Schieferdecker is next mayor

The one person on City Council that didn't want the mayor's job got it anyway.

Maitland City Councilman Howard Schieferdecker was made vice mayor — and the next mayor — at Monday's meeting. He will serve as mayor from Jan. 4, when Mayor Doug Kinson has to leave in order to run for Orange County Commission, through March 2012.

Schieferdecker began his first term on Council in March. He is the greenest of the bunch, and that, Kinson said, is to his advantage.

"From an objectivity standpoint, you're in a unique position, and why not learn to become mayor of city for a year and then run for a second term?" Kinson said. "I feel you're actually in an advantageous position."

But Schieferdecker was hesitant to accept his appointment, saying that he felt there were more qualified candidates. He had nominated Councilman Phil Bonus for the position after an informal poll he conducted named Bonus the clear winner among the citizens.

"I wasn't prepared for this one," he said. "If the council feels that I should serve as the mayor then I will accept responsibility of that although I … would much rather have the person that the people in my survey voted for, because they are the ones that should pick the next mayor of the city."

The city's charter says that a councilperson will serve out the remainder of a resigning mayor's term and Council will appoint a citizen to the empty Council seat. The only way to change the charter is through a voter referendum on the ballot, which the city hopes to accomplish before it's in a situation like this again.

Three votes were needed to appoint the new vice mayor. After Schieferdecker nominated Bonus, Bonus seconded his nomination. Then Councilwoman Linda Frosch nominated herself. When Kinson asked if there were any more nominations, Councilwoman Bev Reponen, who had expressed interest in becoming mayor, was silent.

"Councilwoman Reponen?" Kinson urged.

"No," Reponen said. After about five seconds, she blurted, "I nominate Howard."

Kinson seconded Schieferdecker, and Frosch gave him the winning vote.

"You are the mayor of our city," Kinson said.

During the next six months, Kinson will school the young councilman in the mayor's duties.

"I can get to work with the person who will come forward for about six months before they have to take over," Kinson said. "When I first took over, nobody was teaching me or helping me."