Reeder, Long take off the gloves
By ANNE LINDBERG
Published November 6, 2006
With Tuesday's election looming, Janet Long is crying foul over a mailing that accuses her of overspending on travel while serving on the Seminole City Council.
Long, a Democrat, faces Republican Dottie Reeder in the race for state House District 51, which covers parts of Largo and other mid-Pinellas communities. Until now, the race has been fairly peaceful, almost to the point of being boring.
But a debate last week turned heated as the two sniped at each other. Reeder's mailing that accuses Long of excessive travel spending further ignited ill will between the two as Long fumed over the allegation.
The truth, Long said, is exactly the opposite: Reeder actually spent more during her tenure as mayor than Long did during her four years on the council.
"She's been on that council for 19 years. I was there for four," Long said. "Who do you think spent the most for travel? (There was) not one conference, not one workshop ... that I went to that she was not sitting right next to me."
Calling Reeder "hypocritical," Long said Reeder traveled all over the country and surmised that the mailing must have been an "act of desperation."
Reeder did not return phone messages Friday seeking comment.
This is not the first time the Seminole council's travel expenses has been a controversial topic. In March 2003, council members were criticized when they asked to increase the travel budget midway through the fiscal year. They had outspent the approximately $36,000 budget and wanted more.
One of those who asked to increase it was Long, who, according to news stories at the time, persisted in a request to attend junkets in Rohnert Park, Calif., and Wichita, Kan., even though there was no money left in the budget. Council member Patricia Hartstein and then-member Pete Bengston also had wanted to go on those trips but withdrew their requests after discovering the fiscal situation.
At the time, Long said, "Different people have different thoughts about leadership and how active they want to be."
After that year, the council changed its system, giving the mayor $8,000 a year to apply to travel and each council member $4,000, for a total of $32,000. If the mayor or a council member wanted to exceed their allotment, they would have to "borrow" from another council member who had not spent as much.
The Times examined the expenditures of Reeder and Long during their shared tenure, which showed that both liked to travel.
During the time Long was on the council, she spent $22,322 while Reeder spent slightly less, $20,337.
During fiscal year 2004-05, Long overspent her budget by $537. In the 2005-06 fiscal year, Reeder overspent her $8,000 cap by $451.
State House District 51
The district includes Seminole, portions of Pinellas Park, Largo, St. Petersburg, South Pasadena and the west Lealman area. Representatives serve two-year terms and earn $30,996 per year. Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Democrat
Janet Long, 61, was born in West Stewartstown, N.H. She is a graduate of Fryeburg Academy in Maine and attended Nasson College in Springfield, Maine, and Eckerd College. She is director of advancement and communication at Clearwater Central Catholic High School. She served as a deputy insurance commissioner with the Florida Department of Insurance from 1987 to 1998. She is a former member of the Seminole City Council. She is a member of the Tiger Bay Club and the Seminole Chamber of Commerce. She is a past president of the Quail Ridge Homeowners Association and a past member of the board of directors of the National League of Cities. She is married and has three children and two grandchildren. Assets: House, car. Liabilities: Mortgage. Source of income: Salary. Web site: janetlong2006.com.
Republican
Dottie Reeder, 57, was born in Columbia, S.C. She moved to Seminole in 1963. She is a graduate of Seminole High School and earned a degree in business administration from Tampa College. She is a health and welfare coordinator for Baycare Health System. She has been mayor of Seminole for 11 years. She is past president of the Florida League of Cities, former president of the Pinellas Council of Mayors and the Suncoast League of Cities. She is a member of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce and the Seminole Historical Society. She is married with two daughters and four grandchildren. Assets: Home, cars, retirement account, 401(k). Liabilities: Mortgage, credit cards. Sources of income: Salary from Baycare and from the city of Seminole. Web site: www.dottiereeder.org.