Orlando Commissioner Robert Stuart has officially announced his re-election campaign.

Robert Stuart

Stuart, who was first elected to represent City Council District 3 in 2006, shared his decision with followers on Facebook on Tuesday evening. The announcement is more than a year in advance of the April 8, 2014, city election, and Stuart wrote he intends to raise money early. No opponents have come forward, and Stuart’s early fund-raising push could scare off anyone that may have been considering it.

Two other seats — districts 1 and 5 — will also be on the ballot next year. Incumbents Jim Gray and Daisy Lynum have not filed to run for re-election yet, but are expected to. Two challengers have already signed up in District 5: Cynthia Rena Harris and Regina Hill.

Here is Stuart’s campaign announcement:

Dear Friends,

Robert

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer issues this holiday message with a decidedly green tint — that is, a call for recycling and sustainability.

If you’re still trying to pick a candidate in Orlando’s city elections on April 3, you can visit our online Voter’s Guide.

You can also check out the Orlando Weekly, where scribe Billy Manes put the four candidates for Orlando mayor to the test with a fun pop quiz. You can see the candidates’ answers here, and the correct answers here.

There are 14 candidates competing for four City Council seats and the mayor’s office. Incumbent Mayor Buddy Dyer faces challengers Phil Diamond, Mike Cantone and Ken Mulvaney.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer voted with his elected peers today in favor of a resolution asking Congress to end the Afghan and Iraq wars as quickly as possible and bring those “war dollars” home for vital human and infrastructure needs.

The resolution passed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Baltimore generated some debate, and it marked the first time since the Vietnam War that the group had spoken out together on such a foreign policy matter.

A Dyer spokeswoman and others (see top link) were quick to say the measure was not an anti-war resolution.

“I wouldn’t say it was an anti-war resolution it was more of a we support our troops and urging an expeditious end,” Dyer spokeswoman Heather Fagan wrote in an email.

Here’s some background on how the grass-roots effort to pass resolutions around the country got started. Many cities have passed similar resolutions at the local level.

But don’t look for Dyer to bring this fight home. Fagan said Dyer has no plans to ask elected leaders to send a similar message from Orlando with its own resolution.

Later in the afternoon, Dyer was also part of a contingent of mayors who met with President Obama and Vice President Biden to discuss the economy.

Foster care advocate Linda Grund announced this morning that she would be jumping into the Orlando race for mayor, launching a long-shot bid to unseat incumbent Buddy Dyer.

Grund, 27, said in a press statement that “she dreams of using promise, peace and purpose to refresh the City of Orlando.”

“I think it’s time for Orlando to have a fresh approach in it’s leadership,” said Grund, who describes herself as an “unlikely”  foster care success story. “One that gives the citizens a voice. My goal is to be that voice.”

Grund later said she’s running because she’s “been called to serve” by God and she wants the city to go in new directions. She criticized Dyer’s homeless feeding policies and his handling of the $1.1 billion downtown arts and sports venue plan. She didn’t offer specific criticisms on the venues issue, but added, she’s “still learning the issues.”

Grund, a non-profit consultant, would join Commissioner Phil Diamond in taking on Dyer for the 2012 contest.

Grund is a bit of an unknown. She’s been active in foster care politics, but her website is still under construction. In her bio, Grund lists a degree from the University of Central Florida and time serving in the National Guard. One of her Facebook sites lists a long string of non-profit work and that her favorite book is the Bible.

The election will be early next year, on the same day as the presidential preference primary. Dyer is seeking a third term, and is the presumptive favorite, and a formidable fund raiser.

Phil Diamond, with wife Linda, take oath of office. Photos courtesy city of Orlando.

Three incumbent Orlando commissioners were sworn in for new terms on the City Council today.

Robert Stuart is starting his second term, Phil Diamond his third, and Daisy Lynum her fourth. Stuart was the only one facing opposition in the March election; Diamond and Lynum were both re-elected automatically without opposition.

Diamond was joined by his family while taking the oath of office.

“I think I’m one of the luckiest guys in the world to be here,” Diamond said.

Mayor Buddy Dyer administers oath of office to Robert Stuart, with wife Ann.

Stuart praised the city’s leadership.

“One of the greatest things about our cities…is cities are what we make them,” he said. “As I look around this room, we’re in good hands.”

Lynum, the longest-serving council member, encouraged others to “get involved and get engaged.”

“Each day I arise to do this job…and I’m very blessed to have this opportunity,” she said.

Daisy Lynum takes oath of office with family and former U.S. Rep. Alzo Reddick.

Gov. Charlie Crist’s latest two appointments to the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority Board have stirred a diversity tempest in Orlando because the moves leave the airports board without a woman or black board member for the first time in more than 20 years.

Orlando City Commissioner Daisy Lynum blasted Crist Friday for eroding diversity on the GOAA board.  “I think culturally and ethically and morally it’s so wrong,” she said.

Lynum said she has been raising the issue with other Central Florida leaders and wrote a letter Lack of Diversityexpressing her concerns to some of Florida’s congressional delegation, asking if there are “social justice criteria” attached to the federal funds that flow to these agencies.

