A campaign flier mailed to Holmes Beach voters last week by Commissioner Al Robinson, seeking re-election in the Nov. 8 balloting, started a controversy with candidates and Holmes Beach Police Chief Jay Romine.
In his flier, Robinson wrote he was “not sure my fellow commissioners” can relate to good economic choices.
In the same mailer, Robinson claimed the cost of the Holmes Beach Police Department was excessive and has too many people working “behind closed doors.”
Robinson, who has long been critical of the HBPD and the West Manatee Fire Rescue, sent his mailer to “Holmes Beach Voters” with the subject heading “Campaign for my Re-election.”
He did not include the required election disclaimer. A disclaimer, stating the candidate approves the content and naming who paid for the advertisement, is required by Florida election statutes.
Robinson said on Nov. 3 that it “was a mistake” that the disclaimer was not on the flier.
However, Robinson stood by his criticism that there are only 12 HBPD patrol officers, but 21 personnel in the department.
Based on a $2 million budget for the HBPD, Robinson claimed it costs the city $177,166 annually for each patrol officer. Robinson did not include Romine or Lt. Dale Stephenson as patrol officers.
Asked if the chief and lieutenant investigate crimes or have other police duties, Robinson said he had “no idea what they do” while on duty.
Robinson said in his flier that commission voting on spending matters is usually 4-1, with his the lone “nay” vote.
“The weekly juggling act to stretch the dollars can only be made via ‘good economic choices’ and I’m not sure my fellow commissioners can relate to this,” said Robinson.
It didn’t take long for Romine and others to respond to Robinson’s allegations.
Romine re-sent a letter with his reply to Robinson’s accusations last year to Mayor Rich Bohnenberger and commissioners stating that Robinson’s figures are “grossly inaccurate,” particularly dividing 12 patrol officers into the police budget of $2 million. The department’s total operating budget includes capital expenditures and “the daily cost of doing our jobs,” wrote Romine.
He said the HBPD has 21 staff members, and dividing that number into the budget gives an average cost of $97,851 per employee per year.
Even that figure is misleading, Romine said, because it assumes that each employee “partially bears the cost” of building and equipment maintenance, utilities and “every other cost that is associated with the police department budget.”
He called Robinson’s formula “ludicrous,” and wrote that he had to respond in the “best interests of the city.”
Robinson didn’t win any friends from the other commission candidates with his flier.
Commission candidate Andy Sheridan also disputed Robinson’s figures for the police department.
He noted that Robinson has said he’s against development of large rental properties, but Robinson himself recently said he is a developer.
Sheridan said he spent the weeks leading up to the election “working on building additional support for my campaign from residents who would prefer to keep a property developer from being re-elected to the commission.”
He said Robinson has complained about the police during his term as commissioner, but has offered no solutions.
“During the time Mr. Robinson has been on the commission, he has never once put forth a motion, formal proposal or solution to what he would like to accomplish by these attacks on the city’s police department,” Sheridan said.
Additionally, Sheridan noted Robinson’s flier lacked the required disclaimer. Other candidates also observed the missing disclaimer.
Commissioner Pat Morton, who was seeking re-election, said he would normally ignore the flier, but not this time.
“He’s basically claiming that all other commissioners are incompetent. He needs a reality check, and he’s crossed the line,” Morton said.
The city has the lowest ad valorem millage rate in Manatee County and has more than $4 million in its reserve account, yet Robinson doesn’t think other commissioners know how to make good economic choices, Morton observed.
Morton also noted the timing of the letter.
“He waited until the last minute to mail this out so we wouldn’t have time to get out a rebuttal,” Morton said.
Commissioner David Zaccagnino also was running for re-election. He said he chose to ignore Robinson’s comment about commissioners not relating to “good economic choices.”
But Zaccagnino said he was “very concerned” that the flier lacked a disclaimer.
“We are all playing by the same rules, and it would be nice if he would, too. I think it’s a violation of election rules not to have the disclaimer,” Zaccagnino said.
Candidate Jean Peelen said much of Robinson’s letter contained “unsupportable” statements, but she was “extremely angry” that Robinson did not have a disclaimer.
“We all followed the rules, but he didn’t. I see his signs in the right of way and wonder why he was allowed to get away with this,” Peelen said.
Chris Cate of the Florida Supervisor of Elections office said failure to place a disclosure on a paid or unpaid political statement, even one mailed by a candidate or candidate proponent, is a “minor violation” under Florida election law.
If a complaint were brought to the Florida Elections Commission and it determined a violation had occurred, the maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine per violation, Cate said.
Robinson also wrote in his letter that he only missed one full meeting in the two years he’s been on the commission.
He said he’d voted against both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 budgets.
However, according to the minutes of the Sept. 27 Holmes Beach Commission’s final public hearing on the 2011-12 budget, Robinson was absent. He did vote against the budget at its first public hearing Sept. 13.
