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Man Planning To Run For Open City Post

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By NICOLA M. WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 8, 2008

ZEPHYRHILLS - Michael Payne, an exterminator who frequently attends city council meetings, has filed preliminary paperwork to run for office here.

Payne, 49, plans to run for the seat being vacated by City Councilwoman Celia Graham, who this week said she would not seek re-election. He cites his experience dealing with the public and dedication to civic duty as qualifications.

"All the issues are important to me," he said.

Although he currently has no opponent, Payne may face tough questions during his campaign. He was arrested five times between 1981 and 1991. Three times, the charges were dismissed.

During an April 1985 traffic stop in Fort Myers, a police officer saw a gun in the car's center console, Payne said. He served a year of probation on that charge, records show.

"Wrong place in the wrong time," he said, describing the circumstances. "The unfortunate thing is there's always a record there, even if you've done nothing wrong."

In 1991, Payne was arrested in Hillsborough County on a bad check charge. He pleaded no contest, was sentenced to a year of probation and paid $312 in restitution, records show. He attributed the bad check to the bank going out of business.

Payne said he wants to focus on making Zephyrhills better, not on his past.

"It's not anything that's a secret; it just happened so long ago," he said. "There's nobody out here who's perfect. We try to be as we grow older."

Payne is married and owns Payne Pest Management Services. He moved to Zephyrhills from Tampa in 2001 and lives downtown. He often attends city council meetings and has spoken about drug problems in the city.

In addition to Graham's seat, those held by Councilman Luis Lopez and Mayor Cliff McDuffie are up for re-election, and both plan on running. No one has filed to run against them.

Researcher Michael Messano contributed to this report.

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