Top 100 SE Volusia County Stories of 2009

Posted Tue, 2009-11-03 20:35

NSBNEWS.net photos by Sera Frederick. At far left, Adam Barringer has his hand raised in victory as mayor-elect by campaign manager Danny Mickelbrink with Barringer fiancee Shannon Sumner. At near left, first-term incumbent Sally Mackay, with husband Richard Spangler in the middle, concedes defeat to Barringer at his campaign headquarters following the election.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Adam Barringer defeated incumbent Sally Mackay, 3,081 to 2969, or 50.93 percent of the vote, to become New Smyrna Beach's new mayor in the Tuesday general election.

Originally posted Wed, 2009-10-21 21:19
 

Originally posted Tue, 2009-09-22 19:58

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick and photos by Henry Frederick. The video highlights campaigning in the final days leading up to the primary, set to the song "Signs" by the 5 Man Electrical Band . Zone 2 City Commisissioner Jack Grasty, far left in this photo taken before the election, was the top vote getter in the Tuesday primary with nearly 60 percent of the vote, and as a result,  won his second term outright. Adam Barringer, seen below at the Brannon Center polling precinct minutes before the polls closed, won the primary for mayor by 16 votes over first-term incumbent Sally Mackay. Judy Reiker, below right, gets a congratulatory hug from one of her supporters at Hidden Lakes Golf Course after nearly winning outright against first-term incumbent Zone 1 City Commissioner Randy Richenberg. Barringer and Mackay and Reiker and Richenberg will square off in the Nov. 3 run-off elections.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH Zone 2 incumbent Commissioner Jack Grasty romped to victory in the Tuesday primary  to retain his seat while Adam Barringer outpolled Mayor Sally Mackay and Zone 1 Commissioner Randy Richenberg barely staved off elimination by Judy Reiker, the latter two races headed to a November runoff.

Originally posted Sat, 2009-05-23 22:32

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. The worst is behind us as the sun peeked through dark clouds on a seasonably warm Saturday afternoon. Work crews in New Smyrna Beach continue pumping excess rainwater from 19.43 inches of rain over the past six days. That's the third highest total in Volusia County.  

Originally posted Wed, 2009-10-14 00:49

 

#2 John Hagood City Manager $167,757.47* *fired 5 mths. into fiscal year, receiving full severance #4 Khalid Resheidat Public Works Director $121,905.86* *5 months as interim city mgr #220 Pam Brangaccio Interim City Manager $19,856.00* *on job 10 weeks #7 Liz Yancey Parks & Rec Director $109,609.37 #3 Ron Pagano Police Chief $123,646.95

#1 Frank Gummey City Attorney $216,117.70

The city says it is doing its best to hold the line on spending, but its own salary structure shows historic increases in salaries and benefits for 247 employees on the city payroll in the fiscal year that ended Sept 31, according to public records obtained by NSBNEWS.net for its investigative series: "Show Me The Money."

For the first time in New Smyrna Beach's history, its highest paid employee passed the $200,000 threshold, with City Attorney Frank Gummey grossing $216,117.70.

Just seven years ago, nobody in city government grossed more than $80,000.

This year, the lowest salary among the Top 100 was $45,000 compared to $40,000 the year before. In fact , in 2009, 136 employees made at least $40,000.

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. City Commissioners held off on voting on a new contract for Interim City Manager Pam Brangaccio after Commissioner Jim Hathaway voiced concerns about the terms of the contract. Brangaccio is shown in the photo below. NSBNEWS.net has the entire proceedings on video here.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- At the beginning of tonight's City Commission meeting, Commissioner Judy Reiker commented pleasingly how everyone seemed to be "gellin'."

That was until the discussion about a new contract and lifting the label of "interim" for Interim City Manager Pam Brangaccio.

Originally posted Tue, 2009-02-10 23:28

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick. New Smyrna Beach City Manager John Hagood, at right, was ousted Tuesday night after the issue was raised by resident Bob Tolley, at left. Hagood held up a copy of his severance agreement, which calls for him to receive more than $289,000 in salary and benefits. He was replaced by Public Works Director Khalid Resheidat as interim city manager until July when Pam Brangaccio was hired as interim city manager and Resheidat returned to his former post. In November he was elevated to assistant city manager.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- City Manager John Hagood was fired earlier tonight as city manager, but agreed to stay on until an interim is named.

Originally posted Tue, 2009-08-19 23:37 NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick. The videos above show Andrew Brigham, an attorney for the Anglers defending the city's longstanding lease allowing them exclusive rights to prime riverfront acreage, the second video features outside counsel Scott Glass stating the lease is not valid, but urging the city to renegotiate with the Anglers to avoid litigation, and the third video shows the commission discussion and the 4-1 vote on Aug. 19 to authorize City Attorney Frank Gummey to renegotiate a new lease wih Brigham on behalf of the Anglers club negotiate.

Originally posted Sat, 2009-09-12 09:34

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Adam Barringer, candidate for mayor, attends the Aug. 19 City Commission meeting on the Angler's Yacht Club. Neither Barringer nor several other members of the Angler's in attendance that night addressed the commission as attorneys for both sides spoke about the repercussions of litigation should the city try and invalidate a 99-year lease the club signed with the city in 1944 for exclusive rights to prime riverfront acreage on the North Causeway for $25 annually. The commission that night voted 4-1 to negotiate with the Angler's on a revised lease.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayoral candidate Adam Barringer makes no bones about his boating hobby: "I am an Angler. I will continue to be an Angler. "

Originally posted Tue, 2009-12-01 00:38

NSBNEWS.net file photo by Sera Frederick. Community Redevelopment Agency Director Kevin Fall doesn't address the Nov. 14 motor vehicle stop in his resignation letter Wednesday for which he was issued tickets charging him with driving with an open container of alcohol, speeding or driving without insurance, but he refers instead to not being allowed to perform his intended duties over the past four months. NSBNEWS.net obtained a copy of Fall's resignation through a public records request Monday, following the Thanksgiving holiday period, and after reporting his resignation that same day. Click on the attachment for the entire contents of the letter.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Community Redevelopment Agency Director Kevin Fall made no reference to being ticketed Nov. 14 on charges of driving with an open container, speeding and driving without his registration, when he handed in his letter of resignation Wednesday.