Finegan doesn't look like a newbie

It may surprise you to learn that one of my favorite things is being proven wrong.

Very often I have an idea for a blog and will call the person I’m writing about to let him/her know what I’m up to. I don’t do that to convince the person I’m right. I do that so he/she can convince me I’m not.

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So it is with candidates elected to office. Sometimes the campaign gives us a glimpse of what to expect once elected, but not always.

Such was the case with Commissioner Diana Finegan, who won a contentious District 2 race that featured a fake candidate and various other bad actors.

I didn’t know what to expect of Commissioner Finegan. Sometimes those ugly races, and this was one of those, can be hard for winners to shake even after they’ve taken the oath of office. Would Finegan carry the animosity of the race into office or would she be the public servant we can all be proud of?

Happy to say it’s the latter.

From my seat in the back of the room, here’s what I’ve seen of Finegan:

— Smart, on point. She listens. You don’t see Finegan interrupting or arguing. She isn’t drawn into silly debates and doesn’t respond to snarky comments directed her way.

— That said, Finegan also doesn’t back down from someone taking a cheap shot. During Tuesday’s board meeting, two trouble-making citizens suggested she’s in cahoots with Monkey Island associates because one gave her a campaign donation.

Here’s what she told them: “You have an incredible gift for fiction.”

(That was me giggling in the back of the room.)

— Finegan asks great questions. She promised during the campaign to scrutinize contracts and that’s exactly what she’s doing.

During the bizarro animal shelter discussion with the consultant in December, it was Finegan who sought to understand the finances behind the project. 

— She respects the process, fellow commissioners and the staff. That may seem like a no-brainer but you’d be surprised (or not) how often new commissioners come in and start throwing their weight around as if they’re special.

Instead, Finegan is very impressed with the staff. She asks a question and gets prompt answers. Sitting here thinking about it, I don’t recall Finegan uttering a single criticism of the staff or other commissioners from the dais.

In fact, just the opposite. Finegan may have criticized commissioners during the campaign, but she’s engaged in positive conversation with her new colleagues.

During a discussion Tuesday about placing “quiet zone” signs in the Homosassa River alerting boaters of the county’s new noise ordinance, Finegan said she spoke with state wildlife officials about the sign’s wording.

Basically, the county wants it worded one way and the state wants it another way. Guess who wins.

Chairman Ruthie Davis Schlabach said she heard a different take from the state, and then she became frustrated with the whole sign issue.

“What a waste of time,” she said.

Finegan, however, lauded Schlabach for her work in putting together the noise ordinance.

“Your time was not wasted,” she said. “The ordinance is icing on the cake.”

Doesn’t sound like a freshman commissioner holding onto residue from a campaign.

Diana and I were classmates in 2004 Leadership Citrus (best class ever) so I was pretty stoked about her candidacy. 

No one was harder on Diana during the campaign than me. I repeatedly called her out for what I considered questionable campaign strategies and affiliations.

We didn’t talk all summer and into the fall. After Diana took office, I watched from my last-row seat to see what our new commissioner was like.

I immediately took to her approach. She sat back, watched and listened. New commissioners have a tendency to ramble or repeat campaign promises. I’ve seen only a few instances of that from Finegan.

Look. We’re five months into a four-year term so anything can happen. But we usually get a pretty good idea of a commissioner’s approach and temperament in the first six months.

Two weeks ago Diana and I sat at Cattle Dog’s in Homosassa for over 2 hours, just talking. We settled our past and both looked forward to a bright Citrus County future.

Diana very much enjoys being a commissioner. Helping people is the best part.

Commissioner Finegan has already shown professionalism, leadership, humility, humor and grace. 

She’s off to a good start.

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