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Ex-mayor faults ugly politics

Bob Fountaine says the disruptive nature of non-issues raised by some in Redington Beach was part of his reason for resigning.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published November 27, 2005

REDINGTON BEACH - "Ugly" politics pushed Bob Fountaine into resigning his post as mayor, he said late last week.

Fountaine, whose 70-year-old mother died earlier this month at her home in Phoenix, said family concerns were the main reason for his resignation, but that the town's "emotional" politics have become too much to handle.

For instance, he said, a Redington Beach resident called a relative in Arizona to make sure his mother had really died and that Fountaine had a legitimate reason for canceling a scheduled Nov. 14 commission meeting.

"One of the residents didn't believe it. They had someone show up at the viewing. It was what really put it over the top. It was ugly," said Fountaine.

At that meeting, Commissioner Leslie Peck-Epstein had planned to call for an investigation into Fountaine's actions, but couldn't because of the cancellation.

At a meeting last Tuesday, she brought up her concerns, including charges that Fountaine acted improperly by hiring a sheriff's deputy and that he has failed to follow commission procedures.

Fountaine denied the allegations, but said Peck-Epstein's actions "made it an opportune time" to resign.

Fountaine says a "vocal minority" of residents "create issues that are not issues" to repeatedly disrupt the town's government.

The solution, he said: "a group of objective-based citizens needs to get together and make a commitment to maintain visibility at town meetings."

What happens next is the topic of great interest in this small beach community of about 1,500 people.

According to the city's charter, Vice Mayor Linda Wilson will automatically become mayor for the balance of Fountaine's term. Because both she and Fountaine were just elected in March, that means she will be mayor through March 2007.

The charter also calls for the commission to elect a new vice mayor and to appoint a citizen to fill the resulting commission vacancy.

That election will be held March 14. Normally, only the two seats now held by Peck-Epstein and Alberto Baraybar would be open. Residents can file candidate qualification forms through Dec. 23, according to Wilson.

Commissioners are expected to discuss the latest developments and what actions they should take at the next commission meeting, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

"Bob's resignation is a great loss for the town," Wilson said Friday. "He is a man of honor, a man to be respected and a man of diplomacy. It is a shame what has been done here. The residents are the ones that are going to lose. They have no idea how much this man has done for the town."

Not everyone shares that viewpoint. Peck-Epstein and at least one other commissioner, Sam Maniotes, are not backing down on calling for an investigation of Fountaine's actions. Baraybar, who is out of the country, could not be reached for comment.

"The violations that I allege are serious and numerous and constitute a pattern of disregard for our commissioners and our charter," Peck-Epstein said Tuesday and reiterated Friday.

Peck-Epstein said she wants the town to investigate Fountaine's actions relating to the hiring of a traffic deputy, alleged "failures" to follow commission directives regarding the town's finances, and what she says is Fountaine's failure to fully investigate employee complaints about pornography found on former Town Clerk Larry Bittner's computer.

Maniotes said he had hoped Fountaine would resign.

"I did not want another scandal in town," Maniotes said. "Leslie has some things and if he had stayed in, the next thing would have been an impeachment. I didn't want that."

Redington Beach has been divided in the past by political factions supporting or opposing town leaders.

In 1999, Town Clerk Vicki McDonald resigned after accusing commissioners being insensitive or vindictive toward town employees. Beverly Brown is the sixth clerk to serve the town in as many years.

In 1997, the town's government virtually imploded when then-mayor Julian Cave and several commissioners resigned, leaving the commission without a quorum to conduct business.

Lawton Chiles, governor at the time, was forced to step in and appoint Nick Simons to the commission.

Simons is no longer on the commission. Reached Friday, he said he was disappointed that Fountaine resigned.

"Bob has done a good job in town and I didn't support him initially," said Simons. "The ugly part of our town politics is that it's a shame people can't disagree without being disagreeable."

[Last modified November 27, 2005, 01:18:21]