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Highlands Today

Three Candidates Seek Two LP Council Seats

Courtesy photos

Steve Bastardi, Lynn Connolly, Ray Royce

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By Bill Rettew Jr. | Highlands Today

Published: February 22, 2008

Updated: 02/22/2008 04:52 pm

LAKE PLACID — Two seats on town council are up for grabs and three candidates registered in time to beat the Friday noon filing deadline for the April 8 election.

The two highest vote-getters will each serve four-year terms. The council is composed of four members, and the mayor breaks tie votes.

Both incumbents who were up for reelection, Debra Worley and Dr. James Waller, decided not to seek reelection.

For this article, the candidates were asked the same questions during phone interviews and responded as follows. Space limitations necessitated editing. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Steve Bastardi, 49, is married with no children. He and his wife own Internet service provider Home Town Network.

Bastardi listed his qualifications: "I'm a problem solver. I'm an engineer at heart, more so than a salesperson." Bastardi serves on the Local Planning Agency and the Growth Management Council.

Bastardi was asked what he would do differently than the existing town council has done, or what he would change.
"A lot of things are going right," said Bastardi. "We're a lot better off than we were there years ago. We should set the steps, although the town is governed by the people and everyone should have a say, and to elect representatives. I want to step up and represent the whole of the people."

The candidate was then asked how he would manage growth as a member of council.
"We steer, but can't have 100 percent control," said Bastardi. "We need to work together as a whole. Developers shouldn't be greedy, but still get a good return."

Lynn Connolly is divorced with two children. She is a paraprofessional at the Lake Placid Elementary School Media Center. Connolly refused to list her age for publication.

Connolly's experience includes watching town council meetings on television for 10 years and moved into – and worked in the downtown – for more than two years. Connelly lived in the greater Lake Placid area for about a decade, prior to moving into town.

"It's not so much change ... but I want to incorporate some bold new ideas," said Connolly. "I gratefully support our town police department for the safety of our children, in and out of school. We need local law enforcement in our churches and for our merchants, seniors, tourists, visitors and the folks who live and work in town."

Connolly listed the environment as a plank in her campaign platform, said she favors the "Keep Lake Placid Beautiful" program and would expand the recycling programs.

Growth should be addressed with "caution," said Connolly.

"Make sure you have the infrastructure prepared in advance for schools and roads."

Ray Royce, 50, is married with two children. He is the executive director of the Heartland Agricultural Coalition and the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association.

When he listed his experience, Royce said his family ties to the Greater Lake Placid Area go back for 80 years and he has lived in the Greater Lake Placid Area for 27 years. He is the vice chairman of the Lake Placid Local Planning Agency and chaired the area's growth management committee for three years.

Royce said he is "unique" because of his regular attendance at community meetings. He said he has access to local and county officials on a daily and weekly basis, as part of his jobs.

The candidate said he had the utmost respect for members of council, but questioned whether the town government is "set up with the right organizational structure."

"Do we eventually need a town manager, or to change how different divisions operate?" said Royce. "It's not critical, but something to look at." He also called for "fiscal responsibility" when developing utilities.

Royce said he was "intimately involved" with the LPA and growth committees and fully agreed with the adopting the established comprehensive plan.

"I use the growth management plan as my gospel," said Royce.

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