South Pasadena City Commission Two commission seats

Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 27, 2000

The job: Commissioners in South Pasadena are elected citywide. South Pasadena does not have a city manager; instead, the four commissioners and mayor each oversee a city department. The two candidates with the most votes March 7 will win two available seats on the commission. The recent death of Commissioner Al Edmiston has created a third vacancy on the panel, and that seat will be filled in a separate special election May 9. Qualifying for that race will begin after the regular election. South Pasadena commissioners serve three-year terms and earn $5,700 annually.

JOE CATALFAMO, 77, was born in Cohoes, N.Y. He served in the U.S. Army for two years during World War II, then went on to work 23 years at the U.S. Department of Defense. He was elected to one term on the commission in 1994 but did not run for re-election when his term expired in 1997. He also ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 1992. Catalfamo was appointed by the commission in May to fill the remaining 10 months in the term of former Commissioner Dottie Wade, who resigned to move to Pasco County. Catalfamo is responsible for the city's public works department. He served on the Pasadena Cove Owners Association board of directors, including a tenure as president. Since 1995, Catalfamo also has been a member of the board of directors for the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council's Agency on Aging. He is married and has two children.

ASSETS: Home, money markets, certificates of deposit, city salary.

LIABILITIES: None listed.

SOURCES OF INCOME: Retirement pension and Social Security.

DICK HOLMES, 67, is originally from California. He graduated from Michigan State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in labor and industrial relations. He retired to St. Petersburg after spending most of his career at General Motors, then moved to South Pasadena in 1994. He was elected to the City Commission in 1997 after losing a 1996 bid for a commission seat to Al Edmiston and Lou Ippolito. Holmes has supervised public safety for the city and is particularly proud of bringing a soon-to-be-launched community policing program to South Pasadena. He graduated from the Sheriff's Community Policing Institute and served on the city's Planning and Zoning Board, among other civic activities. He is married and has three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

ASSETS: Condominium.

LIABILITIES: None listed.

SOURCES OF INCOME: Retirement pension, Social Security, city salary, investments.

A. "LOU" IPPOLITO, 62, has lived in South Pasadena for 10 years. He served two terms on the commission from 1993 to 1999, alternately running the public safety, finance and building departments. He lost a bid for re-election last year to Commissioner Chris Burgess and the late Al Edmiston, who died two weeks ago while in office. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Ippolito served in the U.S. Army for three years and joined the Suffolk County Police Department in 1967. He also holds a bachelor's degree in behavioral science from the New York Institute of technology and an associate's degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York at Farmingdale. He retired from the police force in 1988 and worked briefly for a private investigation company before moving to South Pasadena. Outside of city politics, Ippolito has been involved with the Citizen Emergency Response Team, the Civic Association and the American Legion, among other groups. He is married and has six children.

ASSETS: Home, savings accounts.

LIABILITIES: None listed.

SOURCES OF INCOME: Retirement pension and Social Security.

JOAN RUNYON, 62, has lived in Pinellas County for 33 years and in her South Pasadena condominium in Harbourside for seven years. A year ago she applied as a potential candidate to fill the remaining term of resigning Commissioner Dottie Wade, a post the commission appointed Joe Catalfamo to fill. Now she is running in her first bid for an elected City Commission seat. Runyon has an extensive record as a volunteer, and her list of community activities includes: the South Pasadena Beautification Committee; co-captain of the South Pasadena Citizen Emergency Response Team; director on Harbourside Condominium board; and chairwoman for the 2000 Spring Art Block Party. She is married and has three children and five grandchildren.

ASSETS: Condominium, certificates of deposit, mutual funds, savings account.

LIABILITIES: None listed.

SOURCES OF INCOME: Social Security.

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