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Fire official is selected on fifth try

East Lake fire rescue commissioners split 2-2 on four candidates before filling a vacancy on the commission.

By RICHARD DANIELSON
Published February 26, 2005

EAST LAKE - It took five votes on four different candidates, but East Lake fire rescue commissioners this week named Florence Galloway to serve the remainder of her late husband's term on the board.

Twelve people applied for the position, but one withdrew because he was ineligible.

Galloway, 70, said she would try to help improve communication on the board, where her husband, James Galloway, served until his death on Jan. 14.

"I understand the needs of the community, the firefighters as well as the needs of the board," she said. "My interest is to serve."

Galloway was the first applicant nominated for the position during Wednesday night's commission meeting. She works as an assistant professor and academic coordinator in applied behavioral science at the Tampa center of National-Louis University.

"If she's anything like her husband," she will have the "welfare of the firefighters, district and citizens at heart," said Commissioner Charles Dedman, who nominated her.

But that nomination failed on a 2-2 tie, with Dedman and Commissioner James Nobles voting for her and Chairman Thomas McCone and Commissioner W.F. Bill Cannon voting no.

Commissioners then considered Mark Weinkrantz.

He produced the same 2-2 split.

So did Mark Morningstar.

So did Robert Posavec.

Along the way, former Commissioner Wayne Ferguson picked up a nomination. It died for lack of a second.

Finally Dedman nominated Galloway again.

"I feel that we had at least eight or 10 people that were very impressive," Dedman said. But he said Galloway would bring no baggage to the commission and has the background to help bring people together.

Several members of the audience said the board's trouble choosing a commissioner reflected poorly on commissioners and did not augur well for the upcoming decision to pick a new chief to replace Jeff Parks, who retired Jan. 1 to take a job in Pasco County. His departure followed 17 months of contentious debate among commissioners over Parks' future.

"This is, from a citizens' standpoint, just ludicrous," Ferguson said.

If the board had not been able to pick a replacement, the district might have had to schedule an election costing $10,000 or more.

After a little more discussion, McCone changed his vote, and Galloway was approved.

Asked after the meeting why he changed his vote, McCone initially just said Galloway was a "very qualified lady," an excellent candidate with a doctorate. Pressed a bit more, he offered a quotation from Scripture.

"Blessed are the peacemakers," he said. "They shall be called the children of God."

[Last modified February 26, 2005, 01:15:19]