Hearty hello for Crystal Lizanich

This is why I so much enjoy writing about local government.

Tuesday night was just another ordinary Inverness City Council meeting, except with a fresh face on the dais.

Crystal Lizanich took the oath of office along with three other incumbents, and off we went.

---

I don’t make a habit of attending city council meetings, and probably won’t even after Tuesday. But I had to see Lizanich and how well everyone would get along.

Answer: Splendidly.

You see, while the voters chose Lizanich over incumbent Dave Ryan and Labriola Guy, she was on the ballot in the first place because of something I wrote.

Crystal (who turns 41 Wednesday) has no experience or interest in politics, but she cares for her community and wants to improve it. So when Just Wright Citrus suggested Inverness could use an election, she jumped in and went right for it.

It was not an easy campaign. Ryan is not only well liked by his former colleagues, they were the ones who appointed him to office nine years ago. He had never faced voters until this election, and Councilwoman Linda Bega openly campaigned for him.

There are generally three types of situations where newbies join an elected board:

— They are elected to an open seat, meaning the incumbent didn’t run again. That’s the case for both new county Commissioners Rebecca Bays and Diana Finegan.

— They are appointed by the board they’re joining. Gene Davis, who took the oath of office Tuesday, fits into that category. The city council appointed Davis a year ago when Ken Hinkle moved out of the city; Davis was officially elected to a four-year term without opposition this year.

— They are elected by defeating incumbents.

It’s the third scenario that always catches my attention. When you’re the candidate who just defeated a well-liked colleague, how will the remaining council members react?

Especially in Inverness, which really didn’t want an election in the first place. 

I called Crystal earlier in the day to wish her good luck and to remind her that she earned this seat. No one gave it to her. It was a challenging campaign and difficult to keep focus with one candidate saying ridiculous things, like we shouldn’t provide affordable housing for Democrats from Tampa.

She admitted to being nervous and who can blame her? It’s one thing to run for office. It’s an entire different world to win. It’s like applying for a job that takes several hurdles to secure, only to realize the challenges that come with it.

She took the oath with her hand on a Bible held by her daughter, Anastasia. Then, just like that, Lizanich was one of five voting council members.

Not much to debate Tuesday; government meetings rarely produce drama during the holidays.

And when it came to the part of the agenda for council member comments, all were welcoming of the new face.

“You ran a really good race and you ran it in an honorable way,” Mayor Bob Plaisted said. “We know you’re going to be successful here.”

Linda Bega: “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you.”

Jacquie Hepfer with some advice from a council veteran: “Crystal, we were all new once. You’ll get used to it. You’re going to learn the same way we all did.”

Lizanich was appreciative.

“I look forward to all the experiences we’re going to have together,” she said.

Council president Cabot McBride wrapped it up:

“This is a city on the move. We have focus, we have cohesiveness.”

It’s a great time to be a part of Inverness. The Depot District hums, downtown is lively and I’m seeing families enjoying the parks every day.

Elections are not always pleasant. That’s why I suggest that winners distance themselves from campaigns as quickly as possible. Governing and campaigning are totally different animals and one doesn’t even resemble the other.  

This election made some Inverness folks uncomfortable, and that’s OK. We have a winner, she took the oath of office, and once again my little town swells with pride.

Join the discussion on our Facebook page.
​