By Emi Endo
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2006 Newsday, Inc.
A former Roosevelt resident who ran for office in Florida while serving as a fire commissioner here has lost his race and quit the fire district.
Roosevelt fire commissioners voted Wednesday night to accept Ronnie McLean’s resignation, which was dated Aug. 29.
In 2003, McLean took office as a Roosevelt Fire District commissioner. He moved to Hernando County, Fla., where he came in last in a three-way Democratic primary for county commissioner Sept. 5. McLean has declined to say when he moved.
His relocation and intention to resign before his term ended next year came as a surprise because he had been voting at board meetings as recently as June, according to district officials. He registered to vote in Florida on Feb. 17, 2005, according to Hernando County officials.
McLean has maintained he did nothing wrong and had told commissioners earlier this year that he would be quitting. However, he told the St. Petersburg Times last month that he moved to Florida two years ago. He did not return a call yesterday seeking comment.
It is unclear whether McLean violated any election law.
At the board meeting Wednesday, commissioners went into an executive session before voting on the resignation.
A volunteer in the audience who declined to give her name told the board McLean “should have resigned two years ago.” Fire district attorney Lance Clarke responded, “Residency is one of the hardest things to establish.”
A former candidate for commissioner sued the district Feb. 17, 2003, alleging that McLean did not live in the district when he ran in 2002. The suit was dismissed in October 2003 because it was filed too late, according to the court decision.