Honorary Mayor Candidates Well-Known In Community

By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jun 6, 2007

BRANDON - In a Brandon tradition that's nearly 50 years old, two Brandon men will stump, bribe and one will even sell himself to the highest bidder in an attempt to become the community's next honorary mayor.

The Presidents' Roundtable of Greater Brandon kicked off its annual honorary mayor's race June 1. The candidate raising the most money for charity during the month becomes honorary mayor. The winner is announced prior to the annual Fourth of July parade, also organized by the Presidents' Roundtable.

The title is titular. The honorary mayor has no official duties other than attending ribbon-cutting ceremonies and presenting proclamations. The purpose of the race is to raise money for the parade and Brandon charities.

To that end, candidates for honorary mayor organize and host fundraisers throughout June. Eighty percent of the money raised by the candidates goes to his or her designated charities, 10 percent goes to the candidate's sponsoring organization and 10 percent goes to the Presidents' Roundtable.

Throwing their hats into the ring this year are Valrico resident George T. May IV and Brandon resident Wayne Otto, both familiar names to Brandon residents because of their longtime involvement in community activities.

A native of Mobile, Ala., May moved to Brandon in 1990. He is the owner and president of a financial consulting firm, American Investments Advisors of Brandon on Robertson Street. An active member of Bell Shoals Baptist Church, he is the former chairman of the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce, served on the Brandon Boulevard Beautification Committee and was the driving force behind the effort to widen Lithia-Pinecrest Road to four lanes.

"I thought about running for mayor before, but with my obligations to the chamber, I could never devote the time," May said. "Now it's the right time and the right charities."

May, sponsored by the American Business Women's Association and the Greater Brandon Community Foundation, is raising money for the Brandon Outreach Clinic, a free medical clinic for residents who don't qualify for government assistance but don't earn enough to afford insurance. He also hopes to bring in donations for Kids Charity of Tampa Bay, which plans to build a children's assessment center and emergency shelter for abused children on 5 acres on Lithia-Pinecrest Road.

May's first event will be a fundraising golf tournament Thursday at Bloomingdale Golfers Club. The scramble begins with a 10 a.m. check-in and an 11 a.m. start. The cost is $100 per player. Hole sponsorships are $100. The cost of a foursome with a hole sponsorship is $475. Call (813) 924-8642.

May plans to combine an annual event he helped found with a mayoral fundraiser when he hosts Brandon's Baby Boomer Birthday Bash at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Palmetto Club at FishHawk Ranch, 17004 Dorman Road, Lithia.

The Baby Boomer Birthday Bash fundraiser is open to anyone 21 or older. The $50 ticket includes dinner provided by Carrabba's Italian Grill, dancing to music of the '60s, '70s and '80s provided by Otis Velt and The Old School Band, featuring Valrico Realtor Tim Gross on drums, an appearance by the Brandon Blues Brothers, a k a May and Mike Meegan. The two friends began performing as the Brandon Blues Brothers a number of years ago for the Brandon Idol contest and were such a hit they have been performing since. Call Marilyn Collins at (813) 892-7151 or Debbie Meegan at (813) 601-2315.

A toga party will follow the bash at the home of Clif and Terry Curry, 2820 S. Miller Road, Valrico, at 7:30 p.m. June 16. The event will include a toga contest judged by Mayor Billie Smith and former Mayors James Young and Ryan Odiorne, as well as food, games and music by the Johnny G. Lyon Band of Tampa. Tickets are $50. Call (813) 924-8642.

Next comes a three-night tour of the Full Monty and the Brandon Blues Brothers starting at 9 p.m. June 21 at the Carrollwood O'Brien's on North Dale Mabry Highway, then at 9 p.m. June 23 at the Plant City O'Brien's at 1701 Alexander St., and finally at 9 p.m. June 28 at the Brandon O'Brien's.

May said the nature of the Full Monty Show is top secret. The identities of the six men in the choreographed production are not being revealed. He did say, however, that unlike the movie, "The Full Monty," this production is not completely au naturel. Call (813) 924-8642.

