Duncan secures commission seat

Until a few weeks ago, Harbourside resident Jack Duncan thought he was running a race for the District 2 Commission seat being vacated by Mayor George Spoll in March.

But after Jack Jaret bowed out of the race in early December, Duncan became the District 2 commissioner-elect.

Duncan, 61, an Ohio native, worked his way up the corporate ladder at Wilmington, Del.,-based Zeneca Pharmaceuticals (now Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals), before moving in 1999 to Longboat Key as a permanent resident.

At the time, Duncan never thought he would become a town commissioner.

But he says he is up for the challenge and has observed Town Hall politics.

And when asked what his main reason for running for a commission seat is, Duncan states emphatically: “economic revitalization.”

“At the end of the day, I want to keep Longboat Key the beautiful showplace it is, but I believe it needs an economic underpinning,” Duncan said. “We need an image that also has a strong economic impact that supports the beauty of this island.”

Duncan shares many concerns with the rest of the commission.

“The island’s plazas need a face lift,” Duncan says.

And Duncan is also a part of a growing majority of commissioners who don’t label tourism as a bad thing.

“We need tourism to survive and bring us future residents,” said Duncan. “But it can be well thought out and planned so it’s not overwhelming.”

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected]