Monday, Oct. 13, 2008

5 vie for 2 seats on Palmetto commission

Voters in this city north of the Manatee River will select from five candidates to fill two commission seats Nov. 4.

Robert Rotondo, Charles Smith and Alan Zirkelbach are running to finish out the the Ward 1 At-Large term made vacant with Commissioner Eric Ball's decision to run for mayor.

On the ballot for Ward 2 At-Large are incumbent Tamara Cornwell and Barbara Jennings, chairwoman of the city Planning and Zoning Board.

Ward 1 At-Large

For longtime resident Rotondo, he did not feel the present commission was doing a good job.

"When I went to the meetings, what they were doing didn't make sense," he said. "I thought I could do better than that, and a lot of people asked me to run."

With his business background he said he could help with the city finances.

"When they went over the budget I saw they were taking from the reserves to fund public works," the real estate office owner said. "Public works should be paying for itself."

He also said could help reduce the city employee health care costs and offer new ideas for the city.

Former three-term commissioner Smith said his experience would be helpful in these trying economic times, with people losing their jobs and the middle class slipping into a lower income bracket.

"The first day in office I'll push to move the city government into the 21st century," he said. "I'll push for a city housing authority so we can obtain grants from the federal government. We could have something like Bradenton Village."

Smith, who works in a family business and has a degree in criminal justice, said he also would push to develop a SWAT force in the Palmetto Police Department.

Zirkelbach, who serves as chairman of the Palmetto Community Redevelopment Agency, believes being a city commissioner would be the best place for him to put his energy in improving the city.

"Our greater community needs leadership in these difficult and uncertain times," he said. "I believe with my experience and leadership and my strong community relations with many politicians in the city, county, state and federal government I can be an instrument of value to the city."

The local building contractor said the city's downtown has many closed shops, and it has never taken on its full potential.

"I have a plan to spur downtown commerce and create economic vibrancy for the whole of the city," Zirkelbach said. "I have discussed this plan several times" at CRA meetings.

He also said he could bring his business experience to the commission to reduce spending.

Ward 2 At-Large

Cornwell said she decided to seek re-election because she feels there is a need to keep city spending down in these tough economic times.

"Palmetto needs a commissioner who will continue to challenge overspending and taxation at the city," she said. "Our citizens need a commissioner who insists that city government cut spending and cut back the way families and businesses must in order to make ends meet."

The longtime city resident also said she has other goals she would like to accomplish, such as working to have a swimming pool built in a Manatee County park north of the river, the completion of additional upgrades to the city infrastructure and following through with the Manatee County School District in building a new Palmetto Elementary School.