IS THE MAYOR OF DAYTONA BEACH A COMPANY GIRL?

While some people may say it's totally OK that the City of Daytona Beach doesn't have to pay for Mayor Yvonne Scarlet-Golden to have what seems to be a personal assistant/aide. But according to Daytona Beach News-Journal political columnist Pamela Hasterok, it brings a certain aura of improprierty since Donna Sue Sanders actually is the Community Service Director for International Speedway Corporation, owner of Daytona International Speedway and parent corporation of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (a/k/a NASCAR).

Ms. Sanders worked as Scarlet-Golden's campaign manager in 2003, and ISC was a major supporter of the mayor-to-be to the tune of nearly $200,000 in fundraising assistance.

The Orlando Sentinel has also looked into the speedway's influence with the city, which promises to be a big issue in this year's mayoral race. In their story last Sunday, one of Scarlet-Golden's opponents two years ago claims that Speedway officials tried to persuade he and the other candidate running to withdraw in exchange for ISC's support this year. Neither Mike Shallow or Tom McClelland dropped out...Shallow is running again this year.