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Change proposed for filling council vacancies
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer KENNETH CITY -- When Ted Wiesner resigned from the Town Council earlier this month, some voters were outraged to discover they would have no say in choosing his successor. Now, council member Teresa Zemaitis wants to change the Town Charter to require a special election to fill vacant seats if more than 10 months remain in the term. Zemaitis plans to make her proposal at tonight's council workshop, 7:30 at the Community Hall, 4600 58th St. N. The meeting is open to the public. The proposal is just the first step. The rest of the council would have to agree to put the item on the next meeting agenda, when members could vote on it. If it passes at that time, voters would have the final say. The issue of appointments versus special elections to fill unexpired terms arose this month when Wiesner resigned after a month in office. A member of the U.S. Coast Guard, Wiesner apparently had violated a military rule against holding elective office while on active duty. Wiesner said he had received permission to run and serve but that Coast Guard officials changed their minds after receiving phone calls from Mayor Bill Smith and Town Clerk Nancy Beelman. Smith has denied making calls. Beelman conceded she did call in her capacity as overseer of the town's election system. With almost the full two years left on Wiesner's term, many residents complained that they effectively had been denied their vote. They demanded that a special election be held to fill his unexpired term. But the charter specifies that empty seats be filled by a council appointment after applications are taken. A year ago, Russ Dumont was chosen to fill the unexpired term of Chuck Webber, who left to work in Pinellas Park's annexation department. With only a few months left on Webber's term, Dumont's appointment raised hackles. But the prospect of having someone serve a nearly full term who had not been elected angered some residents. "The people who were there, they were absolutely right. . . . A special election should be held because there's a full term remaining," Zemaitis said. "This wasn't the right thing to have happen." Thus far, three people -- Dumont, Dolores Urso and Muriel Whitman -- have applied for the open seat. The council will choose the replacement at a special meeting at 7:30 p.m. May 1 in the Community Hall. Residents interested in filling the open seat on the Kenneth City Town Council may pick up applications from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Town Hall, 6000 54th Ave. N. Completed applications must be turned in no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday. Applicants must have been a resident and registered voter of Kenneth City for at least the past two years. Council members serve two-year terms. The council is a nonpartisan body of four members and the mayor, who oversee the town government. Each member has charge of a department. They meet as a group at least twice a month, once in a regular meeting and once in a workshop. Council members earn $300 a month. For information, call Nancy Beelman, town clerk, 544-6655.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
