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Three candidates for Pinellas Park City Council are under 45 and seeking elected office for the first time.
By ANNE LINDBERG, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 24, 2002
PINELLAS PARK -- One thing is clear about the results of the March 5 election: City Council will have a more youthful appearance.
All three candidates are younger than 45, an unusual occurrence in Pinellas Park politics. As the council is now constituted, all but one member (Rick Butler, 44) are older than 50.
When he was first elected four years ago, Butler became the youngest person ever elected here. He could lose that distinction this year. Sandra Bradbury is 37.
The other two candidates, Ralph Marlow and Alan Swartz, are both 43.
The three have something else in common: They're all making their first run for public office.
Bradbury has a name familiar to residents. The daughter of longtime former Mayor Cecil Bradbury, she has kept council membership as a goal in the back of her mind.
"I want to hopefully be a voice for the citizens in the community," she said. "I just grew up with a sense of community and of working in the community."
Bradbury believes her background in business and communications will help her talk with companies and encourage them to locate in Pinellas Park. She wants to ensure that a solid, diverse economic base carries the city into the future.
One of the biggest issues the city will face is drainage, especially on 49th Street N. Officials have been trying to get state and/or federal help for flooding problems there and on Park Boulevard. Those efforts need to continue, she said, but it's important to attack one drainage problem at a time.
Bradbury also wants to make sure that the Pinellas Park police and fire departments have the most up-to-date equipment for emergencies.
Marlow is also a name familiar to longtime Pinellas Park residents. He is the nephew of Harry Marlow, a well-known community activist.
"The biggest reason I'm running is I'm a citizen-soldier, always have been, always will be," Marlow said. He wants to serve the community and considers himself a people person.
"Pinellas Park is a great city, we've got excellent leadership," he said.
One of the items that pleases him most about the Pinellas Park government is its motto: "How Can We Help?" That means the city is going in the right direction, Marlow said.
But officials need to be careful and make sure they take projects one step at a time, he said.
One of his goals is to get young people involved with the retirement community, to "build a bridge" between the two. But other than saying Mayor Bill Mischler's People Helping People is a good program that could be built upon, Marlow declined to elaborate on any plans.
"I don't want to give away all my secrets," he said.
Swartz is a familiar face for those who watch council meetings on television. He attends many of the meetings and occasionally speaks up during times for public comment.
"I'm running because of the background I have in financial matters," Swartz said. "I believe that would add value to the City Council as it's currently comprised."
In fact, Swartz said, financial issues are the most important facing the city right now. It's going to be hard to do all the things people expect of their government, such as improving drainage on Park Boulevard, of employee health insurance and adding recreational facilities, without raising taxes.