Outgoing Holmes Beach Mayor Carmel Monti threw out one last round of muck before Election Day.
Monti is not seeking re-election, but that didn’t stop him from sinking money into mailers distributed to Holmes Beach voters endorsing candidates running in the Nov. 4 municipal election.
He did the same thing last year, but with that mailer he used city funds and resources.
Monti took jabs in his new mailer at Commissioner David Zaccagnino, who was running for his seat with the election to be decided after press time for The Islander.
Monti wrote that statements Zaccagnino lacks leadership, while claiming that he and “all of the commissioners” endorse Bob Johnson for mayor.
Zaccagnino commented on the mailer at the Oct. 30 commission meeting, the final meeting before Election Day and the final meeting for Monti.
“I think we all learned libel and slander is a very serious issue,” said Zaccagnino.
He added that clearly not all the commissioners endorse Johnson, because he would not endorse his opponent. He pointed out the letters used city hall’s address as the return address.
Zaccagnino said by using city hall’s address, Monti was misrepresenting the mailer as an endorsement from the city.
Monti denied the accusation, saying he paid for the mailers and using the city’s address must have been a mistake made by the printer.
“It was paid for 100 percent by me and friends. There’s no city involvement,” said Monti.
In spite of writing in the mailer “all commissioners” support Johnson, Monti included a postscript reading none of the candidates mentioned had approved the letter.
Commission Chair Judy Titsworth and Commissioner Jean Peelen have openly supported Johnson’s campaign. Peelen contributed financially to Johnson’s campaign.
Zaccagnino said he plans to file an ethics complaint.
“I just thought it was really inappropriate. Last year he used staffing and funding to do the same thing. It’s an abuse of power,” Zaccagnino said.
Zaccagnino’s fellow commissioners declined to comment on the issue at the Oct. 30 meeting.
The cost of the mailer and source of the mailing list was unknown at press time.
This is the second year voters received a mailer from Monti just before Election Day.
Monti sent a state of the city report that hit voters’ mailboxes a day before the 2013 election. That report did not mention candidates. However, it touted the “successes” of incumbent commissioners running for re-election and was titled “Year End Report For City Hall — Let’s Celebrate Our Successes.”
The letter drew criticism from candidates challenging the incumbent commissioners, a former mayor and a few residents. The critics called the mailer a “political tool” and not a state of the city report.
One critic pointed out the “year-end report” arrived to mailboxes 11 days before Monti’s first year in office ended. The letters also were not sent to all residents of the city or to a taxpayer mailing list. It was sent only to registered voters.
City funds were used to pay for Monti’s 2013 “Year End Report For City Hall — Let’s Celebrate Our Successes.”
Yet again, Bonner, you cannot tell the difference between a news report and an editorial. The outgoing Mayor had every right to write and send, at no cost to the city, a report on his administration’s accomplishments, and to endorse a candidate for mayor.
Your reporter neglected to mention, or you deleted from her report, the fact that the outgoing Mayor’s letter was approved by the Supervisor of elections. That was stated at the Commission meeting.
And, the mayor spoke to me prior to writing the letter and I agreed that my choice for Mayor would be Bob Johnson. I suspect that is true also of Commissioners Titsworth, Morton, and Grossman.
Perhaps you could try unbiased reporting and fact checking – I know, a novel concept for you.
The Islander did not suggest the mailer was illegal. The facts are as stated in the story. And the editorial is my opinion. READ: OPINION. Maybe you and Monti should buy some ink and start your own newspaper, because your defense of questionable ethics and withering morals is wearing thin at The Islander………. OH, wait, it appears you already have at least one post demonstrating your principles are acceptable — your own. — Bonner