Mayor Darlene Kordonowy said today that she has not yet decided whether she’ll seek a third term.
Former city councilman Bob Scales, a critic of the mayor, announced this morning that he would seek the mayor’s office.
Kordonowy said she would wait until after state legislators decide whether to allow Bainbridge to hold a special election that could replace the elected mayor position with a manager hired by the council. The special election’s supporters hope to put the question up for a vote in late May. If the measure fails, the mayoral election will occur on-schedule in November.
“I want to respect the process,” Kordonowy said. “I don’t want to try and distract the community from what’s before them now while they are talking about changing the form of government.”
Kordonowy stressed that the change-in-government measure’s inclusion on the ballot will not influence her decision to run.
While she has for months suspected Scales would run, she was surprised he announced nine months before the November election.
“I think it’s premature for me to announce whether I’ll run,” she said. “February 3 is a little too early to start campaigning.”
I consider Ms. Kordonowy’s performance these last 4 years to be the basis of any future “campaign” for re-election. The shameless giving away of over $30,000.00 in tax money for bonus pay to city management (well over $130,000.00 in the four years she has been mayor), the less than poor performance of her financial staff in managing and planning, the spending of tax money on non-essential items, the Winslow Way fiasco, etc, etc, etc. No one I know would vote for her again.
The easiest way to help the Mayor understand she is NOT wanted is to all join in and let her know in no uncertain terms. There are the two papers, the blogs, and just conversations with others and with enough noise she will GO AWAY!