Politics
LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS IN BREVARD COUNTY
A contentious and hard-fought election cycle came to an end in Brevard County on Tuesday (11/3). While the nation was enthralled with the Presidential and Congressional elections, many Brevard County residents finally got to see the results of their mail in ballots, early votes, and trips to the polls.
The Mayoral races in Palm Bay gave Candidate Rob Medina a win by a substantial 9% margin, with opponent Kay Maragh unable to muster enough momentum to defeat the Republican candidate.
In Melbourne, the Mayoral race was a little tighter, with four candidates on the ballot; but Vice Mayor Paul Alfrey was able to amass 38.4% of the votes to secure a victory. Candidate Hazel Buggs and CJ Johnson, came in 2nd and 3rd respectively, while Molly Tasker trailed in 4th.
Similarly, in Cocoa Beach, there was a four-candidate contest with Michael Blake receiving 37% of the votes to become Cocoa Beach’s next Mayor.
Next, the race between current Palm Bay Mayor Willian Capote and Kristine Isnardi started off close, but Isnardi was able to pull off a win with 58.9% of the votes.
Additionally, the highly publicized fight for Palm Bay City Council Seats 2 & 3, were won by Donny Felix with 51.8% of the votes for Seat 2 and Randy Foster with 60.8 for seat 3.
Finally, outspoke candidate Randy Fine held on to his District 53 seat, in the closest of the five Florida Legislature races, by defeating Democrat Phil Moore, 55.5% to 44.2%.
These local elections had a tremendous turnout with over 80% of Brevard residents casting their votes. A majority of whom took advantage of mail-in and early voting. In total, 363,191 ballots were cast.
As you can see, many people took these elections seriously and made their voices heard. A full list of election results is below.
Voter intimidation emails “Vote For Trump Or Else”
By Palm Bay Live News Room
Edited by Cathy Oasheim
On Tuesday, several Florida voters registered as Democrats reported receiving threatening emails. The emails in question threatened voters by saying they must “vote for Trump or else!”
One such message reads: “You are currently registered as a Democrat, and we know this because we have gained access into the entire voting infrastructure. You will vote for Trump on Election Day, or we will come after you. Change your party affiliation to Republican to let us know you received our message and will comply.” The emails were sent from email addresses claiming to be associated with the “Proud Boys,” a far-right extremist group often affiliated with anti-establishment and white supremacist organizations. However, some early investigation shows that the messages appear to have originated from IP addresses linked to servers located in Russia, Ukraine, Iran, and Estonia but, it is important to note that server location is not always indicative of sender location. The Proud Boys chairman has denied the group is behind the messages.
The messages have sparked local and national investigations.
It is estimated that thousands of voters throughout various Florida counties received the emails.
Voting Secrecy
The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) posted on Twitter that the agency is “aware of threatening emails with misleading info about the secrecy of your vote” They further acknowledge that the emails are “meant to intimidate and undermine American voters’ confidence in our elections.”
The CISA has provided voters with a FAQ guide to help voters navigate (cisa.gov.rumorcontrol) the various scams and inaccuracies that occur as part of the upcoming election, emphasizing “that while things like voting history, registered party, and contact information are public records, whom you vote for, also known as ballot secrecy, is guaranteed private by law in all states.”
The FBI also states, “Though the FBI’s standard practice is to confirm neither nor deny any investigation, we take all election-related threats seriously, whether it is vote fraud, voter suppression, or threats from cyber or foreign influence actors. We are committed to supporting our election security partners and protecting our communities as Americans exercise their right to vote. “
Local Investigations
The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office states, “On Tuesday, Brevard citizens know they were aware of the emails and that an investigation is active and ongoing.”
Sheriff Wayne Ivey stated, “In America, every registered voter is afforded the right to participate in the electoral process and deserves to do so without intimidation or influence. Please know that everyone in our community is safe to go to the polls throughout the election process. While these emails appear concerning, the investigation to date has determined the emails originated from outside the continental United States and are not considered a valid threat but were sent with a morally corrupt agenda. Please do not allow this or any other action by anyone to intimidate or dissuade you from your right as an American to cast your ballot for the candidate(s) of your choosing during early voting or on Election Day.”
