A Times Editorial

Voters, now is time to study candidates

As responsible Americans, we should all exercise our right to vote at every opportunity. But this year, having understood as never before that there are those who would destroy our way of life, we ought to be even more eager to participate in the process of choosing our leaders.

The holidays are over, and that means that local election season is opening in North Pinellas cities. Now is the time for residents of those cities to start paying attention so they will be prepared to vote.

Dunedin, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Largo and Safety Harbor have local elections scheduled in February and March. Would-be candidates in those cities are going through the procedures required to qualify to run, and the books are open for residents to register to vote.

Dunedin will have four candidates running for two seats on the City Commission Feb. 12. Incumbent Commissioners Cecil Englebert and Deborah Kynes are up for re-election and have drawn two challengers: former Commissioner Tom Osborne and local businessman Bob Hackworth. If you want to vote in this election but have never registered, you need to do so quickly by going to any Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections office to fill out a simple form. The registration deadline is Friday.

The next election after Dunedin's is scheduled for March 5 in Largo, where two of the seven City Commission seats -- occupied now by Commissioners Pat Burke and Mary Laurance -- will be on the ballot. Candidates have until Feb. 4 to qualify to run. Residents also have until Feb. 4 to register to vote if they are not already registered.

Clearwater and Safety Harbor are up next with elections March 12. It is a particularly important election in Clearwater because three of the City Commission's five seats are scheduled to be on the ballot. Mayor Brian Aungst is running for re-election, but we don't know yet if he will have a challenger because would-be candidates have until Jan. 25 to qualify. The terms of Commissioners Ed Hart and Hoyt Hamilton also expire this year, and both plan to run for re-election. A couple of challengers already are campaigning. Voter registration deadline is Feb. 11.

In Safety Harbor, Mayor Pam Corbino is running for re-election, as is Commissioner Robin Borland. Residents of that city have until Jan. 18 to qualify to run for office, and until Feb. 11 to register to vote.

Tarpon Springs' election is the last one, scheduled for March 19. Two of the five City Commission seats, which are now held by Jim Archer and Cindy Sanner, are scheduled to be on the ballot, along with a number of referendum questions. People who would like to run for office have until Jan. 23 to qualify. Voter registration books will be open through Feb. 19.

It is easy to register to vote. Most public libraries, some banks, some city clerk offices and the county Supervisor of Elections Office have forms that take only a couple of minutes to fill out. That's all you have to do.

The real work of being a voter is getting educated about the candidates. You can learn a lot by reading the newspaper's local news sections during the campaign season and by attending candidate forums, which the newspaper will publicize in advance, or you can learn by calling the city clerk in your city hall.

Now more than ever, voters need to select smart, sensible, creative people for local elective offices. The downturn in the economy and hits to tourism because of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have brought a fiscal crisis to many local governments in Florida. Tough choices loom for officials in North Pinellas cities, and we need to make sure that the people elected are equipped to make those hard decisions.

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