Resident says council candidate is not qualified
To the editor:
In every election, voters have a right to expect that candidates demonstrate honesty and law-abiding character. Otherwise, they are truly not qualified to serve in office.
For our Town Council election, we have a problem. One candidate has a long record of law problems. That candidate has admittedly served prison time. He has been arrested a number of times, including currently. Carl Conley needs to present a full accounting of his entire arrest record. People have a right to know that for any candidate.
Conley’s arrest record spans quite a period of time to the present. As a smart, formerly licensed lawyer, one might expect that Conley’s law observance be at the highest level.
The current Town’s written record and current investigation report on Conley shows that Conley does not comply with five separate, legal requirements of the Town. That report says ” …no documentation in Town files shows that an actual Certificate of Use, or Certificate of Occupancy was ever applied for or issued for the Island Arts Foundation.” Regarding the Purple Heart Theater, the Town legal report goes on to say: ” Mr. Conley would need to file for a Special Exception as theater uses…. are not an allowable use by right”.
The Town report says: “The Island Arts Foundation… would need to apply for a second Special Exception…. Further, Consumption on Premises” (of alcohol) ” would require an additional Special Exception”.
In summary Carl has currently been arrested by the State for illegal alcohol sales and the Town views him not to be in compliance with five Town laws. The Town report indicates that Conley’s noncompliance with Town laws goes back at least to 2008, and may well be much earlier.
As a very smart, formerly licensed lawyer, there could be only two possible causes for Conley’s State arrest and Conley’s Town law violations per the Town’s report. One, he is either very ignorant of the law or two, Conley does not believe that the laws apply to him.
Either way, he has terribly let down his music and arts constituents, and certainly as a result , people will consider him NOT QUALIFIED.
Frank Schilling
Fort Myers Beach