Election 2004

Crystal River council hopefuls split on view of city's success

Council's Kitty Ebert says the city has been productive, but Jim Farley says it has alienated both the public and the county.

CRYSTAL RIVER - With three terms on the City Council already under her belt, Kitty Ebert is raring to get started on another.

Much has been accomplished just in the past two years, she said, with the city annexing 500-plus acres just south of the city limits in April, new revenues helping to lower the tax rate and the privatizing of the city's garbage service.

"A lot of things have happened, and I want to be there (as it continues). It would be fun and productive," she said.

Ebert, 71, is vying for Seat 5, a four-year term, on the council against former city police Chief Jim Farley. The job pays $5,428.44 per year.

Farley, 59, has a different take on city government. And it's not so rosy. He said businesses, service clubs, charitable organizations and residents do not trust or respect either the government or the council.

"I've never seen a time when the government was less responsive to the community," Farley said. "I think I can repair some of the bridges."

He said he would dedicate himself to improving relations with the county, the chamber of commerce and veterans in Citrus County.

The last was a reference to the council's October 2003 decision to prevent a veterans group, the Fallen Heroes of Citrus County, from placing a war memorial on city property. The group wanted to put seven flags on their memorial - too many under the city's sign ordinance.

The council ultimately voted 3-2 against changing the sign rule. The group took its memorial to the county, which cleared the path for it to be constructed at Bicentennial Park, just outside the city limits. It was dedicated with seven flags in December.

"We lost a golden opportunity to honor our veterans," Farley said.

Ebert, one of the council members who voted against changing the sign rule, said the memorial would not have fit on the city property where it was proposed and then bristled at Farley's criticism about the council's handling of the memorial.

"Don't anybody call me unpatriotic," she said, citing her family's long history of military service since the Civil War.

Farley left a year ago after four years with the city. The final months of his tenure, however, were filled with division: Four officers and staff members filed lawsuits against him. Farley recently said the cases have been dismissed.

Some council candidates have suggested that Farley, council member Susan Kirk and council Seat 1 candidate John Kostelnick would fire Boyer if elected. Farley denied the charge, as did the other two candidates.

"She's capable of doing her job," he said. "I would give her every possible chance."

The two candidates differ on many issues, ranging from the council's April annexation to its recent decision to hire Waste Management as the city's exclusive trash hauler.

Farley believes the annexation is "going to damage the city" with any eventual development at the site along U.S. 19 straining city services and increasing traffic along the busy thoroughfare.

Instead, he said, the city should seek to develop the central business district along Citrus Avenue, beautifying the street and allowing mixed use buildings with businesses on the ground floor and residential units above. The changes would produce "livable and walkable streets" where visitors and residents could congregate, he said.

Ebert said the city services would be strained if it annexed residential areas along County Road 495. She said the April annexation was good for the city and has already produced more revenue and helped officials lower the tax rate, she said.

"At this point, I do not see any cons in this annexation," she said.

On garbage collection, Farley lamented the demise of the city's trash pickup, saying the familiar sanitation workers lent to the city's small town charm. Ebert said hiring a private contractor will make the city cleaner and at a cheaper cost to residents.

Ebert said the city still has to "polish" some areas, including adopting a land development code, improving communications between government and residents, and continuing to make the government more "citizen friendly."