New County Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem Selected by Board of County Commissioners

MONROE COUNTY, FL – At Wednesday’s Board of County Commissioners meeting, the board chose Mayor Pro Tem Holly Merrill Raschein to serve as Monroe County Mayor and Commissioner Jim Scholl to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for the next year. Mayor Merrill Raschein has been a commissioner since 2021, and Mayor Pro Tem Jim Scholl since 2022.

Mayor Merrill Raschein, Mayor Pro Tem Scholl, and the commissioners recognized outgoing Mayor Craig Cates for his mayoral duties for the past year and for leading the County through its 200th anniversary celebrations.

The mayor’s title is given to the Board of County Commissioners chairperson. The commissioners choose the designee based on a majority vote, usually at the November board meeting. A mayor pro tem is also designated to fill in when the mayor is unavailable. The mayor presides over the Board of County Commissioners meetings and serves as the Monroe County representative at ceremonial occasions. The mayor is also responsible for signing and cosigning documents with the County Clerk.