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Mariano’s knee-jerk decision could kill gas tax increase

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Jack Mariano might be the chairman of the Pasco County Commission, but his popularity among fellow commissioners might be hitting an all-time low.

Pasco County commissioner Jack Mariano is now hinting he won't support a raised gas tax because a fellow commissioner won't be 'flexible' on the upcoming budget. (File photo)
Pasco County commissioner Jack Mariano is now hinting he won’t support a raised gas tax because a fellow commissioner won’t be ‘flexible’ on the upcoming budget. (File photo)

Mariano was hammered by commissioners Ted Schrader and Kathryn Starkey during Tuesday’s regular meeting in New Port Richey over his promotion of an expanded recreation park on the west side of the county. Starkey accused Mariano of going too far in how he mischaracterized the commission’s support of SunWest Park, and has wasted time by loading public comment periods at meetings with supporters of the project.

Later, however, Mariano was still wincing from the argument. When Schrader refused to adjust proposed millage rates for the coming year, Mariano then made it clear he would no longer be a potential fourth vote to pass an expanded gas pump tax that would help fund much-needed road projects in the county.

“This is taking away our flexibility,” Mariano told Schrader about not reorganizing the tax rates. “So don’t look for a fourth vote over here for the gas tax.”

The commission is proposing a starting tax rate at 9.3364 mills, although the hope among commissioners is to get the final taxation rate below 9 mills. One mill represents $1 of tax on every thousand dollars of taxable property value. So a $100,000 home with $50,000 in exemptions would pay $466.82 for the year.

Mariano had wanted to move some of the millage from a proposed transportation budget to help maintain roads to the operating budget. That would, in turn, make that money available to increase the hours libraries are open — hours that were cut when budgets had to be slashed at the height of the economic downturn.

The transportation millage of 0.3984 was put in place as an alternative to a 5-cent tax increase per gallon of gas, which would help raise $8 million to fund road improvements.

Schrader has supported doing only a 5-cent gas tax increase with no hike in property taxes. However, such a move would require the votes of four people, and Commissioner Henry Wilson already said he would not support it. That leaves Mariano as the swing vote, since Schrader, Starkey and retiring commissioner Pat Mulieri expressed support.

Shifting the millage numbers would give the commission a chance to start funding some slashed programs again, using set-aside money that would likely not be needed to fund roads if a gas tax was passed, Mariano said. But Schrader didn’t like the idea of moving numbers around.

“That is a slip-and-fall scam, and I’m absolutely not supporting that,” Schrader said. “That is not being fair or truthful to the residents. If you’re willing to raise property taxes for parks and libraries, just say it.”

Instead, Schrader wants the commission to work for a tax break, and look to start funding these struggling programs next year when higher property values mean potentially more tax revenue coming in.

“I think it’s a good idea to give the people a break,” Mulieri said. “I don’t think I have gotten a note about park fees or libraries.”

In the end, the commission voted to approve the preliminary tax rate at 9.3364 mills without adjusting any of the numbers.

The first hearing on the budget is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m., at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse in Dade City. The commission will have to figure out how to fund an expanded transportation budget — either through a gas tax or property tax, or a combination of both — before the summer is out.

Simple ways offered to make voting hassle-free

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In August, the 2014 election cycle will begin. And before voters go to the polls to decide who will represent them in government, Pasco County elections supervisor Brian Corley is offering some last-minute reminders.

“Help us do our job better by ensuring that your voter registration is up-to-date,” Corley said in a recent note to voters. “The more accurate our file, the better able we are to serve the voters of Pasco County.”

Voter registration address changes can be done by telephone, online, or by written notification. But anyone failing to update their address prior to election day could create some delays at the polls.

Those who have not voted since the last gubernatorial election in 2010 should check their registration status online at PascoVotes.com, Corley said. Or status also can be checked by calling (800) 851-8754.

Another way to help speed up the voting process is to make good use of a sample ballot.

“Mark your sample ballot and take it with you so you can copy your choices onto your official ballot,” Corley said.

Also, some polling locations have changed, and voters affected by those areas received new registration cards. However, people who haven’t maintained a current address with the elections office may not have received that information, and could end up at the wrong location when it’s time to vote.

Florida is a closed primary state, meaning primaries are usually closed only to members of specific political parties. However, the primary race for Pasco County Commission District 4 between Republicans Mike Wells and Henry Wilson is an open race, meaning anyone — no matter their party affiliation — can vote.

