Views of economic development differ

Two men want to serve the remainder of a four-year term to represent the southern tip of the city.

By BRYAN GILMER

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 21, 2001

ST. PETERSBURG -- James Bennett and Robert Eschenfelder got to skip the February primary and head straight for the general election with their contest to represent southernmost St. Petersburg on the City Council.

Jim Gary dropped out to attend to a family illness.

Bennett and Eschenfelder each wants to serve the remaining two years of a four-year term on the city's legislative board. Council Chairman Larry Williams now holds the seat, but he will resign midterm March 27 as required by Florida law because he ran for mayor. Williams lost in the primary Feb. 27.

Neither Bennett nor Eschenfelder has run for elected office before, so residents will get a fresh face in District 5. While running his lawn business, Bennett, 48, spends time each day in different neighborhoods, and he says that has shown him what the city needs.

Neighborhood commercial areas outside downtown are in decline because businesses there have trouble surviving, Bennett says.

"The Publix closed in the Coquina Key shopping center," Bennett notes. "In my district, things are not moving forward as I would like them to."

He thinks that more police patrols or some other accommodation within the city's power might have coaxed Publix to keep the store open. He wants the city to help small businesses with grants and training.

Eschenfelder, 33, works as an assistant Manatee County attorney. He used to be an assistant city attorney in St. Petersburg.

He has a different view of economic development. The city's job is simply to set a business-friendly climate and wait for private entrepreneurs to do the rest, he says, adding that he would scale back the city's Economic Development staff.

"I witnessed too many internal city staff people who never owned a business helping other people run a business," he said. Partnerships with the Chamber of Commerce or area non-profits with business assistance expertise would be a better way to accomplish the goal, Eschenfelder believes.

Eschenfelder worries that Bayfront Medical Center's obligation to provide free health care to the poor weakens its ability to compete with other hospitals. He thinks funding indigent care with public money or spreading the burden among several area hospitals might make more sense.

Bennett believes the city's abundant and well-kept parks are something that give it "bragging rights" in the region, and he would work hard as a council member to fund needed improvements and buy new parkland when opportunities arise.

Both men talk about the need for more civility on the City Council.

Bennett notes that the council may spend 40 minutes simply setting a time and date for its next meeting. Eschenfelder believes he could help council members limit themselves to the council's legislative role and not interfere with the mayor's job of managing the city staff.

The job

Members of St. Petersburg's eight-member City Council set city ordinances and control the appropriation of the city's approximately $450-million annual budget. They also set city tax and utility rates. The part-time job pays $23,337 per year. The elections for districts 2, 4 and 6 are for full, four-year terms. The elections in districts 1 and 5 are for the two years left on the current terms. All of the races will be on every ballot in the city.

JAMES S. BENNETT, 48, has owned a landscaping service called Lawn Order for 18 years. Bennett earned his bachelor's degree in biology in 1974 from Stetson University in DeLand, then went on to receive his master's degree in teaching in 1976. From 1976 to 1979, Bennett served in the Peace Corps, working as a teacher in Kenya. After spending three years in concrete construction, the native of Sodus, N.Y., moved to the southern tip of St. Petersburg that he is seeking to represent. Bennett, an Eagle Scout, is trained as a small plane pilot. He has not previously sought elected office, but Bennett has worked on the campaigns of six U.S. presidential candidates. He also volunteered for mayoral candidate Larry Williams this year, who was eliminated in the Feb. 27 primary. Bennett is former chairman of the City Beautiful Commission, a volunteer board appointed by the City Council. He is married and has three children.

ASSETS: houses, landscaping business, IRA, certificate of deposit

LIABILITIES: mortgages, bank loans, credit card debt

SOURCES OF INCOME: landscaping business

ROBERT ESCHENFELDER, 33, works as an assistant county attorney in Manatee County and an adjunct professor of law at St. Petersburg Junior College. He formerly worked as an assistant city attorney for St. Petersburg. Born in Wilmington, Del., Eschenfelder graduated from Clearwater Central Catholic High School, St. Petersburg Junior College and the University of South Florida, where he earned a bachelor's degree in finance. He received his law degree from St. Thomas University in Miami in 1994. From 1994 to 1998, he served as a member of the Pinellas Park Board of Adjustment. Eschenfelder is on the boards of the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club and the Susan Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. He is vice president of Pinellas Cares. Eschenfelder is making his first run for office. He previously managed the campaign of Janet Caramello for the Pinellas County School Board. Eschenfelder is married.

ASSETS: 401(k), condominium, automobiles

LIABILITIES: student loans, bank loans

SOURCES OF INCOME: salaries

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