The biggest controversy from Tuesday’s election in the Town of Indialantic centered on a roughly 4-foot-by-6-foot piece of blue cloth affixed to a folding table. To the point, the angst arose from what was written on the fabric: “Democratic Party.”
Some 50 feet away, Republicans fumed at the apparent breach of local election practices, which are intended to be void of partisan politics. The Democrats were unapologetic. “We’re just exercising our First Amendment rights,” said one poll worker. Asked if they’d been busy so far, another said, “We had a few people stop by to yell at us.”
While the rancor was predictable, so was the outcome. Incumbents won back both seats.
The higher profile race featured Dick Dunn running for a third term, this time challenged by Lawrence Maxwell, a resident of Indialantic for more than 30 years and owner of an architectural firm.
Maxwell’s key issue is to revamp the town’s stormwater system, which is aging and in need of repair. After raising the issue multiple times at town council meetings, Maxwell claimed Dunn has now adopted the stormwater drain project as his own.
Maxwell is ready should Dunn fail to make good on the storm drain pledge. “He’s on the record twice now as saying he’s for replacing the storm drains,” Maxwell said. “I just want to see it done.”
In addition to the stormwater drain project, Indialantic’s new council was scheduled to act Wednesday on a renewal of its water franchise with the City of Melbourne. The document reboots a 30-year pact that’s about to expire. Melbourne currently provides Indialantic with drinking water and water for its fire hydrants.
Dunn, sporting a borrowed vintage 1957 Chevrolet outside the polls at Eastminster Presbyterian Church, was a prohibitive favorite and, predictably, won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
Dunn touted keeping Indialantic a “family friendly” community as part of his campaign. He’s also opposed to short-term rentals, which he and others believe endangers beachfront neighborhoods. Dunn considers rentals of three months or less to be short-term.
Indialantic’s other race pitted incumbent Councilman Randy Greer against two opponents: Laura Rankin, a regular in local elections, and a promising newcomer, Simon Kemp. It turned out to be a lost opportunity for shaking up the council.
Greer, an Indialantic resident since 1985, joins Maxwell and Dunn in favoring an upgrade to the storm drain system. And, like Dunn, Greer prefers ditching metal pipes for concrete.
There’s potential for that to backfire on all three, since funding the project will require adding another mill to the tax rate.
Greer received 435 votes, just under half the votes cast. Had Rankin not run, it’s conceivable her 158 votes might’ve gone to Kemp, which would’ve given him 20 more votes than Greer.
At just 36 years old, Kemp could bring youth to the council if he runs again next time. And experience. When he was 23 he was elected to the town board in Miconapy, near Gainesville.
Down the road in the Town of Melbourne Beach there was only one contested seat, won by Incumbent Commissioner Sherri Quarrie by a narrow 32-vote margin. Mayor Jim Simmons was unopposed as no one else qualified to run for mayor this time around. One of the first major jobs on the town commission’s plate is to select and hire a new town manager to replace Tim Day. Commissioners were set to continue interviewing candidates on Monday.
