To view a multimedia piece from the forum, click here or on the link in the Resources section at right.
Fourth of July fireworks made a late appearance Wednesday evening at the candidate forum hosted by the Ponte Vedra Chamber of Commerce and the Recorder.
District 3 candidates, incumbent Ben Rich and challenger Mark Miner, threw some harsh words at each other during a relatively calm and collected forum at the Players Senior Center in Ponte Vedra.
“[This] is a young and impetuous man who spins half-truths,” said Rich. “[Voters should] accept nothing less than truth and integrity from any [commission] seat.”
Rich told the room that Miner was uneducated and implied that his youth would work to voters’ disadvantage.
Miner, the youngest candidate in the race, said he was running on a platform of civility and respect and, if elected, would work for the “next generation, not the next election. I think it’s time for my generation to be a part of the solution.”
Other than the slight flare-up, the latest in the series of election forums was calm and orderly, focusing on many topics discussed in previous forums—defining the most important issues in the county, charter government and luring business to the county.
According to District 5 candidate Ken Bryan, the most important issue in the county is “you,” the voter.
His opponent, Randy Brunson, cited attracting clean industry to the area as the most important concern. Miner, Rich and District 1 independent candidate Merrill Paul Roland agreed that public safety and health were the top priorities.
“You are St. Johns County,” said Rich. “You are the state of Florida and you are the United States of America. This is about you.”
Most candidates agreed that, if the charter government referendum does not pass on Aug. 26, it would be the will of the people.
District 1 Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson said she would focus on getting a supermajority vote on the three-story height limit on the coast passed through the Commission.
District 5 hopeful Gary McMahon said that he supports anything that gives the voter a choice. His opponent Ken Bryan, who told the gathering that he was part of the original committee to get charter government approved, said “we’ll try something else, we will listen to the people.”
All the candidates agreed that luring business to St. Johns County will be an important aspect of the role they wish to play as commissioners.
Miner said he didn’t feel that the county was doing well enough with tourism alone and suggested looking into getting more flights to Charlotte and Atlanta from the airport.
“No company is going [to want to] come here unless they can get their executives out,” said Miner.
Roland suggested looking into a visitor’s information radio station in the hopes that it would lure tourists off Interstate 95 and into the city.
District 1 candidate Al Abbatiello, also a member of the original charter group, held fast to the idea that the commission needed to figure out a long-range plan for the county before suggesting specific ideas.
July 25th 2008 - 4:29PM