The Sheriff wants suspicious emails to be reported to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office via the Communications Center at (321)633-7162.
Current Voter Turnout
These email tactics, while concerning and unethical, are not surprising. This election season has seen some of the most contentious debates and tightest races between opponents at the local, state, and national levels. This contention has already resulted in a greater than expected turnout at the polls.
As of today, October 22, 2020, 59,272 Registered Democrats have cast their vote in Brevard, with 45,429 of those submitted by mail and 13,838 cast in-person through early voting. Brevard Republicans have cast more with 62,943 total votes, 38,460 by mail-in ballot, and 24,480 in-person, first votes. Those in Brevard with No Party Affiliation have a turnout of 27,807 people to vote, another 20,132 by mail, and 7,672 taking advantage of in-person, early voting.
As you can see, citizens are taking this election seriously and are exercising their right to vote before election day. Of the 452,160 total active, eligible voters in Brevard, 152,383 have consistently made their voice heard, with a turnout of over 34% at the polls!
Dep. Mayor Kenny Johnson Honored with Award
Deputy Mayor Kenny Johnson Honored with Home Rule Hero Award
The Florida League of Cities (FLC) recently recognized Palm Bay Deputy Mayor Kenny Johnson with a 2020 Home Rule Hero Award. Johnson earned this prestigious award for his efforts throughout the legislative session to promote local voices making local choices, protect the Home Rule powers of Florida’s municipalities and advance the FLC’s legislative agenda.
Home Rule is the ability for a city to address local problems with local solutions with minimal state interference. Home Rule Hero Award recipients are local governments officials, both elected and non-elected, who consistently responded to FLC requests to reach out to members of the Florida legislature and give a local perspective on a variety of issues.
Meet Candidate for Florida State House, District 53, Phil Moore
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Phil is back to run again to represent Florida’s 53rd district, south Brevard county, having first challenged for the seat in 2018 in both a hotly contested and rancorous race by the current Representative. Never one to back down from a challenge or the threats made by his opponents campaign team. Phil is ready to do the work to flip seat 53. After the election of 2018, Phil continued his activism both in the community and in Tallahassee, voicing opposition for preemption bills, bills which harm our environment, and bills which steal more funding away from low income housing and the Florida Forever Fund. Phil continues to build a relationship with locally elected officials to help do what is in the best interest for Brevard county and the cities both inside and out of the district. A second generation Florida native from South Florida, Phil moved to Brevard in 1997. Phil currently works as a Medical Device Instructor with Philips and a second job as a patient coordinator at a local dental office. Phil understands Brevard’s infrastructure needs having actively been involved with the Space Coast Transportation & Planning Organization Bicycle Pedestrian & Trails Advisory Committee for over 10 years.
Meet Alton Edmond, Candidate for Brevard Sheriff
Meet Alton Edmond, Candidate for Sheriff
Alton Edmond was born on August 5, 1989 and raised in Harlem just outside of Clewiston, Florida. He allowed the challenges of is poverty-stricken upbringing to spur him to success and after graduating with Honors from Clewiston High School went on to graduate from the University of Florida with his Bachelor of Arts and Florida A & M College of Law with his Juris Doctor. He currently owns and operates his own law firm Edmond Law and motivational speaking company Edmond Inspiration and is and teaches Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at Eastern Florida State College. His true passion is motivational speaking which he has done at over more than fifty venues throughout Brevard, Orange and Hendry Counties and sponsoring/promoting student athletics.
Florida State Senator, Candidate Phillip Snyder, for District 17
Born and raised in Palm Bay, I grew up the middle child of a large family. At eighteen I became a Christian, at twenty I married my best friend, and at twenty-three I was both a father and a first year teacher.
