SANFORD, Fla. – Sanford Mayor Jeff Triplett resigned from his office Monday in an effort to kickstart his run for Seminole County Property Appraiser.
Triplett was elected mayor in November 2010 and is currently on his 3rd term which was set to end in 2022, according to the city’s website.
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Triplett said his resignation happened simultaneously as he opened his campaign account to qualify to pursue the county’s property appraiser role.
As of Monday morning, Seminole County’s records department said Triplett has filed to run but has not completed the steps to qualify. He has until noon Friday to complete the steps.
In a statement regarding his resignation, Triplett said serving as Sanford’s mayor has been one of his proudest achievements during his professional career.
“Sanford will always be home for me, and I take comfort knowing the City is in fine hands,” he wrote.
Triplett served as Chairman of the Downtown Sanford Community Redevelopment Agency and was the former Chairman of the Seminole County Port Authority, the Sanford Chamber of Commerce and Vice-Chairman of the Sanford Airport Authority prior to his stay as mayor.
David Johnson currently holds the position of Seminole County Property Appraiser. Johnson was elected to the office in 2004 and was re-elected unopposed for his fourth term in 2016.
Read Triplett’s full statement below.
"This morning, in accordance with Florida election regulations, I resigned my position as Mayor of the City of Sanford. This was done in concert with my opening of a campaign account, and qualifying to seek the office of the Property Appraiser of Seminole County. Serving as Mayor has been one of the proudest achievements of my professional career. Sanford will always be home for me, and I take comfort knowing the City is in fine hands. We have a Commission working tirelessly to continue the rebirth of our County seat, and I am excited to watch them continue polishing this diamond! I have spoken to them, they ARE ready! We have a staff that is the envy of cities across Florida, each of them, across all pay grades and departments. It has been an honor to serve with each and every employee at City Hall, the residents are very fortunate to have them. Finally, when people speak about Sanford they now talk about beautiful old homes, the picturesque lakefront, our Airport and our Downtown revival. I cannot say “Thank You” enough to all the people that made this possible…as a team.
These are tremendous assets, and make Sanford a great place to live, work, and play. But more than anything, what makes Sanford and Seminole County special is the beautiful, caring, and diverse people we call neighbors. The thousands of friendships and memories I have made while serving as Mayor, are something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am not leaving Sanford, I just hope to serve her, and the rest of Seminole County, in a different role.
My decision to seek the office of Seminole County Property Appraiser has been many years in the making. My 30-plus year career in the private sector has allowed me to develop a skill set that I can engage for the benefit of every resident and business person in our wonderful County. I have spent my entire community banking career working in each of the cities in Seminole County, as well as the unincorporated areas that are so special. These are unique times, with economic and social uncertainty, that require full time attention. I want the residents of Seminole County to know that I will always put them first, and fully understand, THEY are our employer. My opponent is a good man, who I consider a friend. Our Team is just convinced that his being in the office for over 30 years creates an opportunity, for new energy and ideas. Over the years I have worked with many of the employees in the Property Appraiser’s office, and I am excited to work with ALL of them to keep residents first!
This will be a contest based on positive plans for bettering Seminole County for the future, not negative campaign ads. We have a campaign chair in each of the seven cities, to insure we hear from ALL the residents throughout the county. Please contact us if you would like to help, we would love to have you on the Team. My campaign officially begins this morning, please feel free to reach out to me directly, if you have any questions."