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A decision over a vacant City Commission seat gives Marty Shelby, the man who left it, a chance to share - and rant.
By ABBIE VANSICKLE
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 23, 2003
LARGO -- City Commissioner-turned-mayoral candidate Marty Shelby took his turn on the other side of the dais Tuesday night.
Several times.
As tension rose among his former colleagues over Shelby's questioning on topics ranging from city policy to how to replace him on the commission, Mayor Bob Jackson at one point threatened his removal.
Shelby remained and the City Commission returned to what occupied members most of the night: working out plans to fill the seventh seat, Shelby's.
Vacated last week when Shelby resigned to run for mayor, the seat was a point of contention as commissioners discussed application deadlines.
Shelby showed up to share his thoughts. He asked commissioners to hold off on the appointment until after the March 4 election.
"What a change of pace to be on this side," he said, standing at the public comment lectern. He said a Jan. 30 deadline was not enough time to allow people time to consider running.
Commissioners didn't heed Shelby's advice, voting 5-1 that applications must be submitted to the city clerk's office by Jan. 30 and the position filled by Feb. 4. Harriet Crozier voted against the proposal.
City clerk Diane Bruner said more than a dozen people have picked up applications for the job.
Though Shelby's comments to the commission at the start of the meeting were measured and calm, tension mounted as he came forward several more times throughout the meeting.
Hinting at "backroom deals" within the commission, Shelby railed against commission policies, focusing on the city's annexation efforts.
The tension came to a head when Jackson repeatedly asked Shelby to restrict his comments to commission agenda items. When Shelby continued, Jackson asked one of the police officers in the room to remove Shelby.
"Officer, remove him," Jackson said firmly in the commission chambers.
Shelby sat down, but the tension continued.
Commissioner Charlie Harper said he was surprised at the tenor of the meeting.
"I thought Marty did a disservice to himself by going into an attack mode," he said. "I think he could be a much more compelling candidate if he told voters what progress could be made in the city rather than tearing down the commission. After all, he was part of the commission until last week."
Harper said he also was shocked by some of Shelby's opinions, which seemed to be at odds with views he held while on the commission.
Shelby resigned Jan. 13.
For example, Shelby's opposition to quickly filling the vacant seat was strange, he said, because Shelby supported the same process in 1996, when Pat Burke joined the commission. He also said he couldn't believe Shelby urged commissioners to work more closely with Pinellas County on annexation issues.
"When he was on the commission, Marty Shelby was the absolute conveyor of the message that the city would move forward on annexation issues with or without the county," Harper said. "He was the spokesperson for the city on the matter."
Commissioner Burke agreed that Shelby's views were a departure from the past.
"He was always the outspoken critic of Largo working closely with Pinellas County," she said.
But Shelby defended his change from past views. He said by suggesting to extend the commission application deadline and in hinting at behind-the-scenes deals, he was echoing concerns he'd heard from Largo residents.
"My goal was to caution the commission against a negative perception by members of the community," he said.
Shelby said his views on city-county cooperation shifted last week when the commission voted to postpone the annexation of Cove Cay, a gated golf course community on U.S. 19, because it hadn't secured permission from the golf course.
"I think the relationship between the city of Largo and Pinellas County has deteriorated rapidly over a short time," he said. "Circumstances are changing ... I'd say the concept of annexation is a good idea that has run amok because of a lack of sound political leadership."
Despite Harper's insistence, Shelby said he hadn't pushed for an aggressive annexation policy in the past.
"I have cautioned the commission in the past that there is a price to pay in being overly aggressive," he said. "My feeling is you can get more with honey than you can with vinegar. The strategies have to adapt to the circumstances, and the circumstances have changed drastically."
-- Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 445-4224 or at vansickle@sptimes.com .