CITY ELECTIONS 2012: Incumbents prepare for re-election bid

With four out of the seven seats on the Destin City Council up for grabs in January’s election, three incumbents are preparing for an election that will guarantee at least one new face takes a seat on the dais.

As Councilman Dewey Destin terms out, Councilmember’s Sandy Trammell, Tom Weidenhamer and Jim Wood are asking Destin resident’s to re-elect them as they face a threesome of challengers — Tuffy Dixon, Cyron Marler and Scott “Sky” Monteith.

With just more than a month until residents hit the polls, The Log asked the incumbents to share their thoughts as the election nears. Here’s what they had to say about why they are running and what they still want to accomplish.

Sandy Trammell

After almost four years on the bench, Trammell told The Log she is running for re-election because she wants to continue to serve the community that has been “so generous” to her and her family.

“I truly love Destin and want to work to see that we strive daily to make it a better place and one that will meet the needs of future generations,” she wrote in an email to The Log.

As a former educator, Trammell is accustomed to leading and training those who want to grow and she wants to use that experience to finish some projects around the city. Having worked with the various committees during the past year, Trammell said she wants to continue identifying needs, and writing and implementing goals to help keep the city actively moving forward, despite budget cuts, while continuing to service at a high level.

Finding ways to “creatively revive” both the Town Center and Harbor Community Redevelopment Agencies, continuing to improve infrastructure, making Destin more pedestrian-friendly and working harder to stabilize Norriego Point are all top priorities for Trammell, who chairs the CRA Board.

Going into January’s election, Trammell says the main issue she sees facing the city is finances, mentioning that the city has to insure they are doing everything they can to maintain its financial security while continuing to maintain the city’s high level of service.

Closing in on January’s vote, Trammell encourages all resident’s to take to the polls and make their voices heard.

“It is extremely important that each citizen vote,” she wrote. “Our city cannot afford to be apathetic now.”

“The first step is voting, the second is volunteering to be part of the solution,” Trammell added.

Tom Weidenhamer

With his first term as a councilman wrapping up, Tom Weidenhamer says there are still some projects and unfinished items throughout the city that he would like to see come to fruition.

Like many who live in Destin, Weidenhamer knows the importance of Norriego Point and what it brings to the city from a recreational standpoint. Much like in his first term, where he has championed the city finding a solution to the erosion problems that plague the point, Weidenhamer wants to come to a final protection solution, while also addressing the city’s inlet management plan.

“Those are really the two big items I want to see move along,” Weidenhamer told The Log.

Looking around the city, the Ohio native said he hasn’t heard many complaints from residents over the past year, saying when “people are happy, you don’t hear much from them.”

Much like in his first campaign, the focus going into January’s election is going to be quality of life for Destin’s permanent residents.

 “There are plenty of organizations that look out for our tourists,” he said. “I want to improve the quality of life for the people who live here — that’s why I have worked so hard on the dog park; we don’t want our resident’s to have to drive to Niceville.”

As for his chances come Election Day, Weidenhamer says he has the advantage of residents seeing him in action and on the job over the past four years.

“I feel that I have done a fairly decent job representing our citizens,” Weidenhamer said. “So, we’ll see what happens.”

Jim Wood

As he seeks out re-election, Jim Wood says he has a keen interest in serving his fellow citizens and, much like his previous campaign, will not make any promises, but will rely on providing a common sense, honest and responsible approach to government.

“I want to be involved in shaping our community,” Wood wrote in an email to The Log. “I fully understand and accept the responsibility for decision making on issues affecting our community.”

For Wood, there is plenty of unfinished business in Destin that he would like to see completed. His No. 1 pick, and something he has been a proponent of since day one, is annexation of the unincorporated area east of Destin (between the current city limits and the Walton County line) on the north side of U.S. Hwy. 98.

Wood also points to completing the harbor boardwalk project, the city’s Royal Melvin Heritage Park, constructing a parking lot at Hwy. 98 and Marler Street, constructing an air control tower at Destin Airport, unifying Destin into one local legislative district and working with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to allow the city to exercise recreational control over Norriego Point.

As he looks around town, Wood points to three issues facing the city over the next year. In the immediate/short term, beach restoration and the West Destin project is key. Looking just past that Wood wants to address the stabilization and armoring of Norriego Point, and long-term Wood points to the future expansion of gambling as an area of concern.

When it comes to the upcoming election, as an incumbent, Wood thinks his chances of re-election are good.

“I have worked hard to build trust in the community,” Wood wrote. “I am satisfied with my actions in this regard and will leave my future in the capable hands of local citizens.”