Headline Surfer videos by Sera Frederick / New Smyrna Beach City Commission zone 4 candidates Ed Bidault Jr., Steve Casserly and Kirk Jones answer questions posed by Headline Surfer and attending citizens Saturday at the Brannon Center, the first of eight races highlighted in a marathon debate session sponsored by the New Smyrna Beach-based 24/7 Internet newspaper.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- In their only media debate of the Aug. 14 primaries, three candidates running for the City Commission zone 4 seat made the most of the opening session Saturday in a marathon series of debates at the Brannon Center sponsored by Headline Surfer.
Though short on specific solutions to myriad issues facing the seaside municipality known for preserving its charm the candidates nonetheless were enthusiastic and thoughtful in their responses to questions from the media moderator and citizens attending.
Ed Bidault, Jr., a 38-year-old commercial fisherman and son of a retired firefighter with no prior political experience, expressed the need to preserve the city's charm while expressing in general terms the need for economic development.
Bidault's opening statement was strong, saying, "It's a new beginning, it's a new future. Its pretty much about what's best for the city, what's best for our youth, what's best for our retirees, what's best for our community."
Bidault's opening statement was strong, saying, "It's a new beginning, it's a new future. Its pretty much about what's best for the city, what's best for our youth, what's best for our retirees, what's best for our community."
Steve Casserly, a member of the planning board and a city resident for 3 1/2 years, focused on the need for the city to grow its economic base, but not at the expense of the charm.
"I'd like to touch on annexation which provides revenue growth -- I want tourism," said the 47-year-old Casserly, a commodities trader from Chicago. " We need to promote tourism because those are the people that are going to come here spending money."
"I'd like to touch on annexation which provides revenue growth -- I want tourism," said the 47-year-old Casserly, a commodities trader from Chicago. " We need to promote tourism because those are the people that are going to come here spending money."
Kirk Jones, the most experienced of the three as a former Edgewater councilman and retired New Smyrna Beach firefighter, said being on both sides of the aisle in terms of city steward and union firefighter, he understands that "money doesn't grow on trees."
"We have to be able to take this pie and be able to work together," said Jones, 55, "to make both sides understand we can be part of the solution."
"We have to be able to take this pie and be able to work together," said Jones, 55, "to make both sides understand we can be part of the solution."
As for the need to deal with the unfunded firefighter pensions, Jones said he couldn't put a timetable on it, but emphasized that by bringing both sides together, "I think in the future, you'll see results."
New Smyrna Beach City Commissioner Jack Grasty watches Headline Surfer's debate with the candidates vying for a seat on the commission.
At this point, police and firefighters are prepared to go to impasse having not received raises in the last three years, though the city has offered up to 2 percent in the coming fiscal year. However, the city administration has eliminated 10.5 open positions in the fire department and 10 more in the police force, requiring heavy overtime in both.
Bidault said further depleting police and fire would hurt efforts to serve and protect the citizens, but, he, too, said he understood the need to hold costs down, even though he had no solution on how to do that.
During the citizen portion of the opening debate, Palmer Wilson, who ran unsuccessfully for a commission seat three years ago, asked the three candidates to compare Port Orange's more aggressive stance with its police and fire, but all three said they were not prepared to get into that kind of detail.
In this city of 22,000 that has seen the closing of a Food Lion on the beachside in February and the Kmart on State Road 44, when asked if he'd be in favor of a mammoth development like The Pavilion of Port Orange here in New Smyrna Beach, Bidault said no.
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Headline Surfer photos by Sera Frederick / With the Big Kmart closing in an already deserted plaza on State Road 44 in April, following the Food Lion on the beachside shutting its doors for good in April, some 200 jobs were lost in New Smyrna Beach in these two businesses alone.
While outgoing Commissioner Lynne Plaskett was on the losing end of a 4-to-1 vote to allow for a Cracker Barrel near the new Walmart Supercenter on 44 earlier this year, Casserly was asked if he supported it, knowing it could take away business from the established mom-and-pop eateries, Casserly said, "You can't really turn it down."
Jones asked his assessment of the city's "NSB Waterfront Loop" marketing campaign and the more than $150,000 investment in consulting fees and related costs, Jones said he wasn't too sure why the city is continuing to press it without analysis on its effectiveness to this point.
The city commission debate was the first of eight Saturday. Following it were debates for Volusia County Council dist. 3, Volusia County Chair, Volusia County Supervisor of Elections, Volusia County Judge groups 4 and 8, Volusia County Clerk of the Circuit Court and State Attorney.
Supervisor of Elections Ann McFall and Clerk of the Circuit Court Diane Matousek were no-shows.
Videos and summaries of the rest of Saturday's debates will be uploaded and posted over the next couple of days.
Headline Surfer is the only media outlet to hold public debates for the NSB commission seat as well as races for the supervisor of elections, two county judgeships, the clerk of the circuit court and state attorney.
