Submitted by Eric Bartelt
Amid the usual business of budget amendments, authorizations and resolutions, the July 16th City Commission Regular Meeting produced a mid-summer surprise. Two Commissioners had an apparent change of heart, regarding the proposed Charter Amendment that would have extended the terms of commissioners from three years to four years.
Mayor Sarah Pelican and Vice Mayor Charlie Corbett, who had previously supported extending the terms, in a surprise move voted against including the proposed change as a referendum question on the November ballot. Their votes, combined with Commissioner Arlene Folkoff’s vote, killed the Amendment. Commissioners
Pat Gass and Ed Boner, the only current commissioners whose terms would have been extended, voted in favor of placing the Amendment on the November ballot.
Prior to the vote, resident Mr. Lynn Williams addressed the Commission during the public comment period, stressing the inherent conflict of sitting commissioners voting to extend their own terms in office.
He also noted, while all the Commissioners support the idea of extending commissioner terms to four years, voters might face a dilemma. They might, on the one hand, want to vote for extending the terms to four years (in order to realize cost savings), but on the other hand, want to vote against it because two current commissioners had voted to extend their own terms.
Williams also pointed out the potential problems associated with having three commissioners running for election in the same years as Presidential elections. During a national election, there could be six or more local candidates on the ballot, along with the county, state and national candidates, and referendums. Set within a national campaign and with a large number of candidates, Williams reasoned that voters would be less focused on local candidates, and thus may be less able to make an informed choice for commissioner.
Williams had also expressed concern, on a previous occasion, about three commissioners running at the same time, because of the potential for the three to run as a block, which, if all three were elected, would effectively give them control of the commission.
Fernandina Observer photo on file.
When it came time to vote on the Amendment, Vice Mayor Corbett made the motion to approve it, but then subsequently voted against it. Mayor Pelican, indicated that she thought Lynn Williams was right and that she had “a little bit of heartburn” over three commissioners running for election at the same time. She surprised the other Commissioners, and the audience, by voting against the Amendment.
Commissioner Boner, who had previously expressed both support for extending commissioner terms to four years and also reservations about having his own term extended, then asked if it was too late to modify the Amendment so that no current commissioners’ terms would be affected. City Manager Joe Gerrity said the soonest it could be brought up again was in the “next legislative session”, which would be after the next election was held and a new commissioner was sworn in.
Editor’s Note: Eric Bartelt retired as a corporate design consultant and moved to Fernandina Beach in 2004. His previously lived in Wisconsin. Since Eric’s arrival in Fernandina Beach, he spends his time volunteering, and playing soccer. We thank Eric for his contribution to the Fernandina Observer.
July 17, 2013 2:03 p.m.