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Council members spar over a touch
By JENNIFER GOLDBLATT
© St. Petersburg Times, NEW PORT RICHEY -- New Port Richey council member Tom Finn wants Ginny Miller kicked off the council because, he says, she accused him of sexual harassment -- and her husband threatened to kill him. But Finn said he'd accept her apology instead. "I have nothing to apologize for," Miller said Wednesday, acknowledging that Finn touched her, but declining to elaborate. "What happened on (Finn's) part was totally inappropriate, and I called him on it." Mayor Wendy Brenner told the Times that she has observed Finn putting his arms around people and that some might find it objectionable. In fact, Brenner said, there was a situation where Finn hugged her -- not in a sexual way but in a way she didn't feel comfortable with -- and she told him to back off, which he did. Finn's call for Miller's resignation ended what had been, up to that point, a remarkably placid and fast-moving meeting at City Hall Tuesday night. "I was incredulous that Councilwoman Miller would loudly and publicly accuse me of sexual harassment for touching the top of her shoulder while telling her I was glad that she attended the Miami redevelopment conference," Finn said, reading from a prepared statement. More than two weeks after the conference, Finn read on, "her husband Bob came up to me at Founder's Day and told me that he would kill me if I ever touched his wife again." Finn then said that if a voluntary resignation was not forthcoming from Miller, he would formally charge both Millers with assault and call for a formal "forfeiture of office" hearing so the council could judge Ginny Miller's actions. Ginny Miller maintained Wednesday that the way Finn touched her was more than a "tap" on the shoulder. As far as his threats to force her off the council, "we're all free to appeal our plight to higher authorities," she said. "He's free to do whatever he feels necessary. I hope he keeps in mind that behavior like this damages everyone, and it moves the (public) from what's important." Bob Miller explained Wednesday night that his actual words to Finn were: "If you lay a finger on my wife again I will (expletive) kill you." He warned Wednesday that if Finn touched his wife again, "the law will be involved." "There are other legal avenues that can be pursued, including (suing Finn for) sexual harassment and slander, for denial" of the incident. Finn maintains that he has done nothing wrong. "I feel that the problem is really with (Ginny Miller) and the way that she's made this out to be," he said. "I think that there would be more contact in a handshake than there was with this. And it certainly wasn't meant to be sexual." He says he has not hired a lawyer or contacted the police and is waiting for some sort of apology from Miller. He hopes that's the end of it. "I'm definitely insulted and upset," Finn said. "She's in the driver's seat right now and it's up to her to address what will be done. Our community deserves not to have thugs on council." He acknowledges that he often hugs people, and people hug him back, in a friendly way -- particularly since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. "But not in a way that anyone would say is sexual," Finn said. "As a world, maybe we've come a little closer since then." Council member Susan Clark was exasperated by the episode. Her fellow council members "have been fighting like cats and dogs since I got (to the council)" in April, Clark said. "It's ridiculous -- two grown people on City Council. We're supposed to be running a city and we're acting like middle school kids." City Manager Gerald Seeber and City Attorney Tom Morrison both said they had no plans to pursue Finn's call for a forfeiture of office. "It's between Finn and Miller and doesn't involve the city of New Port Richey," Seeber said. The mayor, meanwhile, said she just wants the fighting to stop. "Frankly, I'm tired of this crap," Brenner said. "Several months ago (Finn) said he was going to resign and he's still on council. This is the typical Finn play. It's ridiculous. He preaches about wanting to be civil and wanting to be a team. (The rest of us) have all been playing as a team all along. "We have a city that needs a lot of attention and I've got better things to worry about."
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