Mayor triumphs without contest

"I think the city is running well,'' Dottie Reeder said upon being elected to her fourth term. Three City Council members running for re-election must campaign against a fourth candidate.

By MAUREEN BYRNE

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 3, 2001

SEMINOLE -- Dottie Reeder was elected to her fourth term as mayor Friday after no one stepped up to oppose her.

Reeder, 51, was automatically elected to the City Council when the monthlong qualifying period ended at 4 p.m. Friday.

This year marks the first time the city will have a three-year mayoral term. Up to now, terms have been for two years. The annual salary is $9,200.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Reeder, who has served on the council since 1989. "This has been a great ride for me and I've enjoyed every minute of it."

Reeder said she was relieved there was no opposition. In 1999, she ran a hard race against Mike Hook, a funeral home owner who never had run for office.

"I think the city is running well," she said. "I think that's why there is no opposition at this time."

Although Reeder didn't face any opponents, three council members seeking re-election will have to campaign. Incumbents Patricia Hartstein, Paul Trexler and Pete Bengston and newcomer Leo Mutchler will vie for three open council seats. The election is March 6.

Trexler, 54, is seeking his fifth term on the council. Hartstein, 53, has served on the council since 1995. Bengston, 66, was appointed to the council in October after Penny Rasmussen vacated her seat.

Mutchler, 62, who owned an insurance agency in Racine, Wis., also sought the appointment to Rasmussen's seat. He retired to Seminole in 1998.

Council members are elected to two-year terms. All six members are elected at large. The salary is $5,400 a year.

Reeder said one of her pet projects this term will be to oversee the city's new recreation complex and to make sure the center offers quality programs. "We have the opportunity to make sure it gets off on a good foot," said Reeder, who works as health and welfare coordinator for Baycare Health Systems.

Reeder said that after the election, she will schedule a daylong retreat for the council so members can determine the city's goals. "We need to look past our (current) projects and look at what is going to be the direction of our city," she said.

Reeder began her political career in 1989, when she was appointed to the council. She won seats in 1990, 1992 and 1994. She ran for mayor in 1995, soundly defeating her only opponent. She was re-elected without opposition in 1997 and won a narrow victory in 1999 over a candidate backed by the firefighters union.

Reeder said some of her biggest accomplishments as mayor have been to change to a city manager form of government; to ensure financially sound budgets; to assume ownership of Seminole Fire and Rescue; and to initiate major capital improvement projects, including the refurbishment of city parks and the overhaul of the recreation center.

These accomplishments and others are why people in unincorporated areas are asking to join the city, Reeder said. "People read of the successes," she said. "I think that's why they want to become a part of Seminole."

- Staff writer Maureen Byrne can be reached at 445-4163 or at byrne@sptimes.com.

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