He ran for office on keeping the noise down. Holmes Beach commissioner cited for music

Holmes Beach Commissioner Kim Rash made a lot of noise about keeping things quiet in the island city as he was running for re-election last year.

Now he’s the one in trouble over noise.

According to the Holmes Beach Police Department, Rash was cited after a neighbor made a noise complaint about thumping music. And it goes further than that: The neighbor, who lives in the 7000 block of Holmes Boulevard, said he’s calling his dream of island life quits after the latest incident of what he claims are “bullying” tactics initiated by Rash, according to a city police report.

Rash, first elected in 2018, ran on a promise to address “party houses” on the island to keep the noise down for residents. Rash was cited by Holmes Beach police for excessive noise on May 1 after leaving bass-heavy music playing for three days while he was out of town on a two-week vacation.

Rash and neighbor Anastasios Tricas share a common wall at their Holmes Beach duplex-style homes.

According to the police report, the bass was set so high that Tricas said his home vibrated for three straight days before he called the cops.

The delay in calling, Tricas told police, was a fear of Rash, who the neighbor said often claimed that the police work for him as a city commissioner and he can do whatever he likes.

Police determined the noise violated the city’s ordinance and called Rash on the phone. According to the report, Rash told police he left the music on to make it sound like someone was home.

When contacted by the Bradenton Herald, Rash insisted on having questions submitted via email. Rash responded by email, noting, “This is nonsense and we have contacted a lawyer for council and future options. I am not addressing questions at this time.”

Rash said his lawyer told him to say that he denies all allegations of abusing power.

Tricas could not be reached for comment.

According to the report, police told Rash that to avoid further violations accompanied by a fine, he needed to find a way to turn down the music. The first fine would be $75, climbing incrementally to a possible $750 fine for a fifth violation.

Police noted that while inside the neighbor’s house, the music could clearly be heard and that their shared wall was vibrating from the bass. Someone came to Rash’s residence to address the music, but slammed the door on police. A first-warning citation of the ordinance was left at Rash’s door.

Tricas, in his sworn affidavit, told police Rash has continually harassed him and his family for the past 18 months and he was now looking to move out of his family’s retirement dream home on the island. Tricas said he has been in fear of calling the police because Rash told him that the police were his “buddies,” and would “come to do his bidding.”

Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said no one is given special consideration.

“I have the read the complaints written by the complainant and if the statements written about the commissioner stating he runs the police are true, then they are very concerning,” Tokajer said. “I don’t know if they are true. I only have one side of the story, but the facts are that the commission has no more power over the police officers, the police department or the police chief than any other citizen.”

Tokajer said that is self-evident because Rash was cited with a violation.

“We do no one’s bidding,” Tokajer said. “There is no special treatment given to anybody, commissioner or not.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 1:43 PM.