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Tropical Breeze photo by Sue Suby Safety Harbor City Clerk Cathy Benson administers the oath of office to interim mayor Andy Steingold, center, and interim commissioner Claude Rigsby on Saturday, July 22.

by Floyd Egner

Publisher, Tropical Breeze

Andy Steingold was sworn in as Mayor of Safety Harbor and Claude Rigsby, an icon of Safety Harbor politics, became the city’s newest commissioner at a special meeting Saturday, July 22.

A previously scheduled workshop on the city’s budget was delayed briefly to allow the interim appointments, which were the result of the resignation of Mayor Pam Corbino. On Monday, July 17, Corbino sent a letter to city hall announcing her resignation just a few hours before the opening of the city commission’s only scheduled July meeting.

Although commissioners expressed surprise at Corbino’s sudden action, it followed a month of controversy that included a complaint to the Florida Commission on Ethics, accusing her of attempting to persuade a city employee to give her the Social Security number of a fellow commissioner, and culminated with a petition drive to recall her from office.

The resignation completed a nearly total change in leadership for Safety Harbor, which began with the election of Steingold two years ago to fill a one-year partial term. He was re-elected in March with 83% of the vote. Two new commissioners, Kathleen Earle and James McCormick, were elected after campaigning with an agenda to control growth within the city’s downtown. City Manager Wayne Logan and Assistant City Manager/Planning Director Ron Pianta both also resigned in June, although Logan will remain in his position until after a new manager is hired in September.

Rigsby, 81, returns to office to fill an eight-month interim term until a special election in March 2007. The vacancy was created when Steingold resigned his three-year term to accept appointment as mayor. Although Steingold was just re-elected, the appointment is only until the special election. At that time, the remaining year of the mayoral term and the remaining two years of his commission term will be on the ballot.

Rigsby said he contacted individual commissioners and asked to be appointed to the interim seat. He previously served eight years as a city commissioner and another eight years as mayor. Although he last held an elected position in the 1980s, he regularly attends city commission meetings and remains active in local politics. The city’s Rigsby Recreation Center is named in his honor. A lifelong city resident, the center was built a short distance from his birthplace.

Steingold, who was appointed Vice Mayor following his March re-election, initially was reluctant to accept appointment as Mayor. Fellow commissioners nominated him the same evening Corbino resigned, but he asked for a delay to allow time for personal considerations. Logan explained that the city charter requires an appointment be made within 30 days or the position will be filled by an appointment by the Governor.

Although Steingold has the longest tenure as an elected city official and the experience of chairing commission meetings, he said he was concerned that accepting the appointment meant he faced the prospect of four election campaigns in four years. He also has a busy professional life and said he is currently in the middle of changing law firms.

Commissioners said the appointments were made swiftly because they are in the midst of completing the city’s budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1 and will be interviewing candidates for city manager within a month. An executive search firm has been hired and expects final interviews for the position to be held on Sept. 11 and 12.