In his first important action as a member of the St. Petersburg City Council — actually, he’s still not officially a member of City Council — Charlie Gerdes screwed Karl Nurse, even though much of the justification for Gerdes’ candidacy was the opportunity to put another progressive on Council to serve as an ally for Nurse.
The issue was yesterday’s vote for who will serve as the next Chair of the City Council – Nurse or Leslie Curran.
At first, the council deadlocked, Michael Van Sickler reports, much as they did in 2003. Back then, council members voted 49 times, stuck between two candidates, James Bennett and Foster, who was then on the council. Exhausting any hopes of changing the outcome, Foster and Bennett agreed to split the job: Bennett served the first six months, Foster the second six months.
On Thursday, the council deadlocked twice on Nurse and Curran. They floated ideas on breaking the tie. Do what they did in 2003 and split it up, or flip a coin.
Gerdes, a close ally of Nurse, hated both options. He figured Curran’s supporters weren’t going to change their vote. So he asked for a third vote and switched to Curran.
“Karl is big enough to accept this,” Gerdes said. “I’ll nominate him next year.”
He said he went up to Nurse and told him after the meeting. He said Nurse told him he understood.
“But it was hard,” Gerdes said. “My first vote, and it’s already the toughest one I’ve ever had to make.”
Councilman Nurse, that sharp, stinging sensation you feel in your back…thats where the knife Gerdes stabbed you with entered your back.
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Following the race to be the next President of the Florida Senate is a lot like playing three-dimensional chess…in the dark. That said, it is increasing clear that Pinellas’ Jack Latvala is still in the race despite his opponent, Senator Andy Gardiner, declaring victory.
