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BREAKING NEWS: Schuler To Hold Mayor's Seat In AP

KATHY WATERS/HIGHLANDS TODAY

Canvassing board member Doug Eason, left, removes a seal from the official ballots as Joe Campbell, supervisor of elections, and other canvassing board members watch on Tuesday at the Highlands County Government Center.

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By Douglas  Carman | Highlands Today

Published: November 6, 2007

AVON PARK — With both major precincts counted, an unofficial count had Mayor Sharon Schuler almost 100 votes ahead of the next-highest candidate for mayor, while Avon Park Middle School teacher Al Hinson held a sizable lead in the council election Tuesday night.

Schuler, with 329 votes, will likely remain mayor for another three years as she holds an insurmountable lead over former Gordon Marshall in the mayoral race. Marshall, with 223 votes, is a distant second, while Ed Dickerson had 159 votes and Gonzalo Lezama 47.
Schuler said she wasn't expecting it. Truly.

"Everyone has an opportunity to win," she said as she came to the supervisor of election's office to see the vote counting. "I'm very happy."
Hinson, meanwhile, has 250 votes, holding a solid lead over Paul Miller's 202 backers, Michael Shirey's 177 and James Rahenkamp's 140.

Hinson, reached by phone Tuesday evening, was cautiously optimistic that he would hold on to the lead.

"I thought it would be close," he said. "I feel good... I guess the people went out and voted. Hopefully it's official but I am happy."

The campaigns for both elections were relatively low-key, with most candidates relying on little more than yard signs until the final week before the elections. In both elections, the candidates mostly campaigned on economic development and on reducing the city's budget, although code enforcement, open government issues and opposition to a fire assessment placed on churches also came up sometimes.

The Race For Mayor

Schuler and the city council faced a few controversies, including this year's passing of a revised fire assessment that included churches and non-profit organizations for the first time. Then-Police Chief Frank Mercurio's forced resignation in September also caused a public reaction, even though the candidates mostly kept silent on that issue.

Schuler, the incumbent, appeared to be well ahead of her rivals, both in terms of her fundraising and in terms of the number of her signs visible around town. She pushed for more public participation on city boards in her campaign and proposed a downtown merchant association.
Dickerson, who mounted several campaigns before, said he wanted to open up the city government to others.

Marshall, who was Avon Park's mayor during most of the 90s, wanted to jump back in to tackle the city's expected budget woes.
Lezama, who faced criticism early on for declaring his candidacy a mere two months after moving into the city, challenged the council's communication with its citizens during last Monday's forum, and during interviews he stated his desire to find more entertainment options for the city.

The Race For The Council

Hinson emphasized the accountability of the city departments as he proposed reforming the council so that each councilman represented a quadrant of the city rather than representing "at-large."
The race for the council appeared to be more competitive, with four contestants vying for Doug Eason's open seat.

Rahenkamp, the only candidate in the race with prior experience in an elected office, built his campaign on a clear theme for lower taxes and a "frugal budget," also railing against what he called the "taxing of churches" through the fire assessment.
Miller wanted to tighten the city's code enforcement and draw more downtown activity, proposing assistance for some businesses towards impact fees and bringing in an occasional barbecue and band to Donaldson Park.

Shirey, who recently came back to Avon Park from a deployment in Iraq, said he was inspired to run for office after seeing how the government was in Iraq.

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