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Hernando Today

City Council To Mull Candidate Filing Turnover

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By TONY MARRERO

Published: August 3, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - City Council member Lara Bradburn says the city should act quickly to turn over candidate filing duties to the Hernando County Elections Office in time for this election cycle.

The council at its regular meeting Monday will consider new language to the city code that would allow that turnover. The meeting is set for 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 201 N. Howell Ave.

Bradburn said Thursday she will ask fellow council members to also vote that night to direct staff to work with county Elections Supervisor Annie Williams to draft a formal agreement.

That would allow Williams to take up candidate filing duties for the remainder of the city's filing period, which ends Aug. 29.

"We can make things better today," Bradburn said. "We don't have to wait."

Currently, the city clerk accepts candidate paperwork. Up for a vote tomorrow is amended language that would replace the clerk with "a designated election official."

The job, Bradburn said Thursday, "belongs to the supervisor of elections. That's her constitutional mandate."

Bradburn first brought up the issue at the July 7 council meeting. She said then that turning over filing duties would eliminate any perception of bias on the part of city staff, and would end confusion on the part of the public.

It also would eliminate duplication of services and save taxpayer money, Bradburn said.

Bradburn likely has the votes. Mayor David Pugh Jr. has expressed similar concerns, and council member Joe Bernardini said he would support the switch if it didn't cost the city any more money.

Williams has said it would not. On Thursday, she said it's likely that the switchover could take place this month.

At least one candidate will be filing later this month. Vice Mayor Frankie Burnett is up for re-election and has said he will wait until the week of the official qualifying period that begins at noon on Aug. 25 and ends at noon on Aug. 29.

Council member Richard Lewis said last month he wouldn't support the switch and said the same Thursday. He said the city staff members have done a fine job handling filing duties and has faith that will continue.

"I would rather the chief election official be the city of Brooksville," Lewis said.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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