TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

Guglielmi Wins SNL Election By 1,144 Votes

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOE SEELIG

Highlands Today

Published: January 27, 2009

SEBRING - Incumbent Frank Guglielmi won re-election as a supervisor in the Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Improvement District by a margin of 1,144 votes over his opponent, Dick Miller, in Friday's landowner election.
Property owners got one vote for each property they held with assessments paid in full for 2007. Landowners could vote by proxy or come in on election day and fill out a ballot.

Guglielmi received 2,658 votes to Miller's 1,514, said Ann Mitchell, district secretary Monday. Miller received 311 votes from Tanglewood's owner John Greytak and 1,203 from other property owners.

National Recreational Properties Inc. weighed in with 2,022 votes for Guglielmi, and Maronda Homes added another 202. Without those votes, Guglielmi had 434 votes.

Miller emphasized Monday how it would have gone without the big landowners.

"I think it's pretty clear how people feel out here," he said.

The election ran from 9:35 a.m. until 8:45 p.m. Friday, in part because Miller turned in about 600 unverified proxy votes on election day, said Mitchell.

"I'm entitled to do that," said Miller Monday. "I turned in over 1,000 votes prior to that time. Some people felt if I turned them all in ahead of time, we'd be tipping our hand."

"I must also say," said Miller, "we got a flurry of proxies the night before and the day of. People were walking in during the election, putting them in my box, shaking my hand, and wishing me good luck."

Guglielmi defended his win.

"The comment's been made that I was elected by NRPI," said Guglielmi Monday. "That's probably true."

But, he denied accusations that he was somehow in NRPI's pocket.

He said he sent out materials about himself, asking landowners it they agree with it, and if yes, to sign it and return it. He said he has had nearly no contact with NRPI, but he does believe in landowners having a say.

"I'm not a politician," he said. "I care for the community. We like it here. I never lived in a big city."

He is a retired engineer from General Motors, where he worked 33 years. He and his wife, Margaret, have two children who still live in Michigan, he said.

"Unfortunately, because of the demographics we have in Sun 'n Lake, we're always going to have conflicts," he said. "I'm passionate; I'm opinionated, but if someone can show me I'm wrong, I'll listen."

There were 9,976 properties current on the 2007 assessments and eligible to vote, Mitchell said. Sun 'n Lake has a total of 14,621 building lots, not counting Tanglewood, and 3,313 housing units, with Tanglewood included.

The 2008 assessments are not due until March 31, she said. If NRPI is not paid in its assessments by then, it would lose a big part of its clout.

Miller hoped to change the composition of the board.

People in working families are upset and angry over the way the district has increased its assessments on them - 14 percent each year, said Miller.

"They don't understand what services they're getting for their 14 percent increases in their assessments," he said. "There are working families with kids concerned about the lack of recreational facilities for themselves, particularly a swimming pool and children's playground."

What's the most important issue at hand for Sun 'n Lake?

"Land sales," Guglielmi said. "We need to get homes built. The only way we can stabilize assessments is to get more people into Sun 'n Lake. We need to put the land into the hands of people who want to build homes."

Where does he stand on the proposed sewer plant?

"We're going to need it eventually," he said. "All we're doing now is a study. It's always good to have a plan on the shelf. When the finances are right we can start it. We're not spending $11 million. We may spend a few thousand on a study."

He believed that reuse water would one day be needed for the district's golf courses.

The next landowner election will be in 2010 when the seat of Robert Severino is up, said Mitchell. The landowner seat of George Puffenberger's is up in 2011 and two popularly seats come up in 2012.

Highlands Today reporter Joe Seelig can be reached at (863) 386-5834 or jseelig@highlandstoday.com .

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT