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A Times Editorial
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 28, 2003
Candidates' signs sprouting along roadsides are about the only indication that an election is coming up in Oldsmar. Considering how rambunctious Oldsmar politics have been in the last couple of years, it is surprising that this election season has been so quiet.
Two members of the City Council, David Tilki and Brian Michaels, decided not to run for re-election this year. Jim Ronecker, an Oldsmar printing company owner, automatically won Michaels' Seat 1 on the council when no one else filed to run for it.
Tony Ringelspaugh, a 33-year-old installer/engineer for AG Communications, had already filed to run against Tilki in Seat 3 when Tilki announced he was stepping down. Ringelspaugh might have won the seat unopposed except for the late entry of semiretired real estate agent Janice Miller, 60, who said she didn't want another candidate to win a seat on the council without having to stand for election.
To prepare for making editorial recommendations in this race on the March 11 ballot, the Times conducted a lengthy interview with each candidate and examined their backgrounds and positions on the issues. We make our recommendation here and urge Oldsmar residents to go to the polls on Election Day to make their own choices.
Janice Miller never has run for office in Oldsmar. She said she always preferred staying out of the spotlight, but she has had an abiding interest in politics for many years.
She remembers working on the campaign of Margaret Rose, a mayor of Oldsmar in the 1970s, but most of her recent political activities have been outside city government. After Ross Perot surfaced as the best hope for a third-party run for the White House, Miller became very active in Perot's Reform Party. She was the founding chair of the Reform Party in Pinellas and is secretary of the Reform Party of Florida.
But Miller, a 33-year resident of Oldsmar, has stayed in touch with her own community despite her activities outside of town. She is well-prepared for service on the City Council because she has spent four years on the city Planning Board. The planning board in any community provides excellent preparation for office because members become familiar with city ordinances, have to consider planning and zoning cases from all corners of the community, and spend a lot of time studying development trends and their impact on city services.
Miller, a former horse trainer who first came to Oldsmar years ago for horse racing seasons at Tampa Bay Downs, has been a real estate agent for the last 10 years. She says she has time to devote to the City Council job now that she is semiretired.
Ringelspaugh was an unsuccessful candidate for the City Council in 1999, when he was beaten by Ed Richards. At the time, Ringelspaugh said he didn't campaign enough and that he planned to join some city advisory boards to better prepare himself before running again.
Ringelspaugh did not join any city boards but contends that he is much better prepared to be a council member this time than four years ago. He says he has always had an ambition "to sit up on a board" and says he can make great contributions to the city because he is knowledgeable and has "innate ability and naturalism." He has raised more money in this campaign than in his previous one, including large contributions from downtown developers.
Ringelspaugh says that he is impressed with the current City Council and that the city is running smoothly, so he doesn't see a need for change.
In response to questions, he said he supports downtown redevelopment, wants parks built for all ages and wants the city to go ahead with its own water system because he thinks it will result in less expensive water.
He mentions that as a council member, he would oppose any effort by Oldsmar or Pinellas County to crack down on use or sale of illegal fireworks. He says he shoots off "probably $800 worth" at an annual neighborhood block party and "I'm going to keep doing it."
Miller displays a better grasp of local issues and is able to talk more thoughtfully about them. A downtown resident, she supports redevelopment there but wants to make sure that it progresses with sensitivity toward people who have homes downtown. Some previous proposals would have changed the nature of downtown neighborhoods, she said. She believes the city needs to be careful about development not only within its own borders, but take note of what is happening to the north of town because polluted stormwater drains through Oldsmar and empties into Tampa Bay along the city waterfront.
She wants to see the results of a water system feasibility study and tests now being conducted before drawing conclusions about whether the city should start its own water system. She supports the creation of a cultural arts center on the Kumar estate that the city recently voted to buy, but she thinks the city is paying too much for the land.
Miller has a strong belief in the power of people to influence government, so she would like to organize a group of residents, perhaps the presidents of local homeowner associations, that could bring issues before the City Council on a regular basis.
We recommend a vote for Janice Miller for Seat 3.
Candidates not recommended by the Times may submit a response for publication before the election. Responses should be 300-350 words and may not attack opponents. Responses must be submitted before 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, to Diane Steinle, St. Petersburg Times, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756; or they may be faxed to her attention at (727) 445-4119 or e-mailed to steinle@sptimes.com.