Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 16, 2025, Ocala residents will head to the polls for a special municipal election. Local elections may not grab as many headlines as state or national races, but they often have the greatest impact on our daily lives, shaping decisions about growth, public safety, infrastructure, and community programs.
At Ocala Scoop, our goal is simple: to provide facts and resources so you can make an informed decision.
🗳 What’s on the Ballot
- Mayor — Incumbent Ben Marciano vs. challenger Zackary “Arbor” Feliciano
- City Council District 3 — Incumbent Jay A. Musleh vs. challengers Mark W. Clark and TamBoura Jenkins
- City Council Districts 1 & 5 — Incumbents Barry Mansfield and Jim Hilty (running unopposed)
Meet the Mayoral Candidates
Ben Marciano (Incumbent)
Background
- Full name: Ben Marciano
- Born: May 4, 1979, in New York.
- Childhood: He moved (or his family moved) to Florida; he was raised in Dunnellon by his grandparents.
- Education:
• Associate degree in Criminal Justice from the College of Central Florida.
• At some point studied recreation and leisure at Florida State University (though it’s not clear if he completed a degree there). - Personal life:
• Married, to Danielle.
• They have three children.
• Church: Member at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church. - Business / Career before politics:
• Started as a health trainer.
• Became executive director of the DeLuca YMCA, under his leadership improving its programs and ranking.
• Owns Zone Health & Fitness (with his wife), with multiple gym/fitness facilities in Marion County. - Personal struggles / Recovery: He has spoken publicly about having had issues with alcohol and substance abuse in the past, and recovering.
Political & Mayoral Info
- He became mayor in December 2023, taking over from Kent Guinn, who had been mayor for 12 years.
- In the 2023 election, he ran unopposed.
- His current term is for two years (Ocala mayoral terms are 2 years).
- The mayor of Ocala has a relatively modest monthly salary (about $550/month) and the position is considered mostly ceremonial in many respects, though with some important oversight duties (police, etc.).
Key Priorities, Achievements, and Initiatives
Priorities
- Physical and mental health of Ocala’s residents. Improving health outcomes .
- Increasing awareness of health services, making them more accessible. Partnering with the Marion County Hospital District is one of the tools for that.
- Community engagement & outreach, both in general public health (exercising, fitness programs) and mental health/substance use recovery programs.
- Public safety: Oversight of the police department, improving its staffing, culture, compassion/community policing.
- Transparency/communication: Using social media, “Mayor’s Message,” being visible, answering residents’ questions.
Achievements & What’s Being Done
- Under his administration, the Ocala Police Department (OPD) saw vacancies drop significantly: from about 10% vacancy rate when he took office to around 1%.
- Introduced a community policing program aimed at some of the harder hit areas of the city.
- Organized the first-ever Police Ball for the OPD, held over two days at the World Equestrian Center; this was funded via fundraising (i.e. did not use taxpayer funds).
- Working to add a full-time chaplain for the OPD to help with officer mental health.
- For public health & fitness:
• Started “Mayor’s Fitness Challenge” for schools, replacing or supplementing the older Presidential Fitness Challenge. Over 25,000 kids participated.
• Workouts with the mayor, public workouts in parks, etc. - Mental health / resource access: Created or supported Healthy Ocala initiative (a digital platform listing mental health & substance recovery resources) in partnership with the Marion County Hospital District.
Challenges, Open Questions, and Criticisms (if any)
- Because the mayor position is in many ways ceremonial, Marciano often has limited power for certain types of structural change; much depends on cooperation with city council, county leadership, and other entities.
- Rapid growth: Ocala is growing quickly, which means infrastructure (roads, schools, sidewalks, etc.) has to keep up. Marciano has said he wants infrastructure to stay ahead of growth.
- Education impact fees: New housing construction puts pressure on school systems; the school board is considering reinstating educational impact fees (a way to require builders to contribute for new school capacity). Marciano said he needs to study the issue more before taking a firm stance.
Zackary “Arbor” Feliciano (Challenger)
Background
- Name / Nickname: Zackary Feliciano, who goes by “Arbor” Feliciano.
- Age: 20 years old.
- New to Public Office: This is his first time running for an elected position.
- Employment: He works at Publix. Prior to that, worked at FedEx.
- Education: He completed one year of study at Suffolk University in Boston.
- Where he’s from / residence: He moved to Ocala about two years ago from Worcester, Massachusetts, as his parents planned for retirement.
