 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
Back
|
Polls open today in 6 Pinellas communities
By Times staff writer The status quo is on the line today in St. Pete Beach and Clearwater as voters go to the polls in six Pinellas communities. St. Pete Beach's ballot is packed: races for mayor and two commission seats, plus two referendums that would significantly alter elections to come. Ward Friszolowski, previously a two-term commissioner, is seeking another two-year term as mayor. Challenger Steve Gordon is running for public office for the first time. Another incumbent, Peter Blank, is defending his City Commission seat against political newcomers Bill Allard and Ed Ruttencutter. In the city's northernmost district, incumbent John Phillips decided against running for a third term, so Julie Christman and Anastasios "Taso" Papargiriou are vying for that seat. Finally, voters in every St. Pete Beach district can cast ballots on two referendum questions -- one lengthening the mayor's term of office from two to three years, the other switching elections from single districts to a citywide format. In Clearwater, the story is as much about who is running as how people will be voting. The whole county is watching as Clearwater's electorate casts ballots on new touch screen machines, which have replaced the punch cards and dangling chad that caused so much trouble in the 2000 presidential election. Incumbents are defending their seats in two Clearwater commission races. Ed Hart wants a second three-year term. His opponent is Frank Hibbard. Hoyt Hamilton is being challenged by Patricia Bates-Smith. Elsewhere: In Indian Rocks Beach, voters will choose two city commissioners from a field of four. The candidates are incumbents R.B. Johnson and Toby O'Brien and challengers Jeremiah Carmody and Jayne van der Voordt. Voters there also can answer two referendum questions. One would lengthen the mayor and commissioners' terms of office from two to three years; the other would allow the city to sell a piece of waterfront property for development. Kenneth City voters have the chance to elect two Town Council members. Incumbent Fran Luke is facing former Council member Russ Dumont and first-time candidates Clyde "Buddy" Boudreau and Ted Wiesner. The top two vote-getters earn Council seats. Similar math is occurring in Safety Harbor: four candidates, two available commission seats. Incumbent Pam Corbino, who has been a commissioner and now mayor for 10 years, is being challenged by Sherrie Pennington. Robin Borland, the one-year incumbent, and Cynthia O'Donnell are competing for a place on the City Commission. In Belleair Beach, voters will cast ballots on changes to the city charter. Polls in each community are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. -- Staff writers Amy Wimmer, Anne Lindberg, Christina Headrick and Leon Tucker contributed to this report.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
Headlines From the Times local news desks Mary Jo Melone |