Also, races for county commission and school board might be assigned geographic areas, but everyone in the county is eligible to vote for them, whether they live in those areas or not.

“With plenty of advanced notice and proper preparation, there should be no reason to forgo one of the greatest freedoms afforded to all Americans,” Corley said.

 

Demands from sheriff, other departments, could raise taxes

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Pasco County is losing deputies and command staff at an alarming rate, Sheriff Chris Nocco said. It’s a crime he says can be solved only one way: more money.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco already commands more than half of the county’s taxpayer dollars, but he’s looking for more. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco already commands more than half of the county’s taxpayer dollars, but he’s looking for more.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

About $6 million more, to be exact, bringing the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office closer than ever before to that $100 million budget threshold.

The Pasco County Commission, however, might not be ready to surrender those dollars just yet. But Nocco believes commissioners can’t wait any longer to get a handle on making salaries more competitive in his department with surrounding counties.

“I got two more letters of resignation today,” Nocco told commissioners in a meeting last week. “It is heartbreaking when you have people leaving, and they say it’s about the money. I know it’s a tough situation.”

Salary increases alone would require an additional $2.6 million in funding, and that’s money the county doesn’t really have — unless it raises taxes. But commissioners say they have other departments also expressing a legitimate need for more money.

“I know it’s expensive for you to train your deputies and have them leave. It is very frustrating to see that happen,” Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said. “But we have increased demand on our staff with development picking up, and it’s hard for us. We have to go out there in the market and compete with the private sector.”

Yet, it’s not new hires the sheriff’s office is watching depart, but instead people with experience, Nocco said.

“We are not losing the one- or two-year person to Pinellas, we’re losing people with six to seven years experience,” he said.

That may be enough for Starkey and other commissioners to warm up to the idea that a property tax increase may be needed to get everything paid for.

“I am for having a better-funded county government,” she said. “Local government is not the same as our federal government, where I think there is a lot of waste. We have no hidden money, we have no extra money. We are all scraping by barely.”

The amount of taxes collected equates to about $420 per resident, which ranks Pasco above just 12 other counties, according to one study cited by Starkey.

“Our libraries, our parks, the quality of life, all at $420 per person,” she said. “It is pretty darn tough to have a premier county at that kind of level of taxes.”

Commissioner Henry Wilson agreed.

“In 2010, when I ran for the first time, I said the millage rate was too low to sustain us, and I still agree to this day that the millage rate is too low,” he said. “I would rather the sheriff’s office be 55 percent of our budget than the tax collector or the supervisor of elections. Our No. 1 goal is public safety.”

All of that has created tremendous burdens on county employees from across various departments, burdens that many are looking to get lifted this budget cycle. But it could be difficult to accommodate everyone’s requests.

“We want to continue to support public safety, but a lot of our other departments have suffered because of the financial constraints that we have been under,” Commissioner Ted Schrader said. “The economy seems to be recovering … so we’re trying to facilitate that so that we can add tax base and continue to provide that funding.”

Only part of the money Nocco seeks would go to pay raises. The sheriff also wants to earmark $333,000 to overtime, and another $300,000 for maintenance on the department’s helicopter, and to purchase a $94,000 night-vision infrared camera.

Nocco has worked to lower costs in his department, primarily through privatization. And he said he’ll continue to look for ways to reduce costs as he moves forward as well.

“It’s hard to compete,” Nocco said. “We are not putting milk, bread and potatoes on the table for our families. When people are leaving to go to Pinellas, they are leaving strictly because of pay.”

Commissioners could see a first draft budget for the next fiscal year in July.

Published June 25, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Voters to decide between Wells, Wilson in August

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There was not too much drama as the qualifying period for candidates seeking office this fall, except for the fact that one Pasco County Commission race will be decided in August after a last-minute write-in candidate decided to withdraw.

Commissioner Henry Wilson Jr. will defend his District 4 seat against Mike Wells Jr., during an open primary in August that will allow all voters — no matter what their party affiliation is — to decide between the two Republicans.

Wilson, who was first elected to the commission in 2010 after a major upset of incumbent Michael Cox, is working hard to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Wells — the son of current county property appraiser Mike Wells Sr. — has significant name recognition because of his family ties, and has already raised $45,600 in his short run so far, compared to just under $24,000 from Wilson.