- Other experience / affiliations: He claims to serve as vice president of the newly formed Marion County Progressive Caucus (though he says this title is unofficial).
What He’s Running On/His Platform & Proposals
Here are his campaign priorities and proposed policies:
- Affordability & Economic Support for the Lower Income / Working Poor
- He emphasizes that the bottom ~20% of Ocala is in poverty (per U.S. Census figures) and believes they are not getting adequate support.
- He sees many people working multiple jobs just to make ends meet.
- Healthcare Access/Free Clinics
- Proposes establishing three city-run health clinics to serve the uninsured (at low or no cost).
- Also has mentioned exploring a “city insurance plan” or similar measures.
- Homelessness/Housing & Housing Security
- Wants an “Ocala Alms Budget” — an office under the city’s budget management office that works with local charities/orgs like Interfaith Emergency Services, Volunteers of America, etc., to set up consistent, annual budgets for them to keep helping needy populations.
- Wishes to address rapid growth and sprawl; supports denser, walkable development.
- Tax Policy/Corporate Property / Vacant Properties
- He proposes raising property taxes on corporations with over 1,500 employees to generate revenue to support public services.
- Also suggests imposing a vacant property tax on empty residential properties to discourage “rental investment firms” (i.e. big property owners who leave units empty, possibly to drive up profit) and to help make housing more accessible.
- Detangling with ICE/Law Enforcement & Community Trust
- He wants to end Ocala’s agreement that allows officers to be deputized as ICE agents, arguing that this harms public trust in law enforcement.
- Youth Engagement
- He speaks about the state of young people in Ocala: lack of clear futures, many leaving, etc. He frames part of his platform as making Ocala a place young people want to stay in, build their lives, have families.
Weaknesses/What Is Less Clear
- Because he is very new to politics, there’s limited prior political or governance experience. Attendance at city council meetings, familiarity with local government operations etc. seem minimal so far.
- Some of his plans are broad or aspirational (e.g. “free clinics,” “city insurance plan,” etc.), but how they’ll be funded, staffed, and operated is not yet detailed publicly.
- The scale and cost of some proposals (raising taxes on large corporations, vacant property taxes, etc.) are probably going to face political, legal, and practical challenges.
Meet the City Council District 3 Candidates
Jay A. Musleh (Incumbent)
- Background: Has represented District 3 for ~13 years. Banking career; retired nine months ago.
- Priorities:
- Continuity of service and experience in city governance
- Stability during ongoing growth and development
- Message to Voters: Musleh highlights his record of service and institutional knowledge, offering voters stability and experience.
Mark W. Clark (Challenger)
- Background: Air Force veteran; career included work with the National Security Agency. Longtime Ocala resident.
- Priorities:
- Transparency in city government
- Thoughtful growth management
- Ensure city decisions balance developers’ interests with residents’ needs
- Message to Voters: Clark emphasizes service and accountability, calling for fairer distribution of growth benefits.
TamBoura Jenkins (Challenger)
- Background: Small business owner, nurse, seminary graduate, and real estate broker.
- Priorities:
- Affordable housing and livable wages
- Address food insecurity
- Require large developers to reinvest in the community
- Message to Voters: Jenkins advocates for equitable growth and economic opportunity, drawing on her experience as a small business owner and healthcare worker.
Key Voting Information
- Election Day: Tuesday, September 16, 2025 — polls open 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM
- Early Voting: September 11–13, 2025 (10:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily)
- Vote by Mail: Request deadline was September 4; ballots must be returned by Election Day
- Registration Deadline: August 18, 2025 (already passed)
- Details & Polling Locations: votemarion.gov
Questions to Ask as You Decide
- How do the candidates’ priorities align with the issues most important to you, affordability, growth, public safety, or community health?
- Do you prefer leadership that continues current policies, or new perspectives with different approaches?
- Which proposals feel practical and achievable in the short term? Which are long-term visions?
- How do candidates plan to keep the community informed and engaged in decision-making?
Special elections often see low turnout, but every vote makes a difference, especially at the local level. Take the time to compare candidates, consider their priorities, and decide who best represents your vision for Ocala’s future.
📣 Election Day is September 16. Mark your calendar and make your voice heard!
Sources
City of Ocala
Ocala Gazette
93.7 K-Country
352Today
VoterFocus
WUFT
Ballotpedia
Arbor For Mayor (campaign website)
Ocala Scoop 
Leave a comment