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Redington Beach
By AMY WIMMER, Times Staff Writer
REDINGTON BEACH -- In this race, the old guard faces the new, and some old foes face each other. Three people have stepped forward to challenge each other for an available mayor's seat: Ramona Updegraff, 73, a 1980s-era Redington Beach mayor; Charles Haggerty, 70, who was police chief when Updegraff was mayor; and Bob Fountaine, 46, who is so new to politics that he admits he has never voted. A town commissioner is also stepping aside, leaving incumbent Commissioner Tim Gregson, 38, facing two challengers: David Dubin, 56, a commissioner in the 1980s; and Paul Warren, 57, who has never pursued elected office. The top two vote-getters will commission seats. All the candidates agree on what has long been Redington Beach's greatest selling point: its residential character. Year after year, residents question whether candidates would seek to introduce businesses or increase density in the town, ruled by a charter that prohibits commercial activity and protects its residential nature. "The town is a joy to live in because of the residential character," Warren said. "I think we need to work hard, and I think it is going to be a challenge at times to work hard and preserve what we've got because there are constantly challenges to change." Several of the candidates have a history with each other: Dubin lost to Updegraff in the 1988 mayor's race. In 1991, Haggerty sued Updegraff, the town and a former town police officer, alleging they defamed him and interfered with his police chief duties. And Haggerty and Fountaine, next-door neighbors, once waged a code enforcement battle over the height of the hedge that runs between their properties. The candidates point out their experience in the town or the fresh perspective they bring to town politics. Updegraff, Haggerty and Dubin tout their long tenure in Redington Beach. "Experience does count," Updegraff said. "We do not have time to have a mayor in training." Both Updegraff and Haggerty promise they will be a "full-time mayor," a pledge that underscores the distinction between them and their opponent, Fountaine. He has lived in Redington Beach for four and a half years and admits he has never lived in any community more than five, but says he feels a connection to Redington Beach. "I'm settled down," said Fountaine, who works full time at his own business and has two small children, "and I do want to make a difference in the town." Fountaine says he wants to update town codes and reconsider how they are enforced -- a big topic in this small town. Redington Beach does not investigate anonymous complaints, a policy that has turned some neighbors into enemies. Haggerty is also concerned with code enforcement. He says he would allow anonymous complaints if he became mayor. "The codes should be enforced, period, and that's what I'm in favor of," he said. Updegraff, with her service on state boards and connections around Florida, hopes to bring more grant dollars to Redington Beach and focus on putting utility lines underground. "We have to be a little creative," Updegraff said. "The thing that kills everything is people saying, 'It's never been done. It can't be done. It'll never work.' " Gregson touts his accomplishments in two years as commissioner. He pushed to replace the town's 125 stop signs and developed a plan to replace the signs on a rotating schedule. He also helped revive the town's dormant Neighborhood Watch Program. He said his first term in office was a learning experience. "I'm in business for myself, and I'm used to, if I make a decision today, it happens tomorrow," Gregson said. "It doesn't work that way in government." Warren said he also wants to find ways for the town to come together. "It's a small town," he said. "We don't have a huge number of people to deal with, so it's not impossible to build consensus." Dubin said he said he wants to fix infrastructure problems and protect the town's residential character. "I want to ensure that this town remains exactly as it is," Dubin said, "the same quality of life, the same quietude, peace and serenity." -- Times researcher Kitty Bennett contributed to this report. REDINGTON BEACH MAYOR The job: The mayor in Redington Beach is elected townwide to a two-year term and earns $1,200 annually. Bob Fountaine AGE: 46. BACKGROUND: He is self-employed as president of Precision Images, a software generation and film distribution company in Largo. Fountaine was previously the Southeast regional manager for AVNET, an electronic components distribution company. Born in Dorchester, Mass., he moved to Florida in 1992 from Phoenix, Ariz. He served in the U.S. Navy. He has lived in Redington Beach for five years. Fountaine says he has never run for political office and is not active in any civic organizations but wants to provide a fresh perspective in city government. