Panel candidates must tackle tough questions

Two newcomers are challenging two incumbents on the Belleair Town Commission. The top two vote-getters will earn two-year terms on the panel.

By DEBORAH O'NEIL

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 3, 2001

BELLEAIR -- Florida Power, the police department and Belleair Creek top the agendas of four candidates seeking seats on the Belleair Town Commission.

The top two vote-getters will win two-year terms on the commission in the March 13 election. The candidates are incumbents Stephen Fowler and Gary Katica and newcomers Bob Rogers and Cynthia Good.

Mayor George Mariani Jr. and Commissioner Ernst Upmeyer automatically were re-elected in January when no one opposed them.

Fowler, 56, is seeking a third term on the commission. An architect with a practice in Clearwater, Fowler has lived in Belleair for 25 years.

Chief among his concerns, he said, is a county plan that aims to alleviate flooding upstream in Belleair Creek. The changes would end up flooding neighborhoods and "destroy the ambience" of the area, he said.

The town is facing the question of whether to renew a contract with Florida Power or to break away and establish a municipal electric utility. The town has sued Florida Power.

Fowler said the idea of breaking away needs to be closely examined and ultimately put to a townwide referendum. "It's just an enormous equation," he said. "We're in the very first stages of trying to fill in the blanks of that equation."

Last year, the Times reported some internal problems within the police department. But the question of whether the department should be disbanded is a perpetual one in Belleair politics.

The town spends nearly $1-million a year on its police. Some -- including Belleair Commissioner Tom Murrin -- say the city could save money by getting rid of the police department and hiring the Sheriff's Office.

Fowler supports keeping the police department.

"I just think it's wonderful to have our own police department," he said. "It's a wonderful sense of security."

Gary Katica was appointed to the commission last year to finish the term of Mariani, who became mayor when Jack Donlan resigned. Katica, 67, is a 17-year resident of Belleair and works at Dimmitt auto dealership.

He said wants to retain the police department and also wants to address drainage issues on Belleair Creek. On the Florida Power issue, Katica said his main concern is finding a way to bury all the electric poles and wires.

"You look up and see wires hanging over gorgeous houses," he said. As for who should pay for it, he said, "That's why we're negotiating."

Katica also said he would like the town to build a youth center behind Town Hall. "It's important for young people to be able to have a place to go," he said.

Bob Rogers, 54, has been an outspoken critic of the town's management. He is the assistant vice president and branch manager of SouthTrust Bank on Clearwater Beach and has never run for office.

"I'm hoping to bring some stability and fairness to the commission," he said. "I think there's a lot of favoritism."

Rogers has led the fight to stop Belleair from breaking away from Florida Power.

"The No. 1 issue is to get that resolved and put behind us," Rogers said. "It's dragged on long enough."

He said he, too, supports keeping the police department and thinks the commission needs to provide the department with the resources it needs. Rogers said he also would like to see measures put in place to reduce the numbers of people who use Belleair as a cut-through.

Cynthia Good, 39, is also new to politics. A former teacher, Good is a stay-at-home mom.

"There are several issues facing the town right now I want to be a part of solving," she said. "The two major ones are the Florida Power issue and the police department."

Good said she is not yet ready to make a decision about the electric issue and thinks the city should continue exploring the matter while negotiating with Florida Power.

On the police issue, she said the department does a great job.

"Everybody I ask says, "I think that we should keep the police department,' " she said. "The Florida Power issue is a much more unclear thing."

Upmeyer, 63, is a retired Florida Progress executive who still does consulting work in the electric utility field. He was appointed to the commission Jan. 2 to fill the term of former commissioner Irene Albrecht, who resigned Dec. 31 to move out of state.

"I've done an awful lot of negotiating in my life," he said. "The city needs some folks who have the ability to negotiate and help them resolve some of the issues we're faced with."

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