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Letter to the editor

Fire board feud reignites

Questions resurface about the legal residency of the former Lealman fire commissioner.

By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
Published January 30, 2008

LEALMAN

Last Sept. 17 John Frank -hero to some, pest to others - stood before members of the Lealman Fire Commission and criticized their plan to settle a long-term annexation dispute with neighboring cities.

Frank repeated his criticisms a couple of weeks later at an Oct. 1 board meeting.

On Oct. 30, fire board member Linda Campbell called the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Office to accuse Frank of falsely claiming a homestead exemption on his Lealman property.

Campbell, who was named as a member of the Lealman fire board, was "adamant" that Frank should lose his homestead exemption, according to county records.

All of this was nothing new to Frank. The allegation that he is not a legal resident of 3837 44th Ave. N has been levied many times since his 2002 election to the fire board.

It's the reason board members used to kick him off in 2006. And, it's just one of numerous complaints Frank has faced over the years. The complaints, he says, are politically motivated and designed to frighten him and browbeat him into silence.

If that's the goal, he says, it's not going to work.

"The truth rules in the end. These people have tried to make life miserable for me," Frank said recently. "I live in the community, I'm going to stay in the community."

When asked Tuesday if she had reported Frank to the county, Campbell replied, "Maybe I did."

Campbell declined to comment further, accusing the Times of bias in favor of Frank.

At first glance, Frank might seem the last person to provoke such strong feelings.

With longish curly hair and a beard, he could be the stereotypical hermit in a cave. He bought his first suit in 2002, to run for a fire board seat.

But his rustic appearance hides a man of strong beliefs, some might say stubbornness. He's also something of a romantic, favoring classic television westerns, in which good and evil are clear and the guys in the white hats win against all odds.

It's those guys Frank seems to identify with, especially when he believes he is right. It made for an explosive situation when he served on the board. Frank questioned almost everything, from the amount of expenditures to what the money was spent on.

The strife among Frank, Campbell and other members of the commission began almost the moment he took office and it got nastier as the months passed. Spats turned into arguments and snarling matches and insults.

Then came accusations that ranged from falsification of his residency to code violations to complaints about the way he treats his dog.

"My dog has water every day," Frank said. "I pet him. I love him."

Some of the debate over Frank's residency arises from the appearance of his property, which, after repeated code violations, is now surrounded by a new, high wooden fence.

The property has two buildings. One is a shed that is unlivable, according to his accusers. But Frank says that's not where he lives. He says he lives in a larger structure on the property, which, though not fancy, serves him just fine.

Many of the complaints were anonymous. But some were filed by his fellow board members - Linda Campbell, Vivian Diane Campbell and former board member Mike Brophy. (The Campbells are not related.)

Eventually, Frank handed himself to his enemies on a silver platter. He was charged in 2005 with multiple criminal offenses that included drunken driving and possession of marijuana.

Even now, he is in arrears on his property taxes. But it was not the criminal charges or other issues that got him kicked off the board in 2006. It was the residency issue.

By the time mid 2007 rolled around, Frank had been twice been cleared by the county, and once by the state, of allegations that he falsely claimed a Lealman address in order to serve on the board. He thought his problems were solved.

Then he spoke out again last fall. And less than a month later, he was once again accused of falsely claiming a homestead exemption on his Lealman property. He says it's no coincidence.

Friends have told Frank he should sue, but he has been reluctant to because, he says, had he won, the money would have come from the taxpayers, not the pockets of his political enemies.

"The whole thing bothers me," he said.

Timeline

A long-standing feud

Here's a timeline of John Frank's wrangles with the Lealman Fire Commission.

November 2002: A judge declares Frank the winner of a hotly contested election against incumbent Kathleen Litton. Frank had 559 more votes than Litton, but mislabeled machines issued the wrong ballot to 633 voters at five precincts, denying them the chance to vote in the race for the Lealman fire board.

May 2003: Investigators from the Pinellas County Property Appraiser's Office clear Frank of an anonymous charge that he does not live in Lealman but instead lives on property he owns in Pinellas Park.

August 2003: Pinellas County sheriff's investigators clear Frank and then-fire commission member Bill Adams of charges they violated the state open meetings law by having coffee with community activists after a board meeting.

October 2005: Frank is again accused of living in Pinellas Park rather than Lealman. Frank is reported to Pinellas County Code Enforcement for multiple violations. Multiple arrests made in spring 2005 come to light. Charges include marijuana possession, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and leaving the scene of an accident. Fire board member Vivian Diane Campbell asks for a special board meeting to discuss Frank's future.

November 2005: Commissioners suspend Frank. They come back later in the month and vote to stop his $500-a-month commission salary. They suspend him not because of the criminal charges, but because of the residency allegations. County investigators say the charge is unfounded.

January 2006: County code officers cite Frank for 43 additional violations.

March 2006: Commissioners kick Frank off the board. In April, they appoint Litton to replace him.

June 2006: Pinellas Park cites Frank for code violations at his Pinellas Park property.

August 2006: Frank files to run against fire board incumbent Becky Harriman.

September 2006: Fire board member Vivian Diane Campbell files a complaint with the state Elections Commission alleging that Frank does not live in Lealman and falsely swore that he did live in the district.

November 2006: Harriman wins by 112 votes.

June 2007: State Elections Commission dismisses the complaint about Frank's residency. His homestead exemption is reinstated.

September 2007: Frank speaks during a commission meeting, questioning a proposed settlement of the annexation dispute between the Lealman Fire District, Pinellas Park, Seminole and St. Petersburg.

Oct. 11, 2007: Frank again quizzes the board about a proposed annexation settlement.

Oct. 30, 2007: Linda Campbell contacts county officials and alleges Frank does not live in Lealman.

November 2007: The county says the charge is unfounded.

[Last modified January 29, 2008, 23:33:05]