Clearwater City Council — August 18, 2026
We Are Citizens of Clearwater.
It's Time We Were Treated Like It.
After 13 years and a near-miss that never should have happened, our community finally won. Now we make sure it never happens again — by electing the right people on August 18.
7 weeks until Election Day. Most parishioners don't know yet.
Here's What Happened — And Why It Matters Now
For 13 years, our Church sought the vacation of a small strip of road between two properties it owns on Garden Avenue. A routine request. Clearwater has approved more than 60 similar requests in its history — not one had ever been denied.
Ours nearly was.
Through multiple FOIA requests, we uncovered what was really happening behind closed doors: backroom coordination aimed at one outcome — block this request, regardless of the law, the precedent, or the merits. The discrimination was documented. It was deliberate. And it was so clear that the Florida Attorney General intervened directly, putting the City Council on notice that he was watching.
We won. Barely. The vote was 3–2. That margin tells you everything.
The message from the losing votes was unmistakable: there are citizens of Clearwater — and then there are Scientologists.
That is not a political opinion. That is the documented reality of how certain members of our city government have operated — treating parishioners as a separate, lesser class, beneath the full protection of the law that every other resident enjoys.
What makes this worse: two of the council members who voted against us were people our community helped get elected. We trusted them. They chose differently when it mattered most.
We will not make that mistake again.
The Election Is 7 Weeks Away. Most Parishioners Don't Know Yet.
The information gap is the problem. There are strong, qualified candidates running who will fight for fair governance and treat every Clearwater citizen equally — regardless of their faith. But awareness within our community is low, and time is short.
Meanwhile, figures like Mark Bunker — whose long history of activism against our Church is a matter of public record — are already running and already organized.
The only thing that closes that gap is us — parishioners talking to parishioners, starting today.
The Right Candidates
Sam Wilson & Jared Leone
Sam Wilson
City Council — Seat 5
Congressional staffer and District Director for Rep. Anna Paulina Luna. Focused on affordability, transparency, public safety, and fair governance for every Clearwater resident. Endorsed by business, neighborhoods, and law enforcement.
Learn More →Jared Leone
City Council — Seat 4
President of the Clearwater Neighborhoods Coalition. Former Environmental Advisory Board chair. A proven advocate for balanced development that respects our community and its character.
Learn More →Both supported by the Cleveland Street Alliance — driving the cooperative vision for a thriving downtown Clearwater.
Three Steps. Two Minutes. Real Impact.
Get Informed
Read this page. Visit the candidates' sites. Know who you're backing and why.
Sign Up Below
Join the community awareness effort. Commit to reaching your fellow parishioners.
Spread It Now
Text or WhatsApp this page to people you know from church. Right now, while it's top of mind.
This is our moment
Join the Awareness Campaign
For our community to be heard, every parishioner needs to know about August 18 before it's too late. Sign up and commit to reaching your people.
What Happens If We Do Nothing
The people who treated us as second-class citizens stay in power. The information gap remains. Parishioners vote uninformed — or don't vote at all. And in seven weeks, that window closes permanently for another election cycle.
Picture Election Night
High turnout. Informed parishioners. Sam Wilson and Jared Leone win. Fair governance returns. Cleveland Street thrives as a beacon of what this city can be when it works together. And our community — citizens every one — is never treated as less than that again.
This is how it ends. One parishioner at a time.