These three things (my relationship with God, my relationship with my wife, and my relationship with my now three children) have shaped me into who I am today. They are also the reason that I cannot sit back and watch as the state I live in continues to sit on its hands and pretend that our schools aren’t falling apart, our climate isn’t changing, our people aren’t underpaid, and our communities aren’t hurting.
Let me be clear: I’ll be damned if my boys grow up and I can’t look them in the eyes and say with integrity that I tried my hardest to give them the best world I could. They deserve better, as do all those in the next generation.
So, I’m running for Senate to do my part in making a difference. I’m a realist and know it will be hard and that I won’t get everything done that I’d like. But I’m also hopeful, because things can change, and they will change.
But we get to decide how things change.
So let’s make a positive change together
Our campaign is focused on being as clear about our platform issues as possible, which is why detailed information can be found on our website http://www.Snyder2020.org
However, we have locked in on a few core issues that affect every Floridian.
We need to create Racial Equality through policy. It is true that policy doesn’t change people’s hearts, but people with changed hearts should vote for good policy. Through our 4E Plan we will attack the systems at the root of perpetuating system racism.
As a former educator, Education Reform is the issue perhaps closest to me personally. People are beginning now to realize what educators in this state have been warning about for nearly a decade: we have a teacher shortage that’s been fueled by decades long underfunding. Each year, far more teachers retire or leave the profession early than come into the field, leaving our teaching force with lots of empty classrooms, a weak pipeline of certified teachers, and no real path forward. Gov. DeSantis’s step forward with teacher pay is good, but it is incredibly insufficient. Teachers need a mandatory minimum of $50,000 in annual salary, provided by an incredibly minimal corporate tax. Then, we need to provide teachers with a voice to lead a conversation on education reform.
At some point, we need to understand that the best thing for the economy in the Sunshine State is to lean into solar energy as our primary energy source. We already have the infrastructure, now we just need to provide tax incentives for entrepreneurs to start solar panel installation and maintenance businesses in their communities, provide incentives for homeowners to purchase solar panels and funnel that business into those small companies, and give cities grant opportunities to put community solar farms in low income neighbourhoods to provide low cost or free energy to those who need that break the most.
RANDY FINE VS MARCIE ADKINS
It has been an eventful week in the world of local Brevard politics. With elections rapidly approaching, many candidates have turned up the heat on their campaigns and are doing all they can to get their names out there. The most notable of these such efforts has been the race for State Representative for District 53 between the incumbent Representative Randy Fine and his challenger, Marcie Adkins.
There have been several allegations coming out of the Fine camp but, interestingly enough, they’re not aimed at Ms. Adkins herself. Instead, her political consultant, Robert Burns, has been pulled into the fray with a number of accusations from Fine.
PALMBAYLIVE.com reached out to Rep. Fine, Ms. Adkins, and Mr. Burns for comment. In addition, we were able to get a statement from Brevard County Executive Committee (BREC) District 4 Chair Susan Hodgers regarding the activity within both campaigns.
As a recap, on Tuesday, June 7th Representative Fine held a press conference in Palm Bay wherein he was accompanied by Daedra Logan. Logan, a Kansas resident, claimed that Robert Burns, sexually assaulted her in 2011 while working together at Evans Army Community Hospital at Fort Carson, Colorado as active duty servicemembers in the U.S. Army. Additionally, according to Fine, military documents allegedly provided by Logan, indicate that sexual assault charges stemmed from intercourse with Logan while she was “substantially incapable of communicating unwillingness to engage in the sexual contact.”
Burns has been adamant that both he and Logan were intoxicated at the time and that the sex was consensual. In the end, Burns pled guilty only to adultery, a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and all other charges against him were dropped.
Fine has also alleged, that Burns has six felony convictions for, among other things, domestic violence and child abuse. However, according to Burns, a review of public court records reveals that any such charges were either non-existent or dropped. Over the last year Fine has also accused Burns of being Anti-Semitic, Homophobic, and a RINO (republican in name only).
