By Brian McBride
Associate Editor

Kissimmee City Commissioner Art Otero said he, not Mayor Jim Swan, can take the city to the next level.

That’s why he decided to run for the top spot on the dais in 2012 instead of trying to win a second seat 1 term, Otero said. Swan filed to run for re-election last week while Otero filed several weeks earlier.

“The mayor (Swan) has all these years of experience to take us to the next level and he has not done that,” Otero said. “I think we need a leader in the community. I want to bring Kissimmee up on a hill.”

Otero said there just isn’t enough communication and free-flowing ideas at City Commission meetings to bring pro-gress, such as making airport advancements, im-proving economic development and making strides in the Vine Street redevelopment project.

“How long do we have to wait?” Otero asked.

But Swan said he could name at least 20 city accomplishments he presided over as mayor, including the Lakefront Park developments, securing funding for the widening of Hoagland Boulevard and the construction of Kissimmee Fire Department’s new station 11.

“There are unfortunately some who have not served an extended period of time that believe you can make something happen overnight,” Swan said.

He stressed that the commission has to have three votes and the money available in the budget to get projects completed. In addition, there has to be a long-term plan in place to produce progress that he likened to the game of baseball with the idea of hitting “singles and doubles” along the way, Swan said.

“Some people think they can hit home runs all the time,” he added.

Swan said he has the leadership to lead the city of Kissimmee through challenging economic times and that being a former Osceola County commissioner, he also has a wealth of resources and contacts that not many others have to get the proper project information needed for the city.

Otero would be the first Hispanic mayor if he were successful in the race, but he said he’s not relying solely on the Hispanic vote.

“We’re all Americans. We’re all the same,” he said. “I’m going to bring that bridge. We need somebody to bring the community together.”

Swan said Otero’s decision was not causing friction on the commission but that could change.

“Some people don’t like to play as a team,” he said. “To me, it’s about we (the city), not about I.”

Commissioner Cheryl Grieb declined to comment on Otero’s filing to run, but hoped both men would remain respectful and that she was confident it would not hinder city business.

“Everyone has the right to run for the position they choose,” she said.

A third mayoral candidate listed, Nereida Rios, did not have a working phone number listed on the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections website and could not be contacted. The commission races are non-partisan with four-year terms, with time in a seat limited to eight years.

The mayor’s annual salary currently is $25,680; the vice mayor earns $24,661; and a commissioner earns $24,480.