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Voters to Decide Dunedin Election Change
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Published: October 27, 2007
DUNEDIN, Fla. - DUNEDIN, Fla. - At least one question slated for the March municipal election promises to be hotly debated.
On March 11, voters will decide whether the city should keep choosing elected officials from a single slate of contenders that would represent all city residents or divide the city into commission districts.
Under the current method a challenger could face more than one incumbent, a situation the backers of the proposed changes believes discourages nonincumbent candidates.
Last week, city commissioners decided by the narrowest of margins to put the question to voters.
Mayor Bob Hackworth along with Commissioners Dave Eggers and Julie Ward Bujalski voted to put the referendum question before voters. Changing the process would attract more newcomers to the electoral process, the members of the majority declared.
The dissenters, Commissioners Deborah Kynes and Julie Scales, said the proposed change could result in elections decided on personalities rather than the issues.
If incumbents are not challenged at the polls, it is as if the city has not held an election, Hackworth contended.
In the last election, the mayor said, no one chose to run against two incumbents, but in a special election to fill an unexpired seat, seven candidates who had never run for the commission entered the race.
Scales, however, argued, there is no proof changing the municipal electoral system that has been in place for decades will improve the election process.
The advisory Charter Review Commission recommended not putting the question to voters.
"They spent a lot of time reviewing the question and came to the conclusion they could not find any evidence that this proposal would make the election process better," Scales said, referring to the charter panel.
Eggers said changing the system so challengers could face only one incumbent would make elected officials more accountable.
"Folks don't choose to run against incumbents," he said.
Kynes said changing the process could make an election divisive and more personality oriented.
The one thing both sides agree on is the topic is likely to be hotly debated up until Election Day 2008.
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