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Concerned father, ex-mayor face off

By ANNE LINDBERG
Published January 30, 2005

PINELLAS PARK - The father of a Pinellas Park police officer and the former mayor, who is the father of a council member, traded barbs over union negotiations during last week's council meeting.

"There's two schools of thought here," John Horton told the Pinellas Park council. "One of them is Mr. Bradbury walks on water. The other is, he's a popinjay. I'll leave you to tell which one I am."

Horton also criticized former Mayor Cecil Bradbury for his conduct during the meeting. Bradbury could be seen signaling to his daughter, council member Sandra Bradbury, and mouthing comments to her.

"I sat here tonight and watched Mr. Bradbury and his daughter carry on a conversation back and forth while you were having a serious meeting," Horton said. "I heard her parrot something her father had said. If he wishes to be a member of this council again, let him run."

Earlier in the evening, Sandra Bradbury had made a motion to allow a barn owner to have 15 horses on his land. Her motion came after her father and others had spoken against the man's proposal to put 20 horses on the property. Cecil Bradbury had told council members he thought 15 horses was the right amount.

Cecil Bradbury denied the charges.

Horton's comments were made at the end of Thursday's council meeting. Horton said he felt compelled to speak because of comments Cecil Bradbury had made during the Jan. 13 meeting.

Horton had spoken during that meeting of the need for the City Council to make sure Pinellas Park police are paid well. Union negotiations between the police and the city have been bogged down since late summer or early fall.

Horton's son is a Pinellas Park police officer. Just before Horton's Jan. 13 speech, several uniformed police officers had come into the council chambers and stood in the back until after Horton spoke.

Cecil Bradbury had responded to that situation. According to a videotape of the Jan. 13 meeting, the former mayor had objected to the negotiating tactics:

"The way they're coming here tonight is not the way to deal with negotiations on a union contract or anything else. . . . It bothers me that it's broken down to this form that it has tonight. I think it's inappropriate."

Bradbury then gave council members negotiating tips that included kicking in early raises if the union contract was signed early or refusing to give retroactive pay.

"If they think they can hang out there for six months and work the price up with public support or whatever" and then get retroactive pay, that's wrong, Bradbury said.

He urged both sides to be fair.

Horton said he objected to Bradbury's comments. Police officers, he said, have the right to come to council meetings.

When Horton was finished, Cecil Bradbury spoke to the council.

Horton, he said, was "totally inaccurate" in his comments.

"Having the officers standing here, I had no problem with," Bradbury said. The comments, he said, had been directed at Horton.

All he wanted, Bradbury said, was to make sure the council was "fair and equal" to all. And he denied that he tried to influence his daughter's vote.

Bradbury agreed he had suggested 15 horses would be optimal, but he said any council member could have taken him up on it.

As for the comments, Bradbury said he was trying to make sure the council knew which gas station was opposite another parcel that came before the council.

[Last modified January 30, 2005, 00:10:19]