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'You all need to get your act together'By Times staff writer© St. Petersburg Times published January 27, 2002 PINELLAS PARK -- Here are excerpts from an audiotape of Tuesday's City Council workshop. County Commissioners Karen Seel and John Morroni have said that council member Rick Butler verbally attacked them at the meeting. Seel, Morroni and county Administrator Steve Spratt had come to the meeting to issue a third invitation for the city to participate in the American Assembly, where county and city officials will gather with community activists to discuss issues important to the county's future. Butler on the American Assembly: "I got lambasted because our city is not playing. Well, folks, we don't need to play. You all need to get your act together, it's not us. ... Maybe y'all will figure out why people are annexing out of your county. We offer better service." "We don't mean to embarrass you. We really don't. We're busy doing some things. You guys go play ... but we can't go backward." Butler to Morroni after the commissioner explained to him why he had a subordinate return the council member's phone call: "There we go, excuse of the week club and I apologize. I feel for you, but this has been going on for over a year." Butler was not the only council member to be blunt. Chuck Williams said he also didn't want to participate, partly because the city that had introduced the American Assembly to the county cannot be trusted. That city, he said, breaks agreements it makes with other cities. Someone urged him to name the city. Williams: "Name it? Largo. Capital L-A-R-G-O."
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
