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Baker campaign sign planted in chief's yardBy LEANORA MINAI © St. Petersburg Times, published March 21, 2001 ST. PETERSBURG -- Police Chief Goliath Davis III says he is not endorsing a candidate for mayor. But a sign supporting Rick Baker, one of the candidates, stands in his yard. "I did not put a sign in my yard," Davis said Tuesday. "It sounds like a setup to me." Davis said he does not know how the red and white campaign sign got on his property. He said he does not want to move it, fearing someone will accuse him of tampering with a political advertisement. "That's ridiculous," said Darryl Paulson, government professor at the University of South Florida. "He has every right to take it down or, at the very least, to ask the Baker people to take it down." By law, people can put any political sign they want on their property, as long as it meets city and county sign rules. Davis isn't the only high-ranking St. Petersburg official with a Baker sign in his yard. Don McRae, the city's chief of staff, also has one in his yard. McRae did not return several telephone messages left at his City Hall office. No political signs were seen during checks Tuesday at the homes of the city attorney and administrators of economic development, leisure services and neighborhood services. "There is nothing in the rules that prohibits employees from having signs in their yard," said Tish Elston, city administrator. "A lot of employees do." Elston said she does not have any signs in her yard. As mayoral stumping reaches its final days, the police chief, who serves at the will of the mayor, has been criticized for getting involved in the political process. Last week, Davis stood front and center during a forum for St. Petersburg mayoral candidates that was sponsored by the Coalition of African-American Leadership. He stood up and took issue with mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford's remark that his department falls short on staffing levels. His numbers showed Ford was wrong. But his action raised questions. Baker has said that if elected, he would keep Davis as the chief "going forward." Ford, a vocal critic of the chief, has said she sees problems in the Police Department, but she would wait until elected before deciding which city department leaders should stay or go.
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