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Politics

'Vision thing' is needed, candidates agree

Candidates seeking mayoral and council seats say Crystal River needs to do more to determine its identity and destiny.

By ELENA LESLEY
Published October 12, 2006

CRYSTAL RIVER - Beyond the bickering and divisiveness, aside from the unwieldy budget and duplicative services, Crystal River has one major problem: It doesn't know what it wants to be.

At a political forum Tuesday night, candidates for city office emphasized the need for a vision and long-term planning in Crystal River.

"We keep putting out fires every year, badly," said Mayor Ron Kitchen, who is seeking another term.

During the event, which was sponsored by the Citrus County Chronicle, the four mayoral candidates and three City Council candidates praised the city's potential but criticized the lack of action by officials.

Kitchen, former council member Mike Gudis, current council member Roger Proffer and political newcomer Bruce Garrison are facing off for the mayor's seat. Former council member Phil Price, current council member Robert Holmes and the wife of a former council member, Lynn Wallace, are running for the open council seat. The election is scheduled for Nov. 7; early voting begins Oct. 23.

Crystal River suffers from "paralysis by analysis," Gudis said.

Numerous scientists have studied cleaning up Kings Bay, but it's still dirty. Officials have discussed balancing the city budget for years, but are still dipping into reserves.

Crystal River has never even done a master plan, Kitchen said, so there are no overarching guidelines for how the city will grow.

And, due to infighting, the city has been demoralized, Garrison said.

"I will make you proud to be a resident of this city again," he said.

Echoing similar claims, candidates hashed out the best ways to first stabilize Crystal River and then determine its future direction.

All agreed that the city's budget must be cut. But some were more forthcoming with their ideas than others.

Kitchen chastised some mayoral candidates after they said they'd need to further study the fire department before deciding whether to turn it over to the county.

"The data is in," he said, and Crystal River can't afford to run its own fire department.

While there may not be savings in the short term, during upcoming years, the city will have to replace expensive equipment.

So far, Crystal River hasn't saved much money for this purpose. Thus, the costs of sustaining the fire department will be higher if it remains under the auspices of the city, Kitchen said.

"It may not be a pretty campaign promise," he said, but "if you vote for me, I will fight for every dime."

Along with balancing the budget, the city needs less turnover of city managers, many candidates said.

"Looking back, I think I made a mistake," Price said of his vote to oust a manager during his previous stint on the council.

But, candidates said, it's not enough to make Crystal River financially sound and politically mild. There needs to be a plan for the future, a cohesive vision of the city's development.

It starts with the bay.

People say "they think it's great they weren't here 20 years ago," said Lynn Wallace, "so they don't know about how clear the water was."

Study after study has been produced, but it's time to coordinate agencies and implement strategies, candidates said.

"We never seem to get the party started," Garrison said. If elected mayor, he said he'd set up a meeting with all agencies involved with the bay to develop a concrete plan of action.

"We're the ones who have the most at stake," he said, so Crystal River needs to take the lead.

The city also needs to determine the course of its development, or others will make those decisions.

Most candidates said they wouldn't favor building high-density projects in coastal areas, but some, like Price, said such construction could generate much-needed revenue.

Other sources of revenue could stem from creating a more community-oriented atmosphere in Crystal River, Garrison said. The city should promote a downtown, walkable community and bring in more events and festivals, he said.

In other words, candidates said, Crystal River needs to be more proactive in molding its own destiny.

Each candidate claims he can lead the effort, so the decision is up to voters.

"You do need a cheerleader to make things happen," Gudis said.

Elena Lesley can be reached at elesley@sptimes.com or 564-3627.

[Last modified October 12, 2006, 05:42:48]