A mosquito control commissioner has sent a candidate for another seat a letter asking him to not form any alliances with other board members.

Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Commissioner Bill Shaw made his plea to Dan Dombroski in a Sept. 2 letter congratulating him on his Aug. 24 primary win against Jay Marzella for the District 2 seat.

"Please do not form any alliances before you serve on the board," Shaw wrote. "I have heard that you may be in line for filling the vacancy in the 'Alliance of Three.' I feel confident that you will do what is honest and correct, and the public will appreciate it."

The vacancy refers to resigning Commissioner Charles "Bill" Langstaff, who typically votes in a bloc with Steve Smith and Joan Lord-Papy to support proposals, contracts and spending recommended by district Executive Director Ed Fussell. Shaw and Commissioner Dick Rudell often vote in the minority and have been critical of Fussell, who is the highest paid public agency administrator in the Florida Keys.

Shaw told The Citizen a district employee had told him that Fussell and Lord-Papy had discussed getting Dombroski, if elected, to align with her and Smith, but refused to divulge the source of his information.

"I don't want him to align himself with anyone, not me, not Rudell, not anyone," Shaw said.

Lord-Papy didn't return The Citizen's call seeking comment. Fussell denied the conversation and said, "It has been quite some time since I believed anything Bill Shaw has had to say."

Dombroski said no one has approached him about alliances and he has no plans to align himself with anyone.

"The only person I plan to align myself with is the taxpayer," Dombroski said. "There should be no alliances with other board members." He said he sees himself as a change agent who can bring together the divided board.

Dombroski, a Democrat, will face Rudell, a Republican, in the Nov. 2 general election.

tohara@keysnews.com