One incumbent and two challengers vie for Town Commission. Three want to be mayor.
By AMY WIMMER
Published December 3, 2003
REDINGTON BEACH - The town has a full slate of candidates this year, with three people running for two spots on the Town Commission and another three running to replace outgoing Mayor Jerry Reitz on March 11.
Neither Reitz nor Town Commissioner John Fish is seeking re-election, leaving one incumbent battling against two other commission candidates.
The candidates for mayor are Robert James Fountaine, Charles L. Haggerty and Ramona Updegraff.
Fountaine, 56, lives at 16330 Redington Drive. He could not be reached for comment about his candidacy. According to the financial interest statement he filed with the town clerk, Fountaine owns Precision Images, a software generation and film distribution company in Largo.
Charles L. Haggerty, 69, is the former chief of the Redington Beaches Police Department. Haggerty spent 14 years as chief of the unusual department, which was owned by both North Redington Beach and Redington Beach and patrolled both towns.
Haggerty left the department in 1998 as the towns decided to disband the department and contract with the Sheriff's Office. Haggerty lives at 16438 Redington Drive.
Ramona Updegraff, 73, was mayor of Redington Beach from 1986 to 1990 and a town commissioner for four years before that. Updegraff, 15520 Gulf Blvd., has lived in the town since 1980.
Updegraff is on the Non-Game Wildlife Advisory Board for the state, and was a member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District's local basin board. She ran unsuccessfully for County Commission in 2000 against John Morroni.
Candidates for Town Commission are David B. Dubin, Tim Gregson and Paul D. Warren.
Gregson, 38, of 16029 Redington Drive, is the only incumbent running for Town Commission. He is a partner in Clearwater-based FMS Purchasing and Services, a group purchasing company for the health care industry.
Dubin, 56, lives at 16216 First St. E. He is a former town commissioner.
Warren, 57, picked up candidate paperwork in the final days of qualifying. He could not be reached for comment Friday.
