Remsberg comes out swinging in election fundraising
Erika Remsberg has a tall mountain to climb if she even wants to come close to the amount of money her opponent has raised in the Pasco County Commission District 2 race, but she has started out strong.
The Land O’ Lakes Democrat, who is seeking to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri on the commission, raised $1,075 in the last week of August, the most in a single reporting period for her since the end of June.
As has been her style all along, those dollars were from smaller donations, averaging less than $70 each, according to campaign finance records. That brings Remsberg to just under $6,000 in cash donations compared to the more than $103,400 raised by her Republican challenger, Mike Moore.
Fresh off a primary win against former state lawmaker Ken Littlefield and Zephyrhills financial analyst Bob Robertson, Moore didn’t focus too much on fundraising at the end of August, picking up just $25 — an individual contribution from a Land O’ Lakes resident.
Remsberg immediately put her new money to use, spending more than $1,100 — with more than 81 percent of it spent inside Pasco County. She currently has less than $300 in cash available in her campaign, while Moore has more than $3,600.
Lexington Oaks town hall meeting
A town hall meeting featuring some of November’s political candidates, will take place Oct. 1 at 7 p.m., at the Lexington Oaks Community Center, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
The event will include Danny Burgess and Beverly Ledbetter, who are running for state House District 38, as well as Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg, who are running for Pasco County Commission District 2.
Also participating is Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, to talk about his new facility off Wesley Chapel Boulevard in Lutz.
Burgess buries Ledbetter in House fundraising
Former Zephyrhills mayor Danny Burgess chalked up his single-best fundraising week yet in his bid to replace Will Weatherford in the state House District 38 seat, after raising $23,275 in the final week of August.
Burgess had originally faced a primary against Minnie Diaz, but after a paperwork issue, Diaz failed to qualify and Burgess became the lone Republican candidate. That allowed him to focus his attention on the November election against former schoolteacher Beverly Ledbetter, who raised just $450 during the same period.
Burgess is finding a lot of support from political action committees and other groups. In fact, $5,000 alone came from PACs like the Committee for a Stronger Florida, the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Medical Association.
Of the rest of his money, more than $13,000 was from donors outside of his district.
Money inside his district accounted for $5,525 of his donations, or 24 percent for the reporting period, according to state campaign records.
Ledbetter picked up $250 from the Pasco County Democratic Executive Committee, and $200 from a retired Wesley Chapel resident.
Burgess has now raised $110,040 in his bid for Tallahassee, and still has more than $62,700 in the bank. Ledbetter has raised just shy of $19,000, and has more than $14,800 in cash available.
Starkey to host town hall
Pasco County commissioner Kathryn Starkey will host a town hall meeting Sept. 24 beginning at 7 p.m., at Seven Oaks Elementary School, 27633 Mystic Oak Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.
Starkey will be joined by members of the Pasco County staff, and possibly state Sen. John Legg and state Rep. Will Weatherford, as well.
Among the topics to be discussed include budget issues like the gas tax, an update on new development in the area, a new baseball sports facility, transportation issues — including Overpass Road — and new area schools.
Starkey has hosted several town hall meetings since being elected to the commission in 2012 after spending eight years on the Pasco County School Board.
For information about the town hall, call (727) 847-8100.
Free rides to the polls
Pasco County Public Transportation will do its part to help get out the vote by offering free rides to the polls on election days for the upcoming cycle.
The deal was worked out between PCPT and county elections supervisor Brian Corley, and was approved by the Pasco County Commission last week.
On election day Nov. 4, voters who present their voter information card will ride free to their local polling location. The goal is to encourage and promote participation in the election process, while also introducing public transportation as a viable option for travel throughout the county, said PCPT director Michael Carroll.
In return, Corley’s office will use available media advertising and respective websites to inform potential riders and voters how to access and navigate the transit system.