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children, and he has four grown children from a previous marriage. ASSETS: Business, Precision Images LLC; rental property in Altamonte Springs; home at 16440 Redington Drive, Redington Beach; stocks. LIABILITIES: Bank loans. INCOME: Precision Images, rental property in Altamonte Springs. Charles L. Haggerty AGE: 70. BACKGROUND: He is the retired police chief of the Redington Beaches Police Department. Born in Buffalo, N.Y., he graduated from Erie Community College with an associate's degree in police science and later taught security courses there. Haggerty served in the Navy from 1951 to 1953. He worked for the Erie County Sheriff's Office, the town of Tonawanda Police Department and the New York State Division for Alcoholic Beverages before moving to Florida in 1982. He joined the Redington Beaches Police Department in 1984 and became its chief one year later. He remained chief of the department until law enforcement services were turned over to the county in 1998. He is active in the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the American Legion and Knights of Columbus. He has been married to Debra for three years and has three grown children from a previous marriage. ASSETS: Home at 16438 Redington Drive. LIABILITIES: Mortgage on home. INCOME: State pension, Social Security. Ramona Updegraff AGE: 73. BACKGROUND: She is a former mayor and finance commissioner of Redington Beach. Born in St. Petersburg, she attended local schools, including St. Petersburg Junior College. She received a nursing degree from the Charity Hospital Nursing Program in 1950, briefly attended Loyola University in Chicago and received a certificate in orthoptics from the University of Iowa in 1953 before returning to Florida in 1959. She worked for more than 45 years in her husband's St. Petersburg medical practice as a nurse, orthoptic technician and office manager. She also owned her own optical business, Brooks Optical, for about 16 years. She was honored as the Florida Medical Society's Woman of the Year in 1975. She moved to Redington Beach in 1981, was appointed finance commissioner in the late 1980s and served as town commissioner for one term and mayor for two. In 1991, she was appointed to the Pinellas Anclote River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, where she served for seven years. She also serves on the Pinellas County Park Board and was recently appointed to the state Non-Game Wildlife Advisory Board. Her last bid for public office was in 2000, when she lost the Republican primary for County Commission to John Morroni. Updegraff and her husband, Ambrose, have four grown children. ASSETS: Home at 15520 Gulf Blvd.; stocks and bonds. LIABILITIES: None. INCOME: Husband's salary. REDINGTON BEACH TOWN COMMISSION The job: The town commissioners are elected townwide to a two-year term and earn $600 annually. This year voters will choose two commissioners from a field of three candidates. David Dubin AGE: 56. BACKGROUND: He wants to return to the Town Commission for the first time since 1991. Dubin grew up in Dover, Del., and moved to Redington Beach in 1979. He soon became involved in town politics and was elected to the commission in 1982, serving four years. He returned to the commission in 1989 but failed in a bid for mayor in 1991. Dubin attended college for two years in the mid 1960s before joining the Army in 1966. He later returned to school and graduated from Delaware State University in 1978. He served in Vietnam, Korea and Germany in staff and command positions, and retired an officer in the Army Reserve in 1996. Dubin is now a senior curriculum developer for Best Software in St. Petersburg and previously worked as a senior associate at PriceWaterhouse in Tampa for nine years. Additionally, Dubin has served on the town's Capital Improvement Advisory Board and is now on the Planning Board. He formerly served as a volunteer firefighter with the Redington Beaches Fire Department. Dubin is married and has two grown children. ASSETS: Home at 16216 First St. E.; 401K. LIABILITIES: Mortgage. INCOME: Salary from Best Software Inc. Tim Gregson AGE: 38. BACKGROUND: He joined the Town Commission two years ago without opposition. Mayor Jerry Reitz appointed Gregson commissioner of public safety. He previously served on the town's Board of Adjustment and the Parks and Recreation Board in the city of Belleair before he moved to Redington Beach in 1997. He was born in Denver, Colo., and lived in Indiana and Michigan before his family settled in Florida in 1976. Gregson graduated from St. Petersburg Junior College in 1984 and Samford University in 1988. He is now part owner and executive vice president of FMS Purchasing and Services in Clearwater. He is involved with the Redington Beach Property Owners Association, the Florida Health Care Association, the Florida Association of Homes for the Aging, Retirement Housing Corp., Florida Assisted Living Association and the Georgia Nursing Home Association. He attends the First Baptist Church of Indian Rocks, and he and his wife Beth have one child and are expecting a second. ASSETS: Home at 16029 Redington Drive; Clearwater rental property; 12.83 acres in North Carolina. LIABILITIES: Mortgage. INCOME: Salary from FMS Purchasing and Services, a group purchasing company. Paul Warren AGE: 57. BACKGROUND: He grew up in Annapolis, Md., and moved to Florida in 1996. He attended one year of college at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md., and one year at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He served in the Army, including one tour of duty in Vietnam, and was a military intelligence specialist. For the past 18 years, Warren has been a self-employed marketing and public relations consultant. He is also a part-time sailing instructor and a part-time sales associate and marketing seminar coordinator at West Marine in St. Petersburg. He is involved in the town's fledgling Neighborhood Watch Program and is a member of the Redington Beach Property Owners Association. He and his wife, Mary, have been married for nine years, and he has three children from a previous marriage. ASSETS: Home at 16007 Gulf Blvd.; rental property in Secaucus, N.J. LIABILITIES: Two mortgages. INCOME: Salaries from West Marine; Offshore Sailing School; and his own marketing and public relations consulting business; and stocks.
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