But money has never worried Wilson too much. In his first race, he raised just $8,700 — pennies compared to the massive $163,000 campaign war chest collected by Cox, who at the time was the lone Democrat on the commission.

Typically, two Republicans in a race would prompt an August primary where only Republicans can choose who will go on to the November election. Instead, however, all voters will have a chance to decide between Wilson and Wells, the winner claiming the District 4 seat.

Grady L. Peeler Jr., a tax preparer in Trinity, filed early Friday ahead of the noon deadline to be a write-in candidate for the race. If he had qualified, the Wells/Wilson primary would’ve closed to just Republicans, with the winner on the November ballot to face Peeler. With the primary winner the most likely candidate to win against a write-in candidate, that would’ve left the decision on who represents District 4 to Republicans, leaving both Democrats and independents out of the mix.

Peeler, however, withdrew his candidacy almost as quickly as he filed it, reportedly because of residency issues.

The only other county commission race is District 2, the seat currently held by the retiring Pat Mulieri. Ken Littlefield, Mike Moore and Bob Robertson have all qualified for the Republican primary in August, with the winner facing Democrat Erika Remsberg in November. If Remsberg were to win, she would be the first Democrat to serve on the commission since the departure of Cox in 2010.

New stalemate could kill gas tax increase yet again

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Getting new county road projects underway, as well as maintaining the ones already built, is likely going to require an additional $8 million this coming year. But a new battle on exactly how to raise that money has put two Pasco County commissioners on opposite sides of the debate.

Henry Wilson is continuing a controversial stance he took last year, saying he won’t support raising the local gas tax, and instead wants to explore other revenue sources including an increase in property taxes.

Ted Schrader, however, has no interest in raising property taxes, and says a 5-cent increase in gas taxes will shift the cost of maintaining the roads to the people who are using them, and in most cases wouldn’t even be passed on to the consumer anyway.

It’s a battle where Wilson has an early advantage, not because of support from other commissioners, but from a caveat that any gas tax increase requires the approval of four of the five commissioners, while a property tax increase of this size would only require a yes vote from three.

“People buy gas periodically, but when they get their (property) tax bill, they remember that,” Schrader said during a recent meeting at the Historic Dade City Courthouse, interrupted several times from quick power blackouts caused by a thunderstorm outside. “When you start incrementally adding on all these different assessments, they are going to remember that.”

Wilson says the county needs to increase revenue by $8 million, but “not via the gas tax.”

The debate erupted at the meeting after County Administrator Michele Baker tried to lock down how much commissioners were planning to spend on roads this year. The additional amount of revenue needed ranged from $5 million to $8 million, with the lower number possibly forcing some future road building projects to be delayed or cancelled altogether.

Earlier in the meeting, county budget manager Dan Risola told commissioners that even if the gas tax increase was passed on to consumers, it would equate to $7.50 annually for every penny. A 5-cent increase would mean an additional $37.50 annually, or $1.56 more per fill-up on a typical car that’s fueled up twice monthly.

The recommendation to use the full 5 cents also came from a group of community leaders led by Heidt Design president Patrick Gassaway.

“We like user fees for things like transportation,” he said. “It puts the burden where it should be.

“To tell elected officials that their best route is to increase taxes is, of course, something we recognize as a difficult thing for you to do. It is a lot like saving for college, but it is a great investment, and we all benefit from it.”

Using all 5 cents available to the county in gas taxes could have other positive effects as well, Gassaway said. If the county looks to get state or federal funding for projects, officials can show they’ve done everything they can locally to raise money by using the tools available to them.

Gas stations are not adept to raising prices just because of increases in taxes because they are focused on selling a specific number of gallons, Baker said.

“It would translate to the folks that were buying beer and Slurpees and cigarettes,” she said. “It’s inside the convenience store where they truly make the profits.”

Also not fully convinced about looking at a full gas tax was Commissioner Jack Mariano, but his position has shifted a bit from last year when he voted against any gas tax increase.

“It is a very complex subject,” he said. “Developers are going to get mad at us for not using the gas tax, and then you look at the regular people who is going to pay the tax.”

Mariano, like fellow commissioners Pat Mulieri and Kathryn Starkey, are willing to explore a mix of gas and property tax increases to hit the $8 million mark, although Mulieri has indicated she would go a full 5 cents in gas tax if needed.

