Times recommendsA Times Editorial

In Inverness election, reflect on past controversies

With elections for national, state, county and other local offices having been conducted in November, Inverness will be alone in the spotlight when it holds its City Council elections Feb. 11. This presents an opportunity for city residents to focus their attention strictly on the performance of the three incumbent council members seeking re-election.

For the council and Inverness residents, 2002 was a dichotomy. City leaders can point to a number of municipal success stories, from partnering with a scientist to start cleaning up Cooter Pond, to working with the county to fix downtown stormwater drainage problems, receiving another successful audit, rolling back the tax rates and continuing the Liberty Park project.

Other stories, however, captured the public's attention and led many to question whether the council members truly are representing the wishes of the residents.

Voters may recall the controversies over whether to line Main Street with American flags to honor the Sept. 11 victims, whether the police officers were treated fairly in contract negotiations and whether the council correctly handled the situation that police Chief Joseph Elizarde created when he got into a ruckus with a restaurant owner.

It's instructive, however, to note how those controversies were resolved. The flags flew, eventually. The police officers ratified their contract. And Elizarde saved the city further embarrassment by resigning. The question before voters, then, is whether the council members seeking re-election appropriately handled not just the routine city business but also those unexpected problems.

Of further interest for voters is the performance of an official whose name will not appear on any ballot: City Manager Frank DiGiovanni. The city manager handles the day-to-day city operations, making him the point man for projects and controversies. The candidates offer differing assessments of DiGiovanni's performance, including one who framed this year's races as an effort by some in the community to elect council members who would fire DiGiovanni.

Here is a look at the candidates for the three offices on the Feb. 11 ballot. All council members serve four-year terms, and the races are nonpartisan.

Seat 1

Incumbent John Sullivan has been a council member for eight years and points to his leadership on the board as well as his extensive community involvement as reasons voters should return him to the council.

Sullivan brings a thoughtful and professional attitude to council discussions. He is well versed in city operations and tries to be a consensus builder. Of the controversies that dogged the city this past year, he explains the reasons behind his decisions and is reflective enough to admit that, in the flag flap, "I don't think I handled that very well."

Sullivan thinks the city should keep its Police Department, but he would like to see the agency work more closely with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office to eliminate duplication of services.

Sullivan grades DiGiovanni as "an excellent manager" and a strong leader willing to "take the heat" for the city when problems arise. He disagrees with those who say that DiGiovanni, and not the council, directs the city. "The tail does not wag the dog," he said.

Sullivan's opponent is Brian Snapp, a resident manager at the Inverness Club Senior Apartments. Snapp asserts that the current council is unresponsive to residents and lists the police contract negotiations, the city's desire to build a new City Hall and the lack of maintenance of infrastructure such as water pipes as major failings.

Snapp, energetic and intense, says the city needs new leadership and the fresh perspective that he can bring. He criticizes Sullivan for being "overinvolved" in community groups, which, Snapp says, "hinders his objectivity" by putting him too much in contact with "special interests" and not with ordinary residents.

Snapp is very critical of the way the council handled police contract talks, calling council members "spiteful." He points out that the city ended the year with a $400,000 surplus, some of which could have gone to bigger raises. As for DiGiovanni, Snapp says there's been a "role reversal" at City Hall, with the manager in charge.

Snapp, 39, also brings personal baggage to the election, including some run-ins with law enforcement a number of years ago. He describes as "youthful indiscretions" misdemeanor arrests on DUI and marijuana possession, making harassing phone calls and a battery charge.

As for his lack of political experience, Snapp says his duties at the Inverness Club are a microcosm of running a city, from dealing with budget and employee concerns to working on infrastructure improvements such as new sidewalks.

While he has a genuine interest in helping Inverness and raises some valid criticisms of the council, Snapp's background, experience and knowledge of the city fall short in comparison to Sullivan's qualifications. The Times recommends John Sullivan in the Seat 1 race.

Seat 3

Like many residents of Inverness, Ken Hinkle was concerned about the way the council and the administration handled the police contract negotiations. Unlike those other residents, Hinkle did more than just grumble -- he chose to run for the council.

Hinkle thinks the city could have been more generous in raises not just for the police but for other city employees, as well, without upsetting the city's budget. He also questions the city's plans to build a new City Hall, although he says he has not looked into the matter closely enough to offer specific concerns.

