Paid Election Letter: Longboat Key PIC endorses incumbents

Date: February 20, 2013
by: Observer Staff

The Longboat Key Public Interest Committee strongly believes that Longboat Key voters should return incumbents Brown, Gans and Younger to the Town Commission so they can continue their fine work on behalf of the citizens and our island.

The PIC Board unanimously endorsed these candidates only after hearing all six candidates at a recent debate, and examining their records; positions on issues; and prior and present public service involvement. Board members believe that those receiving these endorsements are clear thinking, analytical, dedicated, hard-working and want to maintain Longboat Key as a premier residential community, with a proper balance of tourism and commercial amenities so as to protect our property values and our quality of life. Returning them to office will allow them to continue on the productive and beneficial road down, which the Commission has been traveling.

In PIC’s view, the opposing candidates collectively have no plan. However, they, and certain people speaking on their collective behalf, have made many misleading claims.

Voters should examine each and every one of those claims. This endorsement statement can briefly address but a few of them.

It has been claimed, for example, that the Commission broke the law and somehow violated the state constitution in connection with the Longboat Key Club expansion request. However, the town merely did not prevail in civil proceedings. The court determined that codes were unreliable and should be reworked. In acting upon the application, the town followed longstanding procedure under code of permitting departures so a project could proceed.

Neither — as has been claimed — have the incumbents or the Commission approved or sought to approve some sort of massive and drastic expansion of tourism. They have acted and sought to act in accordance with the town vision plan, which was produced with citizen participation, and to effectuate the 2008 citizen referendum approval to allow 250 additional tourist units as replacement for some of the many units lost to other uses over the years.

Similarly the opposition and their supporters about municipal pension reform, beach renourishment, town litigation costs in connection with the Key Club application and a myriad of other subjects, have made misleading statements. PIC urges the voters to closely examine and scrutinize all such statements.

It believes that this will lead to the obvious conclusion that Mayor Brown and Commissioners Gans and Younger should be returned to office. PIC so advocates consistent with its primary missions of promoting “good local government” and preserving our “premier residential community.”

This letter was paid for by the Public Interest Committee. Contact Ann B. Roth at 383-5266 with any questions regarding this letter.