Printer-Friendly
Email this Story
Post a Comment (0)
First-year council members Leake, Kenworthy vie for second term
Local
By Dan Roem
Source: Gainesville Times
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28 2010
Haymarket vice mayor John Cole once opined that there is a positive and a negative with the town having an entirely new council. On the one hand, he said, it would be a new council with new ideas. On the other hand, it would be a new council without the built in experience of veteran legislators. Only two Haymarket council members and the mayor remain from the 2006 election on the six member council. Since 2008, two new incumbents have been elected and two more have been appointed. David Leake won election in 2008; Milt Kenworthy earned an appointment in 2009. Both are asking voters for another shot at the council as their names are set to appear on the May 4 ballot. Leake On the 2008 ballot, Leake secured the sixth and final slot with room to spare once all the voting commenced. A head of his homeowners association, he took over one of the most high-profile positions on the town council as liaison to the town planning commission. Early on, he ran into some issues regarding organization of meetings. Both council member Bob Weir, the council's previous liaison, and planning commissioner Linda Landwehr expressed grievances of some sort with his management style, with Landwehr insisting the town spend $7,500 for a part-time planner to help out the commission. That position being filled by Marchant Schneider, Leake did not seem to have taken the comments personally as he actually lauded the planner. "I think that's a good need and a good service." said Leake earlier this year. "I think he's a great asset to the town." Leake said Schneider helped him and the planning commission become better organized before and after meetings. The first year incumbent has voted in favor of developer Gerry Kennedy's $2.3 million plan to transform the Haymarket Town Center property into a series of small businesses as well as relocate several historical buildings onto the property. Though he is usually one of the least vocal members during town council meetings, Leake came out strong against any demolition plans for dilapidated buildings around town such as the "Red Rooster" and "Blue House", both located near the town center property. He voted twice against the town manager issuing an RFP (requests for proposal) to find out how much it would cost to tear down each building, saying it was a waste of the manager's time. He ended up in the majority both times. Leake did hold a different opinion than other council members on another big issue and came up short: the trolley. Though other members have expressed support for a trolley before, Leake was one of its biggest proponents, even despite Haymarket having to pay for a share of the cost after state and federal grants kicked in. When the council began putting together its budget for the next fiscal year earlier this year, however, the trolley did not make the list of priorities to fund. "To me, it was a vision that you would have to step out on faith that the revenues would come in but it would be a shame if we couldn't go through that with the grants being offered," Leake said after the council scrapped the trolley from its priorities list. Kenworthy One of the two newest members to the council, Kenworthy could be described as a classic swing vote, particularly on fiscal issues. He's presented himself as tight with spending that he does not consider priority spending. "You know, one trolley: what's it going to do? Take you to Gainesville, then you wait to pick up something. You wait two-and-a-half hours to circle back in or whatever? That's stupid. That's money wasted," he said during a December interview after his inauguration as he discussed the town acquiring a trolley. One of his contentions is that the town would have to pay for a share of it even after state and federal grants ease the burden. He previously listed retirement spending for town police officers as a more important issue for the town fiscally. However, Kenworthy came out in support of the meals tax and voted in favor of the town transferring $5,000 to pay for banners used during the annual Christmas/holiday party hosted by the town. Having lived in the town since 1997, Kenworthy has supported the Street Scape project in order to turn Haymarket into a more pedestrian-friendly "walking town," which he said the town is "supposed" to be. For similar reasons, he said he supported developer Kennedy's Town Center property plan.. As is popular sentiment amongst town council members, Kenworthy has said he supports further annexation of nearby properties, including some of the residential area of Greenhill Crossing that is just outside the town's boundaries.
You must be logged in to post a comment.