POLITICS

Courtesy photo. Zone 1 City Commissioner Randy Richenberg enters today's primary having again secured the police and fire union endorsements.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Zone 1 City Commissioner Randy Richenberg knows that he has two powerful allies in today's primary that he is hoping will either carry him to outright victory or at least place in the top two for a November runoff -- the endorsements of the unions for the police and fire departments.

NSBNEWSNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick. NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. The video is set to the song "Signs" by the 5 Man Electrical Band and highlights campaigns signs in the 2009 NSB Elections. In the photo, Bill Maul holds up a double sign for Mayor Sally Mackay during Early Voting for the Sept. 22 primary at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bill Maul stood in the blistering sun Saturday for the last two hours of Early Voting at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library with a double sign in one hand while waving to passing voters with the other for his candidate of choice, incumbent Mayor Sally Mackay. And at 73, the retired sales and marketing man is the first to tell you he's no spring chicken.

NSBNEWS.net photo by Henry Frederick. Mayor Sally Mackay checks out the boats during Saturday's annual Battle of the Badges fundraiser at Riverside Park.

Courtesy photo. Judy Reiker addresses the Republican Club of Southeast Volusia during a recent luncheon about her candidacy for the Zone 1 seat on the New Smyrna Beach City Commission against incumbent Randy Richenberg and fellow challenger Frank Dalton Jr..

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Judy Reiker went 1 for 3 among the pre-primary endorsements for Zone 1 commissioner, winning the support of the Southeast Volusia Board of Realtors while being bypassed by the police and fire unions, which went for incumbent Randy Richenberg.

NSBNEWS.net video and photos by Sera Frederick. Between four and six city workers spent all day Tuesday putting up the $9,000 artificial Christmas tree purchased with tax dollars by the Community Redevelopment Agency at the eastern-most end of Canal Street just a couple feet from the riverbank. The tree went up less than a week after the City Commission voted unanimously to tentatively go with the rolled-back rate of $3.7 per $1,000 to finance the $21 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which meant no raises for city employees, the elimination of five open police officer positions and severe cutbacks in capital improvements. Yet the Community Redevelopment Agency was allowed to spend $9,000 this spring to purchase the artificial tree, which has become a lightning rod in this primary election about spending priorities.

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick.

NSBNEWS.net videos by Sera Frederick.

NSBNEWS.net photos by Henry Frederick. Early Voting for the Sept. 22 primary begins 8 a.m. today at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library. Early voting will run 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day through Saturday at the library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Early Voting for the Sept. 22 primary gets under way 8 a.m. today at the New Smyrna Beach Regional Library, 1001 S. Dixie Freeway.

Those registered to vote in the primary can cast their vote in three races:

NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick.NSBNEWS.net video by Sera Frederick.