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Rublee for Oldsmar City Council Seat 1

By TIMES RECOMMENDS
Published March 2, 2007

The Oldsmar City Council, like the city itself, is transforming. The city is bursting with new development and new residents. Outsiders who haven't driven down Tampa Road or around downtown lately would find it eye-opening. Small towns seldom change at the pace Oldsmar has in the past five years.

The City Council is changing, too, and in the next few years is likely to present a more youthful, more progressive, more collaborative and more business-like face to the public. That change is essential as the city grows and faces more complex challenges.

Longtime Mayor Jerry Beverland will be replaced by Jim Ronecker, a local businessman and council member who won the mayoral post when no one filed to run against him. Another Oldsmar businessman, Eric Seidel, was seated on the council after councilman Don Bohr died. Seidel joins experienced council members Janice Miller and Suzanne Vale.

On March 13, voters will decide who will fill the last of the five seats on the City Council. Former two-term council member Loretta Wyandt, 76, is running against Greg Rublee, 42, to complete the two years remaining in the term of the former occupant of Seat 1, Ronecker.

At first glance the voters' choice seems to be between someone familiar and someone new, but this decision is about more than just age or length of residence in the city. It also is about energy, creativity and looking forward rather than back.

The Times has interviewed the candidates, studied their backgrounds and the issues, and makes its recommendation here. The March 13 ballot also will ask voters whether the Penny for Pinellas sales tax should be extended another 10 years. The Times recommends a "yes" vote on that referendum.

Greg Rublee, a science teacher at Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, has lived in Oldsmar less than three years, so he doesn't have the same grasp of the city's history as his opponent Loretta Wyandt, who has lived there since 1967.

But Rublee brings to this race energy, creativity and exceptional organizational skills. His skills have been apparent during this campaign and at the recent Oldsmar candidate forum, where Rublee had ready answers to questions and clearly articulated his goals.

If Rublee's name is familiar, it is because he was briefly a candidate for the 9th District congressional seat last year, but he pulled out before the primary.

Rublee has spent his adult life working in Virginia and Washington, D.C. He has held administrative positions with two government agencies, the Coast Guard and the Defense Intelligence Agency, and worked for private companies on government contracts.

Rublee moved to Oldsmar from Virginia in 2004 when his wife, an expert on nuclear nonproliferation, landed a job with the University of Tampa. After dropping out of the congressional race, Rublee decided to try for a more realistic electoral job: Oldsmar City Council member.

Rublee says he likes small-town living because it reminds him of growing up on his family's farm. He said he and his wife have been delighted with Oldsmar, and he wants to see it grow in a positive way. He worries that outside pressures could destroy the city's small-town feel, and he thinks his background in strategic planning and program management could be useful on the City Council as it manages Oldsmar's growth.

While Rublee has not served on any city boards, he began watching City Council meetings months ago, met with current and former city officials, and has done the homework required to speak with authority on city issues.

For example, he said the city needs to do some traffic calming projects in neighborhoods, and also needs to keep a close eye on whether the current level of sheriff's patrols is sufficient as the city grows. He thinks there is a communication problem in the city's code enforcement activities, which he would like to see improved. He said the city should apply more pressure on the Florida Department of Transportation to fix the dangerous entrance to the Bay Arbor development. He supports continued pursuit of a water treatment plant for the city because it would give the city water independence, but he wants to do more research on proper elimination of brine from such plants.

Wyandt also is informed on city issues, having served two terms on the City Council - from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1988 to 1990 - and regularly attending council meetings. She is an officer with the Oldsmar Historical Society and the Top of the Bay Garden Club, and works part time as a real estate agent.

Wyandt loves the city and plays a valuable role as a club officer and activist. However, she doesn't articulate a clear vision for the city and is far less definitive about her plans if elected. Wyandt has had her turn at the council; it is time to give a good candidate like Rublee a chance.

The Times recommends a vote for Greg Rublee for Oldsmar City Council Seat 1.

Fast Facts:

Opportunity to reply

Candidates not recommended may submit a response for publication in the Times. Responses should be limited to 300-350 words and may not attack opponents. The deadline for submitting responses is noon on March 5. Send responses to Diane Steinle, St. Petersburg Times, 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756, or fax them to her attention at (727) 445-4119, or e-mail them to steinle@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 2, 2007, 06:51:10]