Bill Bendick, Dennis O’Leary, Eugene Rhodes, and James Van Fleet won’t have to worry about finishing last and being the single loser in the 2014 Sun City Community association board of directors election race.
That’s because Larry LaBeau, the fifth candidate for four open seats on the board, withdrew last week. Unconfirmed initial reports said he pulled out because of a health issue.
As a result, the election is now uncontested. There will be no balloting by residents. In an emailed statement released this past weekend, the association said, “The four remaining candidates shall be considered elected by acclamation.” The candidate forum scheduled for Monday, Sept. 8, instead became a “Meet and Greet” session hosted by the Neighborhood Advisory Council, featuring informal conversations designed for residents to “get to know the new leaders of our community.”
At the Charter Club Presidents Council meeting on Sept. 5 when the withdrawal was announced, Board member Linda Davis said, ”We are saving about $6,000 this year in consulting and postage costs because of this unforeseen event.”
Bendick, Van Fleet, O’Leary, and Rhodes will begin their two-year terms in January, 2015. Bendick and Van Fleet are incumbents who have completed two years of service on the board and were seeking re-election. O’Leary and Rhodes were unsuccessful candidates in 2013 and will be newcomers on the board. Robert Beaupre’s term is up this year and he was not seeking re-election.
Holdover board members in the middle of their two-year terms are President Bonnie Bayser, Davis, and Bill Ziletti.
