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Kenneth City candidates stake out stands
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer KENNETH CITY -- Voters will be able to choose from among four candidates running for two open Town Council seats. Clyde "Buddy" Boudreau and Ted Wiesner are political newcomers. Former council member Russ Dumont is running again and Fran Luke wants to be re-elected to a second term. Council member Ron Sneed is not running. Boudreau, 68, is making his first bid for elected office, but he's a familiar face in town government. He was foreman of the Public Works Department for about eight years, an experience that prompted his decision to run. At one time, he said, public works performed such duties as resurfacing and striping streets, building curbs and replacing drainage pipes. "Nothing has been touched since I left. That's over five years," Boudreau said. "They're not even filling the cracks. I understand they even sold the machine. . . . I guess I feel they're totally inadequate." Wiesner, 37, is a frequent speaker at council meetings. He once collected a petition of more than 400 signatures in an effort to force the council to open the town's garbage contract to bids rather than raising the rates and automatically signing another contract. The council ignored the petition. So, Wiesner said he's running because he felt he should put up or shut up. For him, the most important issue is ensuring that council members listen to the people. Dumont, 66, ran unsuccessfully for council seats in 1995 and 1996. He was appointed in 2000 to complete the term of Chuck Webber, who resigned to take a job annexing property for Pinellas Park. Dumont lost another election bid last March. He also served as the head of the Make Kenneth City Safer Committee, which campaigned in 2000 to abolish the Police Department in favor of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Dumont, who says he supports the Police Department, agreed to head the committee because police officers asked for him to help them go to the sheriff. Dumont says he's running this year to bring stability to the council and work with elected officials in a positive manner. Luke, 70, has said she is running for her second term on the council because members need her steadying influence now more than ever. The council is a nonpartisan body of four members and the mayor. Each member has charge of a town department. They meet at least twice a month, once in a workshop and once in a regular, voting meeting. Members earn $300 a month. The election is March 12. The final day to register to vote in the Kenneth City election is Monday.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