Schrader, however, would have to convince both Mariano and Starkey to raise the gas tax to 5 cents to get the four votes needed. But Mariano has hinted in the past that he likely wouldn’t go higher than a 2-cent increase at the pump.

If Schrader refuses to vote in favor of any gas tax increase below 5 cents, commissioners would not have enough votes to raise the gas tax at all. That would mean looking almost exclusively at a property tax increase.

“We have to stop fighting one another,” Mulieri said. “This has been a good board, but it deteriorated two weeks ago. I see that wind blowing, and nobody is going to change their mind right now.”

Published June 18, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

County roads could get boost through gas, property tax hikes

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Henry Wilson was dead set against an additional tax on a gallon of gas last year, and he’s not changing his mind now.

However, the Pasco County commissioner could be alone in his convictions this time, as commission chair Jack Mariano hinted he might support raising that tax by 2 cents per gallon.

With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax. (File Photo)
With county roads needing repair, Pasco County commissioners seem poised to add at least another 2 cents to its county gas tax.
(File Photo)

That would all but ensure the gas tax in Pasco County would go up, as four of the five commissioners are required to support it. Mariano had joined Wilson in opposition of it last year, which many — including their fellow commissioners — have blamed for continued deterioration of county roads this past year.

“When I went through this last year, I was asking how much do we really need, and how much do we really want,” Mariano said at a commission workshop last week. “I didn’t want to put in a tax that was going to keep reoccurring if we didn’t need it.”

A 2-cent gas tax raise would alone generate about $3.2 million. However, the county is looking to increase revenue by at least $5 million to stay at the same level of road work as last year, or even as much as $8 million to fully get the county back on track.

The only other way the commission could raise that kind of money is by levying additional property tax to homeowners in the county. Supporters of the gas tax say it’s more fair because the people using the roads are the ones paying for it, whether they live in the county or not. Opponents fear the additional tax would be passed to consumers, and that drivers will wait to get to a neighboring county with cheaper gas before stopping at the pump.

Mariano, however, isn’t convinced that a property tax increase would be needed to raise an additional $5 million or even $8 million. Instead, he wants to use reserve funds — the county’s financial fallback in case it runs out of money — to wipe out the shortfall instead.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey didn’t like that idea at all. “I don’t see how you do operation and maintenance out of your piggy bank,” she said.

But Mariano believes the reserve fund is not following its original purpose, which he says is to keep tax rates low during tough economic times by using saved cash sitting in the bank.

Starkey wanted nothing of it, citing her past experience on the Pasco County school board, and how she saw business being done with neighboring districts.

“We did not go into that,” Starkey said of the reserved funds. “I saw other school boards get into that, and they expected the state to bail them out when they got in trouble. Those school board members were not making a hard vote to have a balanced budget by going into their reserves, and they got into trouble. To me, that is very bad fiscal policy.”

Commissioner Ted Schrader was ready to do more than that, willing to commit to a 3-cent gas tax, and to limit raising property taxes to as small a number as possible.

“You raise the millage rate, you may not hear it, but I hear it,” Schrader told Mariano. “It’s even higher for non-homestead property, and higher for business and retailers.”

The commission would raise more than enough money to meet its needs by increasing the gas tax to as much as 5 cents. However, that move would not have the support of either Mariano, who says he’s limited to 2 cents, and Wilson, who is against a gas tax increase at all.

A 2-cent increase would cost motorists an additional $15 annually, or 29 cents a week assuming they filled the tank weekly and gas stations pass those increases to motorists. To hit the $8 million mark, commissioners would have to raise property taxes at least 0.25 mills, which would have an additional financial impact of $12.66 on a home valued at $100,000 that also carries $50,000 in exemptions.

Commissioners will have to come to some kind of a consensus before the end of the month. County Administrator Michele Baker said she starts putting together next year’s budget just after the July 4 holiday.

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who supports raising the gas tax, said it’s important to get this issue decided before work begins on the budget.

“You’re never going to make everyone happy in this world,” she said. “You just have to do what you believe is the right thing to do.”

Published June 11, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Developers, Andreychuk set to unveil new ice sports facility

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As the ink dries on sales documents conveying key land to its new owners near Interstate 75 and State Road 56, hockey great Dave Andreychuk and other dignitaries will gather Thursday to unveil plans for a new 150,000-square-foot, four-pad ice and multi-sport facility.

Andreychuk, who won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, is one of several special guests expected to attend the unveiling for media and members of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce. A public groundbreaking is expected to take place in August.

