stations, the Riverwalk trail, and the historic Black communities of Goldsboro and Georgetown.
While the mayor is elected citywide, Sanford commissioners are elected within their individual districts. The mayor’s job pays $24,756 a year.
“As mayor my commitment will be to serve all of Sanford,” Hollerbach said in a statement released by the city. “I look forward to listening to our residents, working collaboratively with our city Commission and staff, and building on the strengths that make Sanford such a special place to live, work and visit.”
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