Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Politics

Forum features council hopefuls

One supports the current panel, while the other says city money isn't handled well.

By MIKE DONILA
Published February 20, 2007

CLEARWATER - It's time for more glad-handing and soapbox pounding.

The two candidates vying for the lone open seat on the Clearwater City Council are scheduled to meet Wednesday in a forum where they'll discuss issues, answer questions and talk about their views on city happenings.

The event is perhaps the most-anticipated on the candidates' schedules, as it is expected to be the most widely viewed. It will be aired live on the local government-access channel and replayed a number of times. Often, candidate forums are held in private settings, mostly for social organizations, nonprofits and homeowners associations.

The candidates -Norma Carlough and Paul Gibson - are running for seat No. 5 on the council. The winner in the March 13 election replaces Bill Jonson, who cannot run for the nonpartisan seat because of term-limit restrictions.

The council has five seats, including the mayor's position. Incumbent Carlen Petersen and newcomer George Cretekos automatically won seats because no one challenged them.

The forum will probably last about an hour and the candidates are expected to talk about the city's budget, the boat slip project along the downtown waterfront and beach development, among other things.

Other than supporting the extension of the upcoming Penny for Pinellas sales tax and looking for ways to lower property taxes, the two candidates have widely differing views about the way Clearwater operates.

For example, Carlough, 70, says she supports the current council, while Gibson, 58, says he doesn't think city leaders manage money well.

Carlough has spent the past four years volunteering on boards and working in the school system. She currently serves on the Airpark Advisory Board, Citizens Advisory Committee for the Comprehensive Plan and the Citizens Advisory Board for the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

As a council member, she wants to focus on neighborhoods and the waterfront, particularly where redevelopment is concerned.

Gibson began taking a serious interest in city politics during the summer's budget hearings, when residents spent hours with the council arguing over what many said where high property taxes.

He says the city isn't living within its means, and city leaders need to trim the budget and cut programs.

Gibson thinks all of the city's departments are either adequately funded or overfunded, except for the fire department. Further, he says he wants to help rebuild the strained relationship between the firefighters union and the city.

Wednesday's forum will air live at 7 p.m. on C-VIEW 15 in Clearwater.

THE FORUM

The public is invited to meet the candidates for City Council seat No. 5 at a forum 7 p.m. Wednesday in Council Chambers at City Hall. The forum will be moderated by Joe Childs, Clearwater managing editor for the St. Petersburg Times, and will air live on C-VIEW 15.

The candidates are Norma Carlough and Paul Gibson. In addition to opening and closing statements, the candidates will answer questions about their views on issues facing Clearwater.

Forum replay times will be 6 p.m. on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays and noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays through March 13. For more information, go to www.myclearwater.com or call Official Records and Legislative Services at (727) 562-4090.

THE CANDIDATES

NORMA CARLOUGH

How long in area: 35 years.

Education: Journalism degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Rutherford, N.J.

Family: Daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons.

Occupation: Retired. Previously worked in the stock and bond division of AT&T; former corporate vice president with Kapok Tree Inn; worked for Prudential Insurance; and worked as a teacher's assistant and substitute teacher for Pinellas County schools.

Community service: Serves on the city's Airpark Advisory Board, Citizens Advisory Committee for the Comprehensive Plan and the Citizens Advisory Board for the Metropolitan Planning Organization. Previously served on Clearwater's Environmental Advisory Board.

Hobbies: Gardening and outside work; bicycling; going to the beach.

PAUL GIBSON

How long in area: Nine years.

Education: Accounting degree from Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va.

Family: Three daughters.

Occupation: Realtor with Re/Max Action First; former president of Food Cart Systems, a mobile food service company; former vice president of UniSite, a telecommunications infrastructure company; former director of investor relations for Northwest Airlines; former director of financial operations for MCI Communications; and former contract manager for Prime Computer.

Community service: Served on the Finance Advisory Committee for Foxborough, Mass.

Hobbies: Boating.

City Council Seat 5

[Last modified February 20, 2007, 07:09:07]