The facility will be located just off Cypress Ridge Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, and will be developed by Z Mitch LLC, a company run by Gordie Zimmermann.

Among the dignitaries joining Andreychuk and Zimmermann to launch the project will be retired NBA shooting guard Anthony Parker, as well as retired Tampa Bay Rowdies star Jack Shannon.

The event also will include county commissioners Jack Mariano, Kathryn Starkey, Pat Mulieri, Ted Schrader and Henry Wilson; state Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby; Wesley Chapel chamber president Jeff Novotny; and hockey team representatives from the University of South Florida, Mitchell High School and Wiregrass Ranch High School.

The facility, tentatively called Ice I-75, is expected to be a boon to the growing area just off Interstate 75, not far from where an outlet mall is scheduled to start construction.

Its development team includes Deborah Tamargo from ROI Commercial Property Brokerage Inc., Skinner Brothers Realty Co., Keith Appenzeller from King Engineering, Michael Slater from Triad Consultants, Mark Jonnatti from Jonnatti Architecture, Jeff Novotny from American Consulting, John Hagen and John Walsh from Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc., and the Pasco Tourism Council.

County may try anonymous code enforcement complaints

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Tired of seeing a neighbor’s car up on concrete blocks? Worried that snakes are finding a paradise in a home’s overgrown yard on your street?

Code violations are not just something that makes a neighborhood ugly, but can make it unsafe as well. Old swimming pools, like this one, create a hazard that could injure people, especially children. (Courtesy of Joaquin Servia)
Code violations are not just something that makes a neighborhood ugly, but can make it unsafe as well. Old swimming pools, like this one, create a hazard that could injure people, especially children.
(Courtesy of Joaquin Servia)

Making a complaint to Pasco County’s Customer Service Department requires a name, address and telephone number. But it might not be that way for long.

Pasco County Commissioners are exploring the idea of allowing the option to report code violations and other problems anonymously. It would help encourage neighbors to keep Pasco looking good without the fear of retaliation. But not everyone on the commission is on board.

“I am very concerned with going anonymous,” Commissioner Henry Wilson said during a workshop last week in Dade City. “I think it would be a huge burden to the (code enforcement) officers, but I will defer to them. If they think it’s the better option to do that, then I would be willing to look into it.”

Joaquin Servia, Pasco’s code enforcement manager, said moving to a system where someone didn’t have to give their name when filing a complaint could require more money and manpower than his department currently has.

“There is a real chance that just accepting pure anonymous complaints is going to increase the number of frivolous complaints we get,” Servia said. “It could just turn into spite, a neighbor-on-neighbor-type of dispute that gets elevated to where now you can use government to club your neighbor over the head.”

However, many people don’t complain about problems they see in their neighborhoods, because the fear of reprisal is just too great, Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said.

“When they call in to complain, their cars get keyed and they get trash thrown in their yards,” she said. “Seems to me that we can do a mixture of these two (named complaints and anonymous), where we could take down the number and information of the person making the complaint, but not give it out.”

Except the county would not be able to do that, Servia said. Even a code enforcement complaint is public record, and government would have to comply with public records laws in releasing that information to anyone who asks for it, even the neighbor that’s being reported.

“Then I would rather do anonymous,” Starkey said. “If we have more work, then it’s because we have a lot of need.”

While official complaints do require names and contact information, there are ways to get around that, Commissioner Jack Mariano said. One of those ways is to reach out directly to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and many times they will forward complaints without including the name of the person making the complaint.

Doing that, however, would require the person know how to step past the requirements, which many likely would not.

Patrick Phillips, a code enforcement field supervisor, told commissioners that any jump in workload would be difficult for his people to absorb.

“With the resources we have available to us now, we would not be able to do it,” he said. “Complaints that come in through homeowners associations and citizen calls, a good portion of the time, the complaint is not valid. Is that a waste of resource? Yeah.

“So if we were to take anonymous complaints across the board, we are going to take a look at a spike in that,” Phillips added.

Mariano loves the sweeps code enforcement conducts from time to time, because not only will it take care of a problem neighborhood, but it also causes surrounding neighborhoods to shape up because they are concerned they’ll be targeted next.

Yet, sweeps hitting property after property in a specific area require a lot of manpower, which pulls them away from everywhere else.

“We have to draw about 50 percent of our resources to do that,” Phillips said. “That’s 50 percent of our county that is not being covered. So what we gain ground here, we’re losing ground over there.”

