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Hernando Today

Veteran, Incumbent And Newcomer Vie For Brooksville City Council Seat

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By TONY MARRERO Hernando Today

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 26, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - The race for the city council's Group 3 seat pits the current vice-mayor against a former mayor and a political newcomer.

Vice-mayor Frankie Burnett was elected in 2004 and says he wants another term to continue the good work the council has done with the help of a new, effective city manager.
Joe Johnston III, who was elected in 1993 and served three times as mayor before the end of his last term in 2006, says he's ready to bring back the experience he gleaned during that time.

And Jason Sharp, a 31-year-old political novice and owner of a Brooksville lawn care business, maintains he is an everyman with a passion for his hometown who can bring a fresh perspective to the dais.

Burnett would push for redevelopment

Burnett admits the first two years of a council member's term is psent tackling the learning curve. But now the 53-year-old says he's coming into his own as a public servant and now has the skills to do what he always said he would do - be the voice of the people.

He said he's proud to have been on a council that lowered the millage rate even beyond what was required by the new state law last year. If elected, Burnett says he would work to do the same again as well as focus on "things that ought to be done to improve or revitalize Brooksville."

Burnett, a South Brooksville resident and the council's lone African-American, takes offense at the suggestion he's only on the board to speak for that area and that race.

"I work for all of the community," he says.

But he said South Brooksville, one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, is a good place to start a pilot program that would bring the city, county and various agencies together to help improve the area and other neighborhoods in the city that suffer from similar problems.

Much of South Brooksville is in the county, and Burnett said the two governments must work together to bring in grant money and update the so-called enterprise zone to encourage businesses to come back to the area.

"Once we're successful, we need to move on to the next area," he said.

Burnett, a project manager in the construction industry who says he hasn't worked much in recent months, is against consolidating the city's emergency services with the county but does agree there are ways to share resources. The separated father of four recently voted in favor of a proposal to have the county fire station move to the city station just a few hundred yards away.

Some council members, including Mayor David Pugh Jr., contend that it's probably time to turn over the Brooksville Housing Authority to the county. Burnett, however, said he would like the city to have more control over the authority, not less.

Johnston has eye on city's future

Johnston, who points out that he worked with three different city managers during his tenure, said he is clearly the candidate with the most experience helping run the city.

He was on the council when Brooksville experienced a spate of annexations, including two large planned developments south of downtown. The expected growth has come much slower since the housing bubble burst, but Johnston says he wants to be on board as the city uses the lull to plan for the next cycle.

"My emphasis has always been planning for the future," he said.

Johnston has experience working on a plan to consolidate the city and county fire departments. He was on the council when negotiations with the county turned out what he considered to be good deal for the city. Many of the operations would have merged, but the city departments would have been left essentially intact, right down to the logos, Johnston recalls. But he was outnumbered.

"If we could get the same deal again, I'd probably support it," he said.

Johnston has some 30 years of legal and title work at the firm started by his father, former state Sen. Joe Johnston Jr. He says he pushed for years to update the city code. The current council has begun that process but is doing it piece by piece. Johnston says the city should start from scratch.

Johnston, who is married with three grown children, praised the direction the current council has taken to correct problems on the housing authority board. He said he would always questioned the need for the city's own housing authority and said he'd be open to giving the county oversight of the agency.

Johnston has said the controversial proposal he made at the end of his term to turn South Brooksville, a historically African-American community, into an industrial park is not a major plank in his platform. But when asked about it, he tries to remind people the plan was first and foremost meant to address the substandard housing situation in South Brooksville that also would increase the tax base by providing a place for industrial development.

Under the plan, the city would seek grant money to build new housing developments for residents of the area in other parts of the city and offer fair prices for their land. Johnston said it's probably as feasible as annexing the county's portion of South Brooksville, an idea he might support but questions its viability because of the cost.

"I've still got my notes" on the proposal, he said with a smile.

Sharp is 'average citizen'

Sharp admits he's got a lot of learning to do. The owner of a landscaping business says he's not running "to make any huge changes."

He says one of his best assets is his accessibility.

"I just want to the opportunity to learn and take the views of residents (to the council)," he said. "I'm as straightforward as they come."

Sharp, who grew up in Brooksville, said he would work to continue the council's efforts to lower taxes. The married father of three children, Sharp says he's "not a political mind," but knows what it means to stick to a budget and find ways to make ends meet.

He says his previous experience as a well inspector for the Southwest Florida Water Management District would serve him as the city continues to tackle engineering and infrastructure challenges. He said he would like the city to take another look at annexing South Brooksville.

Sharp says he doesn't have strong feelings one way or another about merging emergency services with the county but would likely be hesitant to give too much authority from the city to provide those vital needs.

"I like the city being in control of what the city does," he said.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmar

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