With such serious allegations being hurled around, PALMBAYLIVE.com thought it was important to allow all parties a chance to comment and rebut.
We communicated with Mr. Burns and all others on Friday, June 10th, so the statements below are the most update on the subject.
Mr. Burns has staunchly defended the fact that he has absolutely no felony convictions. Asserting that “Felonies are public record, even military convictions. Evidence of my alleged six felonies would be easily discoverable. The allegations are unfounded.” Mr. Burns went on to opine that the source of these allegations and the information being “fed” to Fine is his ex-wife.
Burns filed for divorce in 2015, after which a fierce custody battle began that culminated in Burns receiving 50/50 custody of their children and full decision-making authority. He says that ever since then his ex-wife has been trying to “ruin” his reputation in Palm Bay. His ex-wife is still seeking full custody and additional child support. Burns states that he finds it odd that all the same allegations presented by Mr. Fine were used by his ex-wife in their divorce proceedings despite the fact that the divorce court judge disregarded all of them. Additionally, Burns alleges that much of the information, including his military records could have only come from his ex-wife given the time frame that Fine was able to obtain them (Fine apparently obtained the records over a weekend, when no record office would have been open. Additionally, Ms. Logan has stated a few times that she did not have copies).
Furthermore, Burns says that his ex-wife is a far-left Democrat, but she “somehow supports Fine, she even has a vote Fine sign in her front yard. Yet, she does not align with him politically”.
Mr. Burns concluded his statements by saying, “she has been posting these things about me for years, long before Randy Fine. The military records she distributes are 3 pages out of a 100-page document. They are not telling the full story. I have never been convicted of a felony, there was no plea deal and any other criminal charges against me were dismissed”.
In response, Rep. Fine, said via email “Ms. Logan’s extraordinary testimony as well as documents I have shared regarding Robert “The Rapist” Burns’ rape, sodomy, child abuse, and wife-beating speak for themselves; as does Robert “The Rapist” Burns’ having taken two plea deals regarding them after his multiple arrests. It is extraordinary that a former Democrat government official like Ms. Adkins would pick this monster as her chief political advisor.”
In defense of both herself and Mr. Burns, Marcie Adkins said she hired a private attorney to conduct an extensive background check on Burns, which she claims turned up nothing that would cause her to question Burns’ character.
“Such a background check was unnecessary, but when the incumbent made ridiculous accusations, I hired a law firm to investigate. They quickly refuted the allegations. Still Representative Fine and his supporters denied the facts and tried to discredit the firm. [Mr. Burns] has done nothing wrong, that I’m aware of; the accusations of felonies have been disproven. At this point, it’s consistent disrespect.”
Lastly, we spoke to BREC Chair Susan Hodgers, Hodgers said:
“I haven’t sat down and read everything, but I like Robert Burns, I always give people a chance and try to research for myself. Burns and I were even on opposite campaigns a while back and he treated me with respect and was professional. I never had an issue. Conversely, my personal interactions with Randy have not been pleasant. I know him to exaggerate and be untruthful.”
Hodgers likened Fine to the “boy who cried wolf”. Stating that his political tactic for years has been to accuse those who disagree with him politically of being Anti-Semitic. She also noted that he has previously run smear campaigns against State Attorney Phil Archer, Clerk of Courts Scott Ellis, and County Commissioner Curt Smith, often taking “partial truths or leaving information out to bolster” his political standing.
Ms. Hodgers then referenced an incident at the most recent BREC meeting were Rep. Fine showed up unannounced and even after Hodgers, the host of the event, allowed him unscheduled time to speak, he later accused her of “yelling at and talking over Jewish people”. Ms. Hodgers admits she did raise her voice in that moment, but not at “Jewish people”, specifically at a Rabbi who was speaking out of turn.
Lastly, she contested Fine’s allegation that Mr. Burn is not a republican. Ms. Hodgers stated “Burns is a registered Republican since last year, this can easily be confirmed. However, his job is not party specific, Burns works with both Democrats and Republicans.”