That lack of specificity is the weakness of Hinkle's platform. While he raises issues such as the lack of a building official, the role DiGiovanni plays in the decision-making process and the way in which the flag controversy was resolved, he offers little in the way of new insights, suggestions or ideas.

As for why he is challenging incumbent Ted Stauffer, Hinkle says he has no problems with the way Stauffer has served as a council member, just that Seat 3 was on the ballot "and three is a good number for me."

Stauffer, an eight-year council member, says he wants to return to the council to complete several important ongoing city projects. A big focus of his tenure has been the various beautification projects, and he points to his antilitter campaign as an example of his initiative.

He also has worked with a regional water board to secure grants for the city, challenged the recent census results to ensure that the city is getting its fair amount of federal revenue sharing, insisted that the new veterans clinic be located within the city limits, tried to get a Social Security office in the city and fought to have Inverness remain the county seat.

Stauffer describes DiGiovanni as a strong manager but insists that the council, not the manager, is in charge. "We have control of the city," he said.

Stauffer thinks the city handled the police negotiations fairly and said council members are "tight, cheap, conservative fiscal managers." That issue, and the flag flap, became so "emotionally charged" that the council's viewpoints were drowned out, he said.

Stauffer also offers a detailed list of goals for his next term, including improving communication with residents, starting annual salary surveys for employees, re-establishing the code enforcement program and continuing with the government plaza project.

Sending Hinkle to the council would be making a change simply for change's sake. While we don't always agree with Stauffer's decisions and style, he has a much more comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing Inverness than does Hinkle. The Times recommends Ted Stauffer for Seat 3 on the council.

Seat 5

Voters have two viable candidates from which to choose for Seat 5, four-year council veteran Bob Plaisted and newcomer Marc Wigmore.

Wigmoreis a self-employed CPA who offers his many years of experience as the chief financial officer of a large corporation to voters. Concerns about the city's aging infrastructure, the way police negotiations were handled and the council's spending priorities drew him into the race.

As a member of the zoning board, Wigmore has become familiar with certain aspects of the city government. He also has turned an auditor's eye on the city's finances and thinks there are ways for the city to improve its bottom line without harming employees and taxpayers.

Specifically,he would attack what he called the double-taxation of residents who pay both city and county taxes. He proposes that Inverness and Crystal River meet with county officials on ways to resolve some of these inequities.

Comparing Inverness to "a mature business" that is facing revenue stagnation, he says any city with limited ways to grow must either cut expenses or hold down employee costs in order to maintain its current fiscal status. That, he says, is where Inverness is today. Without either annexing areas outside the city borders, adding more businesses to the tax rolls or raising taxes, revenues will not grow significantly.

Those fiscal realities, he noted, have led DiGiovanni to take a hard line with city workers which, in turn, has spawned criticism. While not calling for DiGiovanni's removal, Wigmore says the city manager needs to improve his "people skills," and the council members must reassert that they, not the manager, run City Hall. "The city runs smooth because Frank is running it," he said. The council meetings at times are "a charade, held because the law requires them."

For his part, Plaisted is a genial man who points to beautification efforts in the city as his biggest accomplishments on the council. He would like to continue the projects the city has begun in the downtown business district and lakefront to attract more "culturally oriented" visitors along the Mount Dora model.

Plaisted thinks the council "held the high ground" on the controversies this year and said some of those flaps were politically motivated. He noted "an undercurrent" among some in the community to oust DiGiovanni. "Get three to get one," he said he has heard, meaning replace three of the five council members in order to target the city manager.

He denied rumors that he wants to disband the Police Department and supported the city's plans to build a new City Hall and consolidate departments there.

Plaisted, who admits to being "too quiet" sometimes, has been a team player on the council but has not shown much inclination toward becoming a leader. Even though Wigmore lacks Plaisted's experience on the council, he has a stronger grasp of the city's financial picture and its operations. He also has a strong business background and a healthy concern for the balance of power in City Hall.

The Times recommends that voters send Marc Wigmore to the City Council.

Opportunity to reply

Candidates who are not recommended by the Times editorial board are invited to respond. Replies must be received no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday. Replies are limited to 250 words. Deliver to: Greg Hamilton, Editor of Editorials, Citrus Times, 301 W Main St., Inverness, FL 34450; e-mail to hamilton@sptimes.com; or fax to 860-7320.

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