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Lealman fire panel race turns feisty
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
LEALMAN -- The race for Seat 2 on the Lealman Fire Commission has been a hot one. First-time candidate John Frank has openly and repeatedly criticized the commission as being arrogant, inept and out of touch with the Lealman community. Incumbent Kathleen Quinn Litton has run on the commission's record, saying the group has successfully faced severe challenges, including a minor reduction in the area's tax rate. Annexation, taxes, awareness, responsibility and accessibility are Frank's major issues. The commission, he said, has allowed Lealman to be whittled by successive annexations that have resulted in major tax losses to the Fire District. Commissioners say they are watching the progress of annexations, Frank said, but they do nothing. "They keep an eye on it," he said. "They watch it. Then it gets out of sight and they can't do anything about it." The better thing to do, he said, is for the commission to try to step in while they can, before the County Commission has approved the annexation. Frank conceded that fire commissioners have reduced the tax rate recently. But that doesn't mean taxes have gone down, he said. Taxes have actually gone up because property values have increased. Commission members should be innovative, Frank said. One idea he has would be to cut property taxes and spread out some of the fire cost to all Lealman residents by assessing them a set yearly fee for fire service. Kenneth City, which contracts with Lealman for fire service at a greatly reduced cost, also should pay more of its fair share, he said. Some form of countywide fire service for the unincorporated areas would help reduce taxes and Frank said he supports the County Commission's efforts to help bring that about. Frank also criticized the commission for its recent decision to limit public comment on its actions. A new rule limits comment on agenda items to one person only, he said, and bans the public from raising items at later meetings. "I can't understand the blatant arrogance," Frank said. Commission members need to know they do not operate in a vacuum, Frank said, and should be aware of what's going on in communities around them. Frank touted his regular attendance not only at the Lealman fire meetings but also at Kenneth City, Pinellas Park and County Commission meetings as a way of keeping up on issues in the mid-Pinellas area. Litton said she qualifies for the seat because she knows the issues that affect the Lealman community. "I am running for re-election so that I may continue to seek ways to lower the fire tax burden on the Lealman community while, at the same time, still provide the highest level of service this community has come to expect and deserves," Litton said. Litton, like Frank, said the tax rate and annexation are two big issues facing the district. She also supports some form of countywide fire service. "Fire services countywide should be studied and evaluated for potential savings and more equitable cost distribution," Litton said. "Going to a countywide fire service would likely have a dramatic effect on the Lealman Fire District's millage rate." Litton said the commission needs to lobby the Pinellas County Legislative delegation to extend the so-called Farkas bill, which requires cities that annex into the Lealman area to continue to pay the fire taxes there for five years. The delegation, she said, also should be lobbied to allow the Pinellas County Commission to have control over annexations by referendum. "Who better to make local decisions than our local government?" Litton asked. The jobBoard members are responsible for fire protection and emergency services for the approximately 42,000 residents in the Lealman Fire District, which covers 11 square miles from Northeast High School on the east to the Intracoastal Waterway on the west, and from 40th Avenue N on the south to 62nd Avenue on the north. The district also includes Kenneth City, which has a contract with Lealman for fire and paramedic coverage, although residents there cannot vote for fire board members. Board members meet twice monthly, once for a workshop and once for a regular meeting. Commission members are paid $500 a month. The candidatesKATHLEEN QUINN LITTON, 45, is a postal clerk/postmaster's secretary with the U.S. Postal Service. She has served on the Lealman Fire Commission for six years; a two-year appointed term and a four-year elected stint. She has a bachelor's degree in management from Florida State University. She is a member of the American Postal Workers Union and the Ladies Auxiliary of the VFW in Inverness. She was the commission's delegate to last spring's American Assembly. She has served with the Azalea Little League, the United Way "Day of Caring," and the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce Women's Council. She enjoys watching sports, particularly those that her children play. She is married and has two children. JOHN FRANK, 47, is a 26-year resident of the Lealman community. He owns John G. Frank Irrigation Contractor Inc. He is a graduate of Bishop Barry High School (now St. Petersburg Catholic). He serves on the board of directors of the Lealman Community Association and is vice president of the United Community Associations of Pinellas. He is also a member of the Lealman Revitalization team. He is single.
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