GOP official may not seek top spot

Now that the county Republican Party chairman has been deposed, Bill Bunting says there are many possible candidates to take the reins.

By ALISA ULFERTS

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 19, 2000

Bill Bunting is pleased with the ouster of Zoltan Mayer as Pasco County Republican Party chairman.

But don't look for Bunting to pick up those reins.

"I think there are a lot of good people on the committee. Don't be surprised if I don't even run (for chairman)," the GOP vice chairman said Tuesday.

"All we want is someone who is good and honest."

Bunting's comments came the day after Republican Executive Committee members overwhelmingly voted to strip Mayer of the chairmanship. Only three committee members voted Monday night to retain Mayer, while 13 abstained and 64 voted to remove him, according to Bunting.

Bunting will act as interim chairman until the committee holds elections in May, state committee member John Renke II said.

On Tuesday, Mayer said little but promised to answer questions after the state party grievance committee resolves the complaint he filed over recent developments in the local party.

"Everything is in the hands of the grievance committee, and they will make a ruling and that is expected in mid-May," Mayer said.

"And then we'll see how all this turns out."

Mayer and state committee member Joan Kelley also have asked the state to decharter the Second Amendment Republican Club of Pasco County, which was founded by the Buntings and others. The club is named after the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which refers to the right to bear arms. Mayer has characterized some of the club members as radicals who are driving moderates out of the party.

State party officials have declined to discuss the complaints, citing party confidentiality requirements.

The local party problems first surfaced about two weeks ago, after Mayer publicly reneged on a contract he'd secretly signed with Bunting, in which the two men detailed their agreement to resign and seek each other's positions.

Mayer later said he signed under duress -- after Bunting told him he had enough votes to depose Mayer anyway.

Local GOP secretary Ann Bunting, Bunting's wife, scheduled Monday night's special meeting after numerous committee members signed a petition requesting it. Many said they were upset that Mayer canceled the party's April 8 meeting in order, he said, to give people a chance to step back from the brewing controversy that ultimately led to his removal.

About 80 of the 110 committee members showed up anyway and held an informal meeting in which Mayer was given a non-binding vote of no confidence.

- Alisa Ulferts covers Pasco County government. She can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6244 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6244. Her e-mail address is ulferts@sptimes.com.

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