Commissioners to elect new chair

By The Tampa Tribune
Published: November 16, 2009

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SEBRING --

Highlands County commissioners will have a full agenda to deal with on Tuesday, not the least of which is the election of a new chair and vice chair.

Barbara Stewart, who was elected to her second term in 2008, currently chairs the five-member board. Don Bates is the vice chair.

In the past, commissioners have rotated the chairmanship. Only once in the past three years have they broken with that tradition, choosing Bob Bullard twice in a row. That makes Bates, a moderate Democrat from Lake Placid, the likely successor to Stewart, a conservative Avon Park Republican.

At 1:30 p.m., or after the commission meeting concludes, they will hold a joint workshop with the Planning & Zoning Commission to update the Highlands County Comprehensive Plan.

The only controversial item on the agenda is likely to be the report on Road & Bridge Department audit by the county administrator.

- GARY PINNELL