Commissioner Pat Mulieri, who wasn’t at the workshop, will likely be the swing vote on any decision with code enforcement. The commission itself was split with Starkey and Mariano leaning toward allowing anonymous complaints, and Wilson and Ted Schrader against it.

The commission did not set a timetable on when it would be addressed again.

Published May 21, 2014

In Print: Take a trip to Bok Tower Gardens

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It’s a place of beauty. It’s a place of serenity. It’s a place of history.

The 205-foot Singing Tower is the architectural centerpiece of Bok Tower Gardens. Those who enjoy fine craftsmanship will find plenty to appreciate, and those who enjoy carillon music can enjoy two half-hour concerts daily. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
The 205-foot Singing Tower is the architectural centerpiece of Bok Tower Gardens. Those who enjoy fine craftsmanship will find plenty to appreciate, and those who enjoy carillon music can enjoy two half-hour concerts daily. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

Bok Tower Gardens has been a part of Florida since before the interstate highway system criss-crossed the region, becoming a popular stop since it opened in 1929.

But even before the park opened, there were some who didn’t believe the Lake Wales landmark would survive the year, let alone decades.

“There were a lot of naysayers who said you couldn’t plant on a sand hill and it would be hard to keep things alive,” Bok Tower Gardens president David Price told reporter B.C. Manion.

Instead, it became a gift from The Ladies Home Journal editor Edward W. Bok to Florida, and is one that keeps on giving.

Too see some of the great images of gardens, and find out if it’s worth the trip, check out this week’s print edition, which you also can read online here.

Speaking of beauty, Pasco County commissioners want to keep their county looking as amazing as possible, and it might mean making some changes to the way residents can report code violations.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey wants to give residents a chance to report violations anonymously, similar to what other communities inside the county do. This, she said, would allow for more people to become involved, without fear of retaliation.

But not everyone is convinced.

“I am very concerned with going anonymous,” Commissioner Henry Wilson said during a recent workshop in Dade City, as reported by Michael Hinman. “I think it would be a huge burden to the (code enforcement) officers, but I will defer to them. If they think it’s the better option to do that, then I would be willing to look into it.”

What do the other commissioners think? Check out this week’s print edition, or read the story online by clicking here.

And finally, Bruce Hockensmith and his crew of flag wavers have made their home in front of the Old Lutz School every Friday for more than a decade. And all they want is for people to remember there are service members in harm’s way overseas, and they continue to need our support.

“If you stand here and watch us, you’ll hear the horns honking and see the lights flashing,” Hockensmith told reporter Michael Murillo. “It’s like a silent majority, people who support the troops.”

Get the full story in this week’s Lutz News, which you can read online right here.

All of these stories and more can be found in this week’s The Laker/Lutz News, available in newsstands throughout east and central Pasco County as well as northern Hillsborough County. Find out what has your community talking this week by getting your local news straight from the only source you need.

If The Laker/Lutz News is not coming to your door, call us to see where you can get your copy at (813) 909-2800, or read our free e-edition by clicking here.

Moore tops Wells in monthly campaign fundraising

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Last week, Mike Wells Jr. set a new monthly fundraising mark in this year’s Pasco County Commission race with an initial haul of $20,700.

That record would not last for long. Mike Moore, who is running to replace Pat Mulieri in District 2, topped it with an April where he raised $22,300. That’s nearly double his best previous month of November 2013, and brings his total campaign war chest to just under $73,000.

At least $13,000 of that month came from people and companies involved in real estate sales and development. It included a $500 donation from Barbara Wilhite, a former deputy county attorney in New Port Richey who now represents various developers.

Moore’s fundraising lead increased significantly over his Republican competitors, former state Rep. Ken Littlefield and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson. Littlefield raised $2,200 in April, while Robertson collected checks totaling $551. That brings Littlefield to $4,400 overall, and Robertson $11,411.

Commissioner Henry Wilson, who Wells is facing in his District 4 race, continues to trail his new opponent when it comes to fundraising. Wilson raised just $200 in April, bringing his total to $19,245.

All of these candidates will face off against each other in the August primaries. The winner of the District 2 race among Littlefield, Moore and Robertson will battle Democrat Erika Remsberg in the November election, if no one else files to run, while Wells and Wilson are looking at an open primary where the winner there will claim the commission seat.