Commissioners and Citizens of Cedar Key
What a year it's been! Well, where do I start? Serving on the City Commission this year has been one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of my life. I had never held a public office and what an experience it was. I have had the privilege of working with some of the most wonderful people that anyone could know. I thank everyone for putting up with me this year. I have realized that being a commissioner is a very demanding and important job. Some may say that Cedar Key is just a small town and running the city's business is easy. Wrong! It requires even more time than it does in a big city, because you don't have a staff to do research for you. As a commissioner you have to make decisions that affect citizens' property and livelihoods. This decision making requires a great deal of research and searching of the laws and regulations to make a just and amicable decision.
I have enjoyed every minute of my time on this commission and feel that it is one of the most challenging jobs that I have ever undertaken. However, because of my current status it is impossible for me to commit myself for the required time that it would take for me to be the type of commissioner that this city needs. To explain--I run my own business out of Gainesville, my wife works at Santa Fe Community College, and we commute together so our day consists of 12 hours away from Cedar Key either working or driving. This past year I committed Tuesdays to stay in town and work on commission business, which has worked great for my city responsibilities but not for my business or the other aspects of my life. There are only a limited number of hours in each day to be divided among my church, family, and business. I feel that the city deserves more than I can offer at this time. Maybe in two or three years after I retire from the construction business, I would give it another try.
I encourage the citizens of Cedar Key to consider this position very seriously. I know there are many folks in this city who are a lot more suitable for the position than I and who could make a great contribution to this community as a commissioner. Remember, we as citizens have a responsibility to our town to help keep it the place we like and the way we want it to stay. If we just sit by and let other people run it for us, we may not like the results.
For the reasons stated above, I will not run for this seat in the coming election. I thank you again for this opportunity, and as a result of the knowledge I have acquired this year, I will continue to support and assist our commissioners as much as I can. Cecil W. Quates | 