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terrybankert
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Mayors' influences seen in voters' council decisions
Analysis
http://www.mlive.com/news/fljournal/index.ssf?/base/news-31/112333080379800.xml&coll=5&thispage=1
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITIONSaturday, August 06, 2005
By Joe Lawlorjlawlor@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6312
FLINT - Neither Flint Mayor Don Williamson nor Burton Mayor Charles Smiley were running for re-election this week, but in some ways, Tuesday's primary election was a referendum on their leadership.
In Flint, challengers who supported Mayor Don Williamson finished ahead of incumbent City Council members who have sparred with the mayor. The top two candidates in each ward will compete for council seats in November.
In Burton, Smiley's closest ally on the council was booted out of office, and his fiercest rival, former Councilwoman Laurie Tinnin, finished first in a nine-way race. The top six candidates will duke it out in November for three council seats. Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, said in Flint, many voters believe the City Council should give the mayor leeway to fix the city, rather than continue the bickering.
And Ballenger said Williamson's attention to neighborhoods - demolishing homes, cutting weeds, picking up extra garbage - is bolstering his reputation.
Sandy Hill, who finished first in the 4th Ward against incumbent Joshua Freeman, took the cleanup theme to the hilt. Financed by Williamson, handymen helped Hill during the door-to-door campaign.
Hill would ask the handymen to do odd jobs for residents, such as picking up leaves and tree limbs or cutting the grass in the vacant lot next door.
"I had a truck (decorated with a Sandy Hill sign) idling with guys in it waiting for me to tell them what to do," Hill said. "If the residents needed something, I just said, "We'll get somebody to take care of it," and I motioned the guys over."
Ballenger said that was a brilliant campaign strategy.
"If people thought Sandy Hill was responsible for landscaping in Flint, that's worth its weight in electoral gold," Ballenger said.
Freeman admitted he may have taken the election for granted, but he said City Council is simply being a check on the mayor.
"We're doing our charter-mandated job of questioning how the taxpayer money is being spent," Freeman said.
Williamson said the results are proving true his prediction that candidates who support him will prevail.
If they keep the people they have now (on City Council), the city is in big trouble," Williamson said.
In Burton, Ballenger said voters may be having "buyer's remorse" about re-electing Smiley in 2003. Councilman Bob Centilli, a close ally of Smiley's, was defeated Tuesday.
"People may just have the attitude that 'enough is enough,' " Ballenger said.
Hanging over the election was a public corruption probe. Centilli, Smiley and City Administrator Charles Abbey have been accused by developer Blake Rizzo of accepting bribes. All have denied the accusations, and no charges have been filed.
Centilli said while anti-Smiley voters turned out on Tuesday, he doesn't believe they will be as much of a factor in the November election.
"I believe Mayor Smiley should still have very, very strong support in the city of Burton. It's a plus for a candidate to be associated with the mayor," Centilli said.
Councilman Danny Wells, who survived the primary but finished fourth, said the general election will be a "whole different ballgame."
"What you had out voting (on Tuesday) were the negative people," he said.
But if the November election mirrors Tuesday's results, Smiley could find himself tangling with an antagonistic council. Tinnin, Councilman Thomas Martinbianco and first-time candidate Tina Conley swept the top three places on Tuesday.
Martinbianco ran against Smiley in 1995 and is not considered an ally of the mayor
While Conley has not bashed Smiley, she was supported by Councilman Jamie Curtis, who clashes with the administration.
In Flint's 2nd Ward, Jacqueline Poplar said she campaigned three to five hours per day, walking on an ankle still swollen from a break this spring.
Poplar finished ahead of incumbent Ed Taylor, and the two will face off in November.
Poplar said people are tired of City Council's petty politics.
"We changed mayors, so let's change council," Poplar said.
Journal staff writer Christofer Machniak contributed to this report
The Flint Citizen is a publication of Terry R. Bankert of Flint Michigan USA. http://enewsblog.com/terrybankert/
attorneybankert@yahoo.com |
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Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:55 am |
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rapunzel
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"In Flint, challengers who supported Mayor Don Williamson finished ahead of incumbent City Council members who have sparred with the mayor."
This should have said challengers that were supported by the mayor.
also the trucks that were said to have sandy hill signs were Williamson logo signs. This was on one block for a very brief time. The block next to Josh Freemans home. Publicity stunt. |
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Tue Aug 09, 2005 1:43 am |
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