Mayor Persampiere

Issues and Voices that Matter September 9, 2010

Mayor Persampiere

Former deputy mayor of the City of Oviedo, Florida — Dominic Persampiere – is the new mayor of the city as a result of the resignation of the former mayor. Hear his perspective on why he thinks he’s qualified for the position, how he learned of the mayor’s resignation, the differences in his leadership style vs. the former mayor, the city’s budget, staff reductions, reducing overtime among public safety staff, and his explanation of the proposed city charter amendments.

Feature length - 29:53

(Produced, reported and edited by Stephen McKenney Steck)

Dominic Persampiere — became mayor of the city on Monday, August 2, 2010 as a result of the resignation of former mayor Mary Lou Andrews. Mayor Persampiere will serve in this capacity for the balance of the former mayor’s term of office.

In an 80-minute interview, from which we feature 24-minutes in this first of a 2-part series, CMF gives you an introduction to the new mayor in this sit-down in a conference room adjoining city council chambers, where he will preside as mayor until November 2011…that’s the date when the former mayor’s term would have expired.

Persampiere is no stranger to elected office in the city of Oviedo. He was first elected in 2000 to a 2-year term to a seat on the city council, a 5 person body which governs the city in a manager/council form of municipal government. He has subsequently been reelected by voters to that council seat every two years since then. Council members are elected city-wide as is the mayor. The mayor is also a council member.

Under the current city charter, the mayor does not exercise any administrative power, that’s left to the city manager who reports to the entire 5-person council. However the mayor does preside at council meetings and is recognized as the ceremonial head of the city government. The mayor may issue proclamations, execute ordinances and agreements as approved by council and represent the city on other government boards.

The mayor’s vote is no greater in importance than any other council member, though the mayor is usually recognized informally as the first among council equals.

Annually, the council, not the voters, elects a deputy mayor from among the other 4 council members. The new deputy mayor is council member Steve Henken

Persampiere, now 46, and his family moved to Oviedo in 1996. He is a residential real estate investor and, until his initial city election in 2000, he has not had previous experience in an elected government office.

In part 2 of this feature, you’ll hear Persampiere discuss longer term issues facing the city such as the development status of a new downtown, the possibilities of attracting a hospital for the area, the advancement and development of the so called “Seminole Way” featuring new, innovative development along the 408 Toll Road bisecting Oviedo and Winter Springs. Mayor Persampiere will also address plans he has to maintain or enhance the city’s relationship with adjoining cities, the public school board and county government…and he’ll state whether or not he will seek reelection at the end of his term as mayor.

The extended interview with Dominic Persampiere for this feature is posted on-line. It is from that which his comments in this feature were excerpted. It lasts 57-minutes.

We’ve also posted CMF’s interview with former Oviedo mayor, Mary Lou Andrews, whom Persampiere replaced. She is heard in a feature recorded after and separately from the Persampiere interview. Andrews describes the events leading up to and through her resignation and offers comments on proposed amendments to the city’s charter which she finds troublesome.