Rothenberg: exactly what I stand for

As your Mayor, I want you to know why I am running for another term as commissioner.  The answer is simple:  I want to preserve Longboat Key as the pre-eminent community on Florida’s West Coast, help resolve existing problems with beach erosion and pension plans, and strengthen our financial position to deal with lean times.

I love Longboat Key and want to preserve its ambiance.  I am aware of the many businesses that have closed over the last few years, but I do not hold the pessimistic view that our Island is going to hell.  We are a victim of the economy, and you will see the same problems in neighboring communities such as Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch where their main streets are cluttered with closed stores.  Have faith: in a year or so you will see the beginning of a revitalized Avenue of the Flowers with a larger Publix, as well as a new and larger Hilton Hotel.  Progress is slow.

Part of the attractiveness of our island is our strict zoning codes and our sign code.  I am aware that sometimes they cause problems, but they are regularly tweaked for improvements.  I believe they are major contributors to the quality of our surroundings and help preserve the peace and tranquility we moved here for.  For comparisons visit Siesta Key or Bradenton Beach.

Taxes.  No campaign is complete without talk about our taxes.  Over the past few years drastic cuts have been made in Town personnel with more than 15 positions eliminated.  You may not notice unless you have a need for some Town service.  All departments are already at or below minimum manning levels, and service is maintained because a top quality group of Town employees are willing to work very hard and constantly put in unpaid overtime.  And did you know that night-time police patrols have been reduced to half what they were three years ago?  Our tax rate has been lowered in each of the last 4 years and it represents only about 12% of your total tax bill.  We have managed to balance our budget by taking an average of $700,000 yearly out of our reserves each of the last three years.  Can this continue?  I believe we can keep going for at least a year without a tax increase, but I won’t promise this will be the case forever.

I am opposed to overdevelopment, any substantial increase in traffic, and anything that lessens our overall ambiance and the peace and tranquility which brought us here.  This is a retirement community with a healthy and important mix of businesses to satisfy the needs of both residents and visitors.  I believe that a balance in this is necessary and will oppose anything that tends to tip that balance too far in either direction.

My qualifications include the fact that I have worked for the Town for 15 years in a variety of positions, including Planning and Zoning Board (8 years), Town Commissioner (5 years), Metropolitan Planning Organization (5 years), Charter Review Committee, and the Tennis Committee.  I firmly believe that experience and the knowledge of Town operations is important in getting things done.  Any candidacy should be based on a history of volunteering for Town service over the years, not on attending Commission meetings for the last few months.

Lee Rothenberg

Mayor, Longboat Key