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Hernando Today

Changing Of The Guard

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Published: December 24, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - BROOKSVILLE - Exit Jeff Stabins, enter Chris Kingsley.

When county commissioners reconvene Jan. 9 for their land use hearing, they are expected to appoint Kingsley as the new chairman for 2008.

To ease the transitions between leadership positions, a previous board decided to follow a natural progression every January: the vice chairman moves up to chairman, the co-vice chairman becomes the new vice chairman.

So in two weeks, Kingsley, who served as vice chairman to Stabins last year, is slated to take over the top seat in local government.

Barring any changes in the order, this will be Kingsley's second shot as chairman. He was the gavel-holder in 2001, during his first stint as commissioner.

The veteran commissioner said he obviously cannot match the humor of Stabins, and his chairmanship will reflect his own personality.

Stabins was known for his wit and easy banter during meetings. Kingsley said he appreciated the humor but doubts if he can match Stabins' style.

"I have a good sense of humor, but it's a lot more dry," he said.

Kingsley said it is a semi-stressful job and humor tends to break up the tension.

Kingsley said he also plans to continue the inspirational messages at the beginning of each meeting. He doesn't call them prayers.

But Kingsley said he plans to adhere better to the three-minute speaking rule for citizens during public comment, a rule that Stabins has been known to relax.

Stabins had also been criticized for allowing too many personal attacks during meetings. That came to a head in April when a 200-plus crowd gathered in county commission chambers to save their cherished Spring Hill Fire Rescue District from what they perceived was a county takeover.

Emotions not only ran high, they boiled over.

The four-hour meeting was punctuated with angry outbursts from the crowd every time one of the county commissioners or the county attorney made a disparaging comment about Spring Hill's fire district.

In the end, commissioners voted 3-2 to reject an ordinance that would have dissolved the 30-year rule of the elected Spring Hill Fire Board and switch authority to the county. Stabins allowed character attacks and outbursts to go unchecked during the meeting. Several audience members were allowed to speak past the three-minute deadline.

At one point, Fire Chief J.J. Morrison had to turn around to the audience to call for professionalism and silence so he could speak to the board and defend his department.

Russell and Kingsley also shot glances at Stabins during a couple outbursts directed toward them.

Kingsley, who was the recipient of most of that venom that day, said he harbors no grudges against Stabins who he said did the best he could.

Stabins could not be reached last week for comment.

However, during a recent meeting, Stabins said he tries to "air on the side of free speech.

"Unfortunately, free speech goes over the edge," he said.

County Commissioner Diane Rowden said running meetings can often be difficult.

"It's easy to criticize until you're in that position," said Rowden, chairwoman before Stabins.

"When I was in that chair, it was easier for the whole meeting just to let that person vent — unless it got out of hand. If you try to stop it, then it causes a lot more controversy and they spout off that you've violated their right to speak."

Rowden said every chairman brings to the table his own personality and that is healthy.

"I think it's important that if someone has a different style that it's good for them to bring that to their type of leadership," she said.

County Commissioner David Russell said it was Stabins' prerogative to run the meetings as he saw fit.

"I think a lot of people appreciated his demeanor and humor, injected at appropriate times," he said.

As for sometimes bending the three-minute speaking rule:

"There should at least be some flexibility," he said. "If someone's completing a thought, I don't see a problem (if) it goes beyond three minutes."

However, Russell said he would take exception if the speaker went on too long.

Return To Civility

Civility may be the new standard for 2008 as commissioners face a year when three of them are up for re-election.

At their Nov. 27 meeting, county commissioners agreed that personal attacks may be getting out of hand and it was time to bring civility back to meetings.

Commissioner Rose Rocco said she has noticed an increase in disrespect during meetings in the past several months and wants it to stop.

"We need to look at civility and respect coming back into this room," Rocco said.

That respect is a two-way street, she said. The constituents must be more civil to their elected officials and vice versa.

"Unless this community comes together as a community…we're going to have to change the way we do business," she added.

Kingsley said it is unfortunate that he, as a board member, at times did not speak up sooner when residents' comments got out of hand.

"There are times when citizens get up there and start going off on a county employee and it's not really what those meetings are for," he said. "The meetings are meant to be productive and carry out the business of the county."

Russell said more decorum during meetings is "something that might benefit us all."

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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