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Bob Leggiere resurfaces in Port Richey, thanks to three council allies. And one of his critics, a friend of the mayor's, is dropped.
By MATTHEW WAITE
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 25, 2001
PORT RICHEY -- Bob Leggiere was voted down twice in one year by Port Richey voters, under a cloud of accusations that he interfered with the building department.
On Tuesday night, he was elected back into city government on a total of three votes.
During the normally mundane task of assigning people to serve on city boards and committees, three allies of Leggiere's from his time on the council appointed him to the Code Enforcement Board, a board he advocated while in office.
"I didn't even know they were going to do it, quite frankly," Leggiere said Wednesday. "I don't really get involved with the city's politics anymore."
His involvement aside, the mention of Leggiere's name at the meeting further exposed a rift in the city between two factions: Leggiere's supporters and those who back Mayor Eloise Taylor.
In July 2000, the Times reported that police Chief Bill Downs was investigating Leggiere after the second building official in six months had left, claiming Leggiere had interfered with duties. Leggiere then, and even Tuesday, denied interfering, saying he was questioning decisions made.
The investigation almost immediately caused a political rift in the city when Taylor entered a mayoral race many thought the twice-elected Leggiere would win easily. With the cloud of the investigation over him, Leggiere lost a special election by an 18 percent margin.
The investigation quieted down and Leggiere announced he was running again for mayor. But a grand jury was convened just a month before the April election.
After hearing testimony from 13 witnesses, the grand jury issued no indictments, settling on a report that said Leggiere had interfered, and that the city needed to add penalties against council members who interfere.
Just days later, Leggiere lost another mayoral election by nine votes.
In June, council members Joe Menicola, Pat Guttman and Phyllis Grae rejected adding penalties to the charter. The same three people put Leggiere on the Code Enforcement Board on Tuesday night.
"That's debatable what the grand jury did," Menicola said Tuesday night after nominating Leggiere for the position. "I question what the grand jury did."
Leggiere downplayed the appointment Wednesday, saying that because the code enforcement officer does a good job, the board doesn't hear many cases.
"It's just a committee job," he said. "It's no big deal."
Leggiere said the appointment wasn't political, but in years past, the council retained anyone who said he would serve on the board again. On Tuesday, they revoted on everyone, dropping some incumbent members.
One man they dumped from the Code Enforcement Board was Jim Priest, who ran in April for a spot on the council allied with Taylor and was highly critical of Leggiere during the election.
"I'm saddened that good citizens that have been on city boards and committees had been dismissed for no good reason," Taylor said. "It was certainly the most flagrant political behavior I've seen demonstrated by the council."
Priest wasn't happy either, calling Leggiere's appointment a "gross error in judgment."
"You've nominated an individual to a position . . . who has admittedly violated the law and who admittedly violated the city code," Priest said Tuesday night. "I find this not only highly irregular but a bit reprehensible for yourselves."
"That's your opinion," Menicola shot back.
Then, the two men said they'd both hear about it in the next election, where Menicola is up for re-election with Guttman and Bill Bennett, who was elected to the council in April to fill the year remaining of Tom Brown's term.
Brown left the council abruptly after being called to the State Attorney's Office during the investigation. He has declined to publicly explain why.
-- Staff writer Matthew Waite can be reached in west Pasco at 869-6247 or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6247. His e-mail address is waite@sptimes.com.