Dingfelder Is In – No He’s Out – No He’s In..
June 30, 2010 by Ken Elmore · Leave a Comment
The Hillsborough County Democratic party voted in an emergency meeting Wednesday night to appoint former Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder, as their choice of candidate for the District 1 Seat on Hillsborough County Commission.
Dingfelder tells DiBuzz, “with advice from many, I decided that it was best to put that tainted race behind me and to move forward…so I resigned from that 1st candidacy.”
“On Wednesday evening the local party could have picked anyone that they wanted to run. I did not attend nor did I make calls to get votes. They decided that I was the best person to be on the ballot for this position. Now that I am back in, I am running with renewed vigor and enthusiasm!”, Dingfelder added.
A day earlier, Dingfelder pulled out of the race after sending this note to supporters.
Dear Friends;
Today I withdrew my candidacy for the District One seat on the Hillsborough County Commission, effective immediately.
I’ve given this decision a lot of thought over the last week and after speaking to my family and supporters I concluded that, even though it’s a very difficult one, I believe this is the right path to take. After carefully evaluating all my options, I concluded that the best way to move forward is to take the action I’ve taken today.
It was my desire to wage a campaign that focused on the issues important to the citizens of Hillsborough County, not to run a campaign that is dogged by threats of litigation unrelated to the challenges and issues facing our county. This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make as a public servant.
It is no secret that in response to this withdrawal, the law mandates that my party must choose the candidate who will be on the ballot in November. If the party selects someone else, I will support that candidate. However, if the party selects me, I will accept that honor and nomination with renewed vigor.
What’s most important now is that we all move forward, focusing our attention on the important issues and challenges facing our County.
Thank you for your continued support and friendship,
John Dingfelder
Dingfelder, who represented Davis Islands and South Tampa on Tampa City Council resigned from that post last week after discovering he missed a deadline alerting the election commission of his intention to leave his seat in November. Linda Saul Sena, also from Davis Islands followed suit and resigned the following day. She at this point is remaining in the race.
The Tampa Clerk of Court is taking applications to fill the two vacant city council seats through July 12. The remaining city council members will listen to two minute presentations from the council applicants interview and vote on who gets the jobs on July 19th.
Here’s the complete process from tampagov.net:
Summary of the applicable provisions of the City Charter and Related Laws:
• Section 8.21. Filling of Vacancies.
“…All vacancies in city council that shall exist with fifteen (15) months or less of the term remaining shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining city council…Vacancies filled by appointment must be made within thirty (30) days from the time the vacancy exists.”
• Section 2.07. Action.
“The council shall act only by ordinance or resolution; four members shall constitute a quorum; no ordinance or resolution or motion shall be passed, adopted, or made except upon the affirmative vote of four members…”
• Section 2.02. Qualifications—Limitations on Terms.
“Each member of the city council shall have been a resident and elector of the city for one year immediately preceding the commencement of the office for which elected and shall continue to be a resident and elector of the city during the term of office. Additionally, the members of the city council representing districts 4 through 7 shall have been residents of the respective districts from which elected for six months immediately preceding commencement of the term of office, and each shall continue to be a resident of the district from which elected during the term of office…”
Timeline summary of the selection process:
Thursday, June 24, 2010: City Council approves the selection process, timeline, and the form of the application.
Monday, June 28, 2010: City Clerk makes the form available to the public at noon.
Monday, July 12, 2010: 5:00 P.M. deadline for application submission.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010: Compiled applications distributed to City Council.
Monday, July 19, 2010: Two-minute presentations from applicants and selection by ballot of City Council. City Council passes a resolution making the appointments.
Thursday, July 22, 2010: The new Council members are administered the oath of office and take their seats.
Applications are also available by contacting the Office of the City Clerk at (813) 274-8397.
appl_tampa_announcements/UploadedFiles/Files/2010_City_Council_Appointment_Application.pdf
