Longboat Observer
YourObserver.com
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2012
3A
ACCUMULATING INTEREST? by Robin Hartill | City Editor
At-large interest Primary election Q&A doesn’t mean it’s SARASOTA County Supervisor of Elections a crowded race elections
by Rod Thomson | Editor-at-Large
Editor’s note: As the Aug. running for a fourth term. 14 primary election nears, the Thaxton had a political war Longboat Observer will be chest of nearly $70,000, and he publishing short profiles and turned it on the Supervisor of Q&A segments from each of the Elections Office. Dent, at that candidates who will represent moment, had raised less than Manatee and Sarasota coun- $2,000 with no opposition. It ties. is almost an issueless cam2012 paign between the two, In this week’s issue, PRIMARY because the job is not we feature candidates ELECTION for Sarasota County Supolicy-related so much as pervisor of Elections. For ministerial. complete responses from all Thaxton, who has cultiprimary election candidates, vated a career as a calm, mildvisit YourObserver.com. mannered politician often focused on environmental and ... growth issues, wasted no time The normally sedate, mun- going negative — something dane race for Sarasota County that is considered a near-neSupervisor of Elections is one cessity in unseating a wellof the most heated local races known incumbent. Thaxton criticized Dent for this year, pitting two longtime, successful Sarasota poli- the well-known controversy over the touch-screen voting ticians against each other. It did not appear it was go- machines in 2006 that resulted ing to be this way. Kathy Dent, in thousands of under votes, supervisor for 12 years, was and her lesser-known decision running uncontested for the to deny a recount to a Charmostly administrative posi- ter Review Board candidate in tion. She wasn’t campaign- 2010. He has made it personal ing or even fundraising. But a against Dent, charging incomcourt ruling that enforced the petence and a lack of personal voter-approved term limits integrity overall in her office. “I think the integrity (issue) blocked Sarasota County Commissioner Jon Thaxton from goes a little further than just
Kathy Dent
Age: 62 Family: Married to attorney, John Dent. Five
children and eight grandchildren
Hometown: Born in Butler, Pa. —
raised in Callensburg, Pa. Education: Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh, post-graduate work at the University of South Florida Relevant experience: Elected Supervisor of Elections in 2000, then again in 2004 and 2008; Co-chair of the Florida State Association of Supervisor of Elections’ Education and Training Committee 2002-04 Website: KathyDent.com What would be your top priorities if elected? My priorities, if elected, are to continue to serve the voters of Sarasota County with the same dedication and commitment that I have done over the past, almost 12, years in office. I will continue to be non-partisan, keep politics out of the office and to administer all of the laws regarding elections from the federal and state levels. Sarasota County deserves an elections professional, and I have the qualifications and experience to provide that. Do you favor the current system of primaries, or would you like them changed to closed primaries? Right now, we have closed primaries in the state of Florida. It would take a legislative act to make that change, and it is highly unlikely that either party would want to give up the ability to select the candidates that represent them in the general election. Do more precincts need to be created or should there be fewer? The voting trend in the state of Florida is toward absentee (vote by mail) and early voting. In the 2008 election, 60% of Sarasota voters had voted before we ever opened the polls on Election Day. Because of this state-wide trend, supervisors of elections in Florida have reduced the number of precincts by an average of 34%. Sarasota County has done this consolidation, too, and will save the taxpayers $100,000
the machines,” Thaxton says in debates, referring to the illfated touch-screens six years ago. Dent, clearly taken aback by the attacks on her, was on the defensive at first. But more recently she has come back swinging. She has criticized Thaxton for wrong priorities, taking shots at his status as a layman expert on the endangered scrub jays and being uninformed about the duties of the elections office. Further, she said he was just playing politics with the voting machine issue because he voted to approve buying them as a county commissioner. Both Dent and Thaxton have loyal supporters and high name recognition. In the final quarter campaign finance filing, Dent has raised nearly $15,000 and loaned her campaign $16,000. Thaxton has raised about $11,000 in the same quarter. The candidates each have about $26,000 in their accounts to spend in the final weeks. The office pays $116,000 annually.
per election. At the same time, we will be providing the type of voting that the majority of the voters want. What makes you a better candidate than your opponent? The fact that I am true professional elections administrator. I have conducted 88 elections in my tenure in office and have amassed hundreds of hours of continuing education. I am certified as an elections administrator at both the national and state levels. I have served as president of our state supervisors of elections association. Besides my professional qualifications, I have a passion for the job. Conducting elections get in your blood and then you never want to do anything else.