May will complete his fundraising campaign with a bachelor auction at which 25 Brandon bachelors, May included, will woo women with date packages. Chairwoman Mary Boor is recruiting bachelors for the event at 7 p.m. June 30 at the Italian Club, 111 Seventh Ave., Ybor City. The event will feature the Full Monty Show as well. The cost is $50.

For tickets, call (813) 924-8642.

May's opponent, Otto, grew up in Tampa and has ties to Brandon dating to the beginnings of the mayor's race.

The race began in 1959, the same year Otto's father, Guy, opened the Dairy Queen in the heart of Brandon on Brandon Boulevard, where the annual Fourth of July parade took place. Otto worked his way through Robinson High School and the University of South Florida at that Dairy Queen, managed by his grandparents, Oscar and Rosa Otto.

"I spent most of my youth in Brandon," he recalled. His father sold the Dairy Queen in 1975, opened the Beverage Barn on Bloomingdale Avenue next to the Bloomingdale Fire Station and then purchased what is now Otto's Hardware Store in Riverview, now owned by Wayne Otto's brother, Kim.

Otto is the owner of Otto's Doors, a business he began in Riverview in 1994 and moved to State Road 60 west of U.S. 301 seven years ago.

His lifelong passion has been community theater. He recalls staging plays in his back yard as a child and charging neighbors a nickel to see them. He went on to major in theater in college but realized he would never make a living in theater, so he became involved in community theater instead.

In fact, he and his wife, Lynne, were married at the Valrico Playhouse, home of the Village Players community theater troupe, in 1995.

That same year, Otto decided to found his own community theater troupe, Stagedoor Performing Arts. The troupe performs at the Limona Village Chapel, Center Place and other venues in Brandon, wherever it can find space. It's not always ideal, Otto said. The audience has to sit on metal folding chairs in rooms with barely functioning air conditioners while actors change in dressing rooms with just enough room to turn around.

The alternative is to do what many of the Brandon dance studios have done and rent space for recitals at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, which is not only a long drive but also costly.

That's why Otto's honorary mayoral campaign is raising money for a 500-seat Brandon Performing Arts Center building fund. He hopes to raise $50,000 toward the $5 million building, showing a good-faith effort that will help qualify the community for state and federal grants.

"The great thing about the race is the money goes to your charity whether or not you win," Otto said. "So even if I don't become mayor, the performing arts center will get exposure and some seed funding. It's something that's desperately needed, especially for the kids. The kids deserve a place to perform."

Otto kicks off his fundraising efforts with the Brandon Performing Arts Center Inaugural Golf Tournament on June 16 at Diamond Hills Golf & Country Club, 13113 Sydney Road, Dover. Registration begins at 8 a.m. for the event that includes lunch, goodie bags, range balls, cart rental, greens fees and contests with prizes. The cost is $70 per player, and sponsorships ranging from $120 to $1,000 are available. Call Bruce Miller at (813) 654-0404.

The following day, June 17, Otto will host a Father's Day dinner theater staging of "Love Letters" at Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Drive, Brandon. This is the story of two people who have known each other their entire lives and, despite other loves and marriages, have deep feelings for each other. Tickets are $50. The event begins with a social at 3:30 p.m., dinner at 4 p.m. and the show at 5 p.m. Sponsorships of $1,000 and $500 are available. Call Sandra Harley at (813) 741-3936.

Otto's final fundraiser will be Brandon's Best Amateur Talent Show at 8 p.m. June 23 at Limona Village Chapel, 408 Limona Road, Brandon. Open to ages 12 and older and to all talents including singers, magicians, comedians, dancers and jugglers, tryouts will take place at 7 p.m. June 21-22 at Limona Village Chapel and are open to all ages. The tryout fee is $40 for a single act, $50 for a duo and $60 for a trio. Acts with more than three performers will be charged an additional $5 per person.

An admission will be charged to attend the finals, which Otto hopes to have broadcast on television. The final night's judging panel will include booking and talent agents, Otto said.

Corporate sponsorships of $250, $500 and $1,000 are available for the show.

For information, call Otto at (813) 267-3198.

Applications for the talent show are due June 14. Talent show rules are available on Stagedoor's Web site, www.stagedoorbrandon.org.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.