5 city council candidates debate Bradenton’s future before election. Here’s what they said
Civility, corruption and the return of the curbside recycling program were key issues during a recent debate between the candidates running for two seats on the Bradenton City Council.
Councilwoman Marianne Barnebey and Councilman Bill Sanders are fighting to keep their seats on the board, but there are three challengers hoping to replace them on Nov. 8.
Barnebey is facing David Levin. Sanders is challenged by Kurt Landefeld and Lisa Gonzalez Moore.
On Sept. 22, the Manatee Tiger Bay Club hosted all five candidates, giving each an opportunity to share their campaign platform and why they believe voters should choose them in November.
“Today we’re going to make sure we’re educated about who we’re voting for,” said Xtavia Bailey, president of the Manatee Tiger Bay Club.
Speaking to an audience at the Pier 22 restaurant, the challengers said they believed they could do a better job than Sanders and Barnebey, but the incumbents argued that they still have more work to do in office.
City Council candidates represent certain parts of the city, but each member is elected citywide, which means voters throughout the city of Bradenton will be able to vote in both races.
Ward 2: Barnebey vs. Levin
Barnebey, who represents parts of north and central Bradenton, was appointed to the board in 2020 following then-Councilman Gene Brown’s decision to resign and run for mayor. She previously served on the City Council from 1998 to 2012.
In an opening statement, she said Bradenton deserves a “serious candidate” who treats residents and fellow board members with respect.
“As a native of Bradenton, I have a passion for serving you and serving our city. This city supported me growing up, educated me and encouraged me to dream. The city made an investment in me and serving you is a way to pay all of that back,” Barnebey said.
If re-elected, Barnebey added that she plans to push for more revitalization downtown, infrastructure improvements and additional support for the Bradenton Police Department.
But Barnebey’s participation in the debate was short-lived. Following a brief opening statement, Barnebey left the building, noting that someone threatened to file an ethics charge against her for violating Florida’s Sunshine law, which bars elected officials on the same board from speaking about matters that may come before them outside of a public meeting.
Levin, a frequent critic of Barnebey and other city officials, mocked Barnebey for choosing not to participate in the rest of the debate.
“I think my opponent left because of a Sunshine violation, which is a stark contrast to what you’re going to get from me,” Levin said. “If someone threatens me with a Sunshine violation, I’m still showing up. You need to be able to take on 100 lawsuits.”
Working to bring back Bradenton’s curbside recycling program has become the focus of Levin’s campaign. He criticized Barnebey for allowing the program to “fail” under her watch.
“Instead of giving money to the recycling program, we focus on development,” Levin said.
In June, Bradenton ended curbside recycling collection and replaced it with a system that requires residents to transport their recycling materials to one of several drop-off containers throughout the city.
Without providing evidence, Levin has also accused Barnebey of corruption and “entanglements” with developers because her husband, Mark Barnebey, works for Blalock Walters, a local law firm that also represents developers.
The Bradenton Herald previously reported on Levin’s prior conviction for hacking into government websites, including the Lee County Supervisor of Elections and the Florida Division of Elections. Levin pleaded guilty to the cyber attacks and served 20 days in jail.
Reached for comment after the debate, Barnebey told the Bradenton Herald that Levin’s accusations have already proven to be false, noting that Barnebey sought guidance from the Florida Commission on Ethics after she joined the board.
“Both my husband and I believe that Bradenton is a very special place that did a lot for both of us when we were growing up. My husband believed me being on the council was good for Bradenton,” Barnebey explained. “I didn’t ask him to do it. I didn’t tell him to do it. That was what he and the Ethics Commission agreed upon.”
Ward 4: Sanders vs. Landefeld vs. Moore
In Ward 4, which includes parts of East Bradenton along the Manatee River, Sanders is up against two challengers who believe they can do a better job of planning for Bradenton’s future.
Sanders, who is nearing the end of his first four-year term on the board, has recently come under fire after an outside investigator determined that the elected official had shown a pattern of “abusive and threatening behavior” toward city staff.
At one point in the debate, Landefeld blasted Sanders’ behavior during City Council meetings and held up a copy of the report, offering extras to anyone in the audience.
“I will not be the candidate that is reported on in this report,” Landefeld said. “If you elect me, I won’t be this councilman.”
Moore didn’t directly attack against Sanders, but she did ask voters to consider that her decades of experience as a lawyer have shown that she can get along with all sorts of different personalities.
“The most effective advocacy is done in a professional manner. To do it any other way, you just become stalled,” Moore said. “That is why professionalism is super important on the City Council. It’s the only way to get to the root of the problem and find a solution.”
In response, Sanders called the report, which included interviews with more than two dozen current and former city employees, “phony.”
“I’m exonerated, just as the police chief was exonerated, with a phony investigation. That’s all to be said about that,” said Sanders, referring to a recent report from a retired judge that found Police Chief Melanie Bevan did not violate the law while helping with a service call in July.
Sanders also claimed that he is being attacked by Mayor Brown because he is “standing up for the people and their money.”
“I’m the watchdog that (the mayor) is trying to neuter, and good luck,” Sanders said.
In addition to resolving the tension between board members, Sanders’ opponents argued that they want to begin putting together plans that improve the city’s aging infrastructure. Moore said she began her campaign to tackle flooding issues in her neighborhood.
“In Ward 4, that infrastructure has been in dire need of rehabilitation ever since I’ve lived there. For the past 12 years, we’ve waited and waited for it to become the next up-and-coming, invested community and still we wait,” Moore said.
More specifically, Moore explained her idea to come up with a “long-range viable plan” that would make Bradenton an attractive destination for young adults.
“I am dedicated to making Bradenton — and the future of Bradenton — the best it can be,” Moore said.
Sanders also criticized the city’s infrastructure planning, pointing to the recent lawsuit settlement that required Bradenton to put millions of dollars in funding toward improving its stormwater system.
“Infrastructure has been way long overdue. We’re now doing infrastructure, but we had to get sued before we started,” Sanders said. “Somebody had to slap us in the face.”
According to city leaders, a major improvement to the city’s stormwater system was already underway when the lawsuit was filed. The $8 million investment is expected to prevent future sewage spills into the Manatee River.
Landefeld also said he decided to run for City Council with Bradenton’s future in mind. If elected, he hopes to reshape the downtown area by selling the City Hall property, protect the environment and resolve traffic congestion.
“I want to represent Ward 4 for just one reason,” said Landefeld. “The best years of Bradenton are just ahead of us. The next set of city leaders must make sure that those years preserve our high quality of life.”
The Ward 2 and Ward 4 seats will be included on the General Election ballot on Nov. 8.
Editor’s note: This debate happened Thursday, Sept. 22, when Hurricane Ian was just starting to zero in on Southwest Florida. We held off on publishing to give space to hurricane coverage.
This story was originally published October 10, 2022 at 11:42 AM with the headline "5 city council candidates debate Bradenton’s future before election. Here’s what they said."