Jon Thaxton
Age: 54 Family: Married to wife, Dru Hometown: Sarasota Education: Self-employed busi-
nessman since graduating from Venice High School. Relevant experience: Managed family-owned real-estate office; served 12 years as a county commissioner; have extensive experience in making difficult decisions, establishing trust and being accountable to the electorate Website: jonthaxton.net What would be your top priorities if elected? My top priority will be to restore transparency and accountability to the Supervisor of Elections position and improve communication between the supervisor and the electorate. As a county commissioner, I have earned the trust from many groups on opposing sides of an issue. This took a lot of hard work, a willingness to listen to all opinions and the conviction to make tough decisions and disciplined stands. I established my reputation for fairness by always being prepared, transparent and objective. These skills have enabled me to become an effective and trusted county commissioner, known for treating citizens equally and with respect. My goal is for the candidates and the
SEE ELECTION / PAGE 6A
It may come as a shock that the job of Longboat Key town commissioner, which comes with a salary of $0 per year, meetings that can stretch four or five hours and an island full of vocal constituents, doesn’t always attract a lot of interest. But that wasn’t the case last week, when the commission appointed Grand Bay resident Terry Gans to fill the at-large commission seat vacated earlier this month by Hal Lenobel. The town sought résumés from interested citizens and got eight responses for the term, which expires in March. But, at this stage — albeit, an early one with eight months to go until the election — that isn’t necessarily a sign that interest in commission seats is growing. Of the seven remaining residents to express interest, only Village resident Mark Wickersham has taken out candidate papers. According to Town Clerk Trish Granger, Wickersham picked up a candidate packet at the same time he submitted his name for the vacancy but hasn’t returned documentation yet. Wickersham, a Longboat Key native, told the Longboat Observer that he will probably run for one of two at-large seats in March. “I’ve lived out here all my life,” he said. “I just want to see it get better.” The Longboat Observer was unable to reach Jack Daly and former Commissioner Gene Jaleski, both of whom were also interested in the seat, for comment. Bayou resident Ray Rajewski, who ran for the District 3 seat against Vice Mayor David Brenner in March and lost by a narrow 90 votes, was interested in being appointed to the atlarge seat but declined to comment about whether he wants to run in March. “It really is too early for that,” he said. Former Commissioner Randy Clair said that parties whom he couldn’t name approached him about seeking the seat; he indicated that he was unlikely to run
again. “I indicated that I might be interested if I were appointed,” he said. “It will be four years since I was in office last. That’s a long time to not be in elected office. I think we seem to have a lot of good people coming forward.” Leonard Garner, who sits on the Planning & Zoning Board, said that he, too, was approached about seeking the seat but would be unlikely to run. “My philosophy was very similar to what Terry Gans said,” Garner said, referring to Gans’ cover letter, in which he wrote that he wanted the seat only on an interim basis. “I think they made a very good choice,” Garner said. But former Commissioner Woody Wolverton was upset with the process by which the selection unfolded. “The mayor opened up the meeting and said that this is so wonderful that they (interested candidates) want to participate in our government,” Wolverton said. After Mayor Jim Brown made his opening remarks, commissioners began nominating candidates. But, before that, Wolverton thought he would be able to get up and address the commission. “We just got railroaded,” Wolverton said. “None of us got to say one thing. It’s a bunch of bureaucrats running this town.” Wolverton expressed his thoughts in an email to Brown (see sidebar below). Brown’s response included a suggestion that Wolverton consider running for one of the four seats that will be open in the general election next March. In addition to the election for Gans’ seat, Brown and Commissioners Jack Duncan and Phill Younger are up for re-election. Wolverton told the Longboat Observer that he doesn’t plan to run for the election. Other candidates said they didn’t expect to address the commission. “The commission only asked for a résumé and statement of interest,” Clair said. “If they had wanted more information, they could have asked for it.”
Email exchange Former Commissioner Woody Wolverton and Mayor Jim Brown exchanged the following emails after the Town Commission’s Tuesday, July 17 special meeting in which Terry Gans was appointed as a commissioner. “(I) feel u conducted a meeting today that did not let the people that were trying to run for the commission and (sic) opportunity to tell all of u our qualification. I’ve never felt more rail-roaded than today. U will hear more (from) me.” — Woody Wolverton “Mr. Wolverton, I’m sorry you feel the way you do about the meeting. We ask for and received the resumes and other information from those interested in being considered so that the commissioners could know something about the applicants. Many of us know the individuals well. I spoke at length to you over the phone and I know others did as well. I believe the commissioners had adequate information to make their votes. I’m sure each commissioner voted for the applicant they thought could best do the job for their own reasons. If you wish to be on the commission again, please run for office in March of 2013. There will be 4 seats open in that election including mine.” — Jim Brown