In the end, it is unfortunate to see Brevard politics reach this level of discourse. Fortunately, most, if not all, of the allegations against Robert Burns are able to be proven or disproven through a simple examination of the numerous available public records. We can all research and draw our own conclusions regarding Mr. Burns prior to the election, as well as evaluate each candidates’ policies and political actions.
Meet Scot Michael Fretwell, Candidate for State Senate, District 17
Scot Michael Fretwell (Pronouns He/Him/His) was born on June 24th, 1992, in Jackson County, Michigan. Scot is currently working as a Vehicle Service Advisor for Linus Cadillac of Vero Beach, and has worked in the vehicle service industry since 2014. In September 2017, Scot competed in the Hyundai National Service Advisor Championship, placing first for the southeastern region, and fourth nationally. Prior to working in the Vehicle Service Industry, Scot was a cast member at Walt Disney World’s Pizzafari at Animal Kingdom through the Disney College Program. Growing up, Scot always had an interest in politics, and first put that interest into action in High School when he co-founded the Junior Statesmen of America Club at Wayne Memorial High School after being inspired by his AP Political Science Teacher, Shannon Pypa, to get involved. In 2009, Scot was selected by his peers to be the Drum Major of his High School marching band, giving him valuable experience in leadership.
In 2019, Scot joined the Florida Young Democrats of Indian River, where he served as the Treasurer for the Executive Board until the position was eliminated in January 2020. He continues as a member today. In addition to his political activism, Scot is a lifetime member of the Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars at VFW Post 4536 in Palm Bay, where he serves as the Secretary to the President, Julia Shock, Scot’s mother. As a member of the VFW Auxiliary, Scot has assisted in organizing events, cooking meals for Brevard County Veterans, and educating future generations on the importance of thanking a Vet. After many years of being a part of the working class, and volunteering for political and charitable organizations, Scot announced his bid for FL State Senate District 17 on May 26th, 2020.
To see his full platform information visit:https://www.fretwellforfl.com/platform
Resignation of Lisa Morrell, including a recap of the recent City Council meeting
The Palm Bay City Council met on Thursday, July 2nd, just before the 4th of July weekend. The meeting ran about 3 hours long as the Council had a lengthy agenda to tackle with a couple of rather controversial items.
Though the most heated moments of the meeting occurred towards the end, they were highly impactful. The first of these such moments was the vote on the “resignation” of City Manager Lisa Morell. Resignation is in quotations as several of the circumstances surrounding Ms. Morell leaving are in question. The agenda item to include approval of an amendment to Morell’s Employment agreement was unilaterally brought by Councilman Anderson.
Councilman Anderson vaguely cited having had “several issues with Ms. Morell during her tenure as City Manager.” He noted that the concerns were addressed with Ms. Morell in March 2020 but claimed that issues discussed were not resolved and he believed that “people’s issues were not being represented” by Ms. Morell. It was at that point that Councilman Anderson, Ms. Morell and the City Attorney negotiated and drafted the amendment.
Many citizens and a couple Councilmembers had an issue with the sudden and secretive way that Ms. Morell’s removal was presented to the Council and the public. Public commenters voiced to Councilman Anderson that this method of unilaterally drafting and having Ms. Morell sign the employment agreement amendment (a.k.a resignation) before the Council could discuss a resolution, was a violation of the city charter and sunshine laws, out of the City Attorney’s authority and amounted to blindsiding. Several went as far as to call the council corrupt.
Councilman Bailey was very vocal regarding his frustration that Councilman Anderson refused to present concrete evidence to the Council or public to support the position that Morell should be removed. The Mayor sided with Anderson citing that the reasons should not be made public at this point since the resignation was already signed by Morell. Claiming they should not now “demean her character”.
