DAPHNE, Ala. — Gene Ponder, Richard Kersey and Ed Kirby — known also as The Reform Team — may have won the Lake Forest 2010 board of directors election, but the other candidates put up a fight.

For the first time in Lake Forest’s history, groups of candidates campaigned, with The A Team — Steve Scarcliff, Reb Bailey and Joeseph Jablecki — challenging the ultimate victors.  Ponder got 427 votes; Kersey, 415; Kirby, 374; Bailey, 264; Scarcliff, 224; and Jeblecki, 200.

However, one candidate stood as an independent, deciding not to take either side.

Michael Schultz — a Lake Forest resident of more than 20 years who stood separate from both camps — may have received 66 votes in the annual election, but he stands by his decision not to associate with either group, because he felt the method of group campaigning hurts Lake Forest.

“I think it does hurt, as far as maintaining impartial representation for the majority of the members,” Schultz said. “I appreciated both (groups) giving me insight into their platforms and what they stood for, but I didn’t feel it was in the best interest for Lake Forest or the membership to have teams standing out for the membership of the whole.”

Schultz said The A Team and Reform Team were “polarized and didn’t look like they were able to provide an objective view besides a couple issues that got the limelight.”

Shultz agreed with The A Team’s stance that property management was needed but the process — which ultimately ended in the subdivision’s board voting in favor of Florida-based Vision Golf and Association Property Management — seemed faulty.

“I agree that we do need some professional management assistance,” Schultz said. “The method that it was brought to the voters I thought was very poor.”

Shultz said the process seemed to inevitably push forward one candidate — Vision — and disregarded bidding the project to other companies.

“It was a lack of communication with the board and the process that went on,” Lake Forest resident George Lieb contended.

“I would have liked to see a comparison or chart for the objectives of the bidding process and how each bidder met those specifications,”Schultz said.

Schultz said he plans to have an active future in Lake Forest through committees, and he has not made up his mind on whether he will run in next year’s election.

“I plan to work on committees,” he said. “If I don’t get done what I want to get done on the committees, then I may run again.”

Schultz, a quality surveillance coordinator, said he believes every future decision the Lake Forest leadership considers should always promote property values.

“I am of conservative bent and believe that whatever is proposed to improve Lake Forest must consider the life of those living in or considering living in Lake Forest and should be to the improvement of property values,” he stated before the election.