Crist appointed attorney Frank Kruppenbacher and Dr. Jason Pirozzolo, both white Republican men, to the GOAA board earlier this week to replace outgoing board members Jeffry Fuqua and Jacqueline Bradley. Bradley, a black woman Democrat, had served on the board since 2002.

The seven-member GOAA board has two Hispanic members, Jose Colon and Cesar Calvet. The latter has been mentioned as possibly the next chairman.

Lynum said she is worried about a bigger trend, contending blacks in particular are losing representation on boards of important independent government agencies in Central Florida.  She noted there are no black members on the boards for Lynx or the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority. Nor are there any on the Valencia Community College board. There are only two, including Lynum, on the 19-seat MetroPlan Orlando board. Crist just appointed Ray Gilley, as the only black on the University of Central Florida board of trustees.

Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey said the governor “has a long record of appointments that reflect the diversity of Florida.”  Since taking office on Jan. 2, 2007, he said, Crist has made 3,451 appointments to boards and commissions throughout the state. Those have included 1,302 women (38 percent), 317 blacks (9 percent) and 305 Hispanics (9 percent.)

Among the 12 people who applied for the open GOAA board seats this year, two were black: dentist Dr. Brian Coleman and “urban missionary” Arto Woodley. Three women also applied: attorney Lynn Aust, Orange County Schools administrator Anna Delgado Diaz and real estate manager Caryl Curtis McAlpin.

Orlando Commissioner Patty Sheehan says her online identity has been hijacked.

The City Council member warned all her real-life friends today that if they think they’re also her Facebook friends, they’re wrong. Someone opened a Facebook account with her name and photo, but Sheehan says it’s not her.

She says there’s also a link to a PayPal account that’s accepting “campaign donations,” but the real commissioner — who is between elections — doesn’t presently have a campaign account.

Consider yourself warned.

Here’s the real Patty Sheehan’s email warning:

Hello All,

Sorry to bother you with this but someone has opened up a fake Facebook account on me.  What is alarming is that there also appears to be a fake campaign PayPal account as well.  I know many of you have teased me about being old school and not engaging in social media. But this is precisely why I do not.  It is too hard to differentiate between what is real or not on the internet.  My official website is located at cityoforlando.net.  I do not have an active campaign site as I have not yet qualified to run for office, and this would be a violation of Florida State Law.

I do not know how long this will take to resolve, as Facebook is not very responsive to my concerns and wants me to give information on the violator which I can’t access because of their privacy policy.  If anyone has any advice on how to deal with this I certainly welcome it.  In the mean time, please contact me directly at my email address if you see anything else that is suspicious.  And I want to be clear, I do not twitter, myspace, or facebook or engage in any social media, nor do I have electronic bank accounts.

To add insult to injury, the perpetrator made me OLDER on my profile!

Best Regards,

Patty Sheehan

By Mark Schlueb

When Robert Stuart won a seat on the Orlando City Council in 2006, he was almost immediately faced with a divisive neighborhood battle over traffic control in the Dubsdread neighborhood.

Four years later, as Stuart campaigns for a second term, that battle has again reared its head — in the form of his opponent. Landscape architect Larry Spade still blames Stuart and the city for a Dubsdread road closing that has dumped more traffic onto his own street. When he heard Stuart had no competition, he decided to jump in the race.

“I felt like somebody needed to run to hold them accountable,” Spade said. “It seems like Mayor Dyer and his staff and Robert Stuart are able to do whatever they want to do.”

Stuart and Spade will face off in the March 9 city election in District 3, which includes College Park, Rosemont, Orwin Manor, Rowena Gardens, Park Lake/Highland, Baldwin Park and Audubon Park.

For Spade, it’s an uphill battle.

Read the full story here:

Talk-radio host George Crossley — who has taken up Freedom Ride’s cause — tried to muscle his way onto the Orlando City Council’s agenda this morning.

Crossley, the host of “The People Power Hour,” wanted to put city commissioners on the spot about Orlando’s decision not to renew Freedom Ride’s lease at city-owned Trotters Park when it ends next year. The group, which provides horseback-riding therapy for disabled children and adults, says it doesn’t have the money to relocate.

But Crossley got the cold shoulder at City Hall. He said he was told he couldn’t add the issue to the council’s agenda.

City officials are no fans of Crossley. He has been a frequent critic of Orlando police and Mayor Buddy Dyer’s administration.

But it’s unlikely there was anything personal in his rejection today. Only certain types of legislation trigger a public hearing before the City Council, and that’s true for all cities and counties in Florida, not just Orlando. When it comes to Freedom Ride’s lease, it will likely expire next year without the council ever voting or taking any other action.

Dyer says he’s willing to work with the organization, perhaps extending their lease if it needs more time to relocate, or helping find it another location.

But parents of kids who use Freedom Ride want the group to be able to stay at Trotters Park, where there are already stables and riding areas.

UPDATE: A spokeswoman for the mayor said it’s possible that the organization might be allowed to stay. No decisions have been made, press secretary Heather Allebaugh said.

“It’s all on the table,” she said.

Crossley said he still plans to show up at the City Council’s March 8 meeting and sign up to speak at the end, during a “general appearance” period. That’s when residents are given five minutes to complain about whatever they want. If Freedom Ride supporters join Crossley, it would put Dyer and the council in an even tougher political spot.