One member of the public stated:
• “…the process was wrong. There’s no way this should have been walked on. The
public wasn’t officially notified until after Noon [the day of]”
While another claimed:
• “…it doesn’t matter what anyone “thinks” on the resignation. It [the vote] should
have been 5/5 because it wasn’t a vote to fire her. IT was a vote to accept her
resignation”
Following the meeting, Candidate for Palm Bay City Council, Seat 2 – Donny Felix, spoke exclusively to PALM BAY LIVE during a special live recap of the proceedings where he stated “…it was quite a surprise to watch what transpired. I truly believe in the order of doing things in certain way and what should have happened, really, is to put a resolution out for a confidence vote by the Council; without necessarily going into the nitty gritty of [the issues with Morell], and vote on it. The public would feel more at ease if it were done in this manner. However, the Council was voted in to make tough decisions and it is their right to want to remove her. But, we have a brand-new Council coming in November, I think we’re going to be fine, as a city.”
In the end, when it became evident that Ms. Morell’s resignation was going to be approved many citizens asked that, at a minimum, the Council deferred the appointment of a new City Manager. This would allow new councilmembers (elected in November) to appoint the replacement. Ms. Suzanne Sherman (Deputy City Manager) will be “Acting City Manager” in the meantime.
The resignation of Ms. Morell was approved, with Councilman Bailey dissenting.
The beginning of the meeting was primarily focused generic housekeeping issues, then the council delved into the consent agenda.
First up was the vote to award a contract for the Parks & Recreation Departments, Mowing and City Parks maintenance work. While some Palm Bay citizens verbalized their thanks to the Council for awarding contract to a local business, others questioned the need to outsource the work when Palm Bay employs outdoor maintenance personnel that are capable of doing the work. The Ms. Sherman responded to the criticism by claiming outsourcing was more cost effective. This issue passed.
Next on the agenda was the appointment of two consultant engineering firms to work on city projects on a as needed basis. After undergoing a selection process, the top two chosen consultants were Wade Trim, Inc., Palm Bay, FL and Infrastructure Solution Services, LLC, Melbourne, FL.
However, there were several public comments in support of choosing a third consultant, Reese Engineering. Mr. Robert Reese as well as employees and supporters reminded the Council that it would come at no cost to have another on call consultant and it’s within their purview to do so since the charter requires a “minimum of 1, and a maximum of 3”. However, Utilities Director, Chris Little defended the decision two chose only 2 by saying that it’s easier and more efficient to work with one to two consultants at most.
The Council supported Mr. Little’s conclusion and the number of selected consultants was approved at 2.
The counsel then voted on the proposal of renaming Malabar Road after former Deputy Chief Lynne Nungesser. One citizen, Bill Batten, stated that while Deputy Chief Nungesser definitely deserves recognition, he was not in favor of renaming a road, citing the burden of address changes for citizen and businesses. He also recalled that years ago a city ordinance discouraging renaming of streets was enacted and he suggested that a future unnamed highway be named after the Deputy Chief instead. The Council argued that the ordinance in reference did not apply and the proposal passed.
Additionally, both the Ordinance 2020-42, amending the Fiscal Year 2019-2020 budget by appropriating and allocating certain monies (third budget amendment), first reading.
Consideration of utilizing a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant to conduct an environmental feasibility study for Turkey Creek ($160,000) passed by Council vote while the release of reimbursable grant funding allocated to the Tourism Development Council for utilization towards other priorities was tabled until August.
The Frank Watanabe, Public Works Director – Stormwater Fund and Fiscal Year 2021 Rate of $131 passed with one Councilman dissenting.
A highly discussed issue, with many public comments, was the continued request by Thomas Rebman to the Council seeking formation of a round table style workshop or citizen’s advisory board to develop a plan to reduce homelessness around Palm Bay. Councilman Anderson is spearheading the development of this, claiming he met with “community faith leaders and city advocates to have preliminary discussions regarding emergency funding since the rent/mortgage moratorium will be ending in August”; but he was not prepared to discuss the plan in detail. It will be revisited next council meeting.
Discussion -Lisa Morrell resignation