Getting out the vote
Pasco County supervisor of elections Brian Corley visited Sunlake High School recently to encourage seniors there to get out and vote. The mid-term elections are Nov. 4, which includes several local races, and Corley shared how important it is to vote in all elections.
Can Moore raise too much money?
A huge $22,500 haul from developers and real estate professionals over the last two weeks has given Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore his best fundraising week of the campaign, raising a whopping $34,250.
It easily dwarfed the $600 his Democratic opponent Erika Remsberg raised during the same period, bringing Moore’s total for the campaign over $166,000.
However, more than 65 percent of that total came from individuals and companies involved in real estate, development and related industries — something that made Moore a target during his primary campaign from opponents who said they refused to take any money from companies who might be looking for a vote on the commission.
Moore also has paid out more than $123,000 — outspending Remsberg 19-to-1.
Moore has raised the most money since Ronald Oakley’s failed attempt to unseat Ted Schrader in the 2012 commissioner race brought in just under $243,000. He’s closing in on John Nicolette, who collected $170,500 to battle Schrader in 2008, and passed Michael Cox, who raised $162,600 against Henry Wilson Jr. in 2010.
However, despite all that money raised, Moore may not necessarily want to be included in that elite club: Oakley, Nicolette and Cox all lost to candidates who raised less than they did.
Schrader had two of those wins, but Wilson’s in 2010 was significant, because he had raised just $8,700 — just 5 percent of Cox’s total.
Remsberg so far has raised just 5 percent of Moore’s total.
Voters will make the final decision between the two on Nov. 4, with the winner set to replace the retiring Pat Mulieri.
Candidates at Republican Club
The Republican Club of Central Pasco will meet Oct. 22 at 6:30 p.m., at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.
Speakers will include state House District 38 candidate Danny Burgess, as well as Pasco County Commission candidate Mike Moore. Burgess faces Beverly Ledbetter in his race, while Moore is up against Erika Remsberg.
For information, call Steve Graves at (813) 996-3011.
Swiftmud lowers tax rate
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s governing board adopted its millage rate for the coming year at 0.3658 mills, down 4 percent lower than the previous year.
That means the owner of a $150,000 house with a $50,000 homestead exemption would pay $36.58 a year. The total budget for the year is $166.3 million.
The budget, according to officials, is designed to protect the state’s water resources and to improve Florida’s economic vitality.
The agency, commonly known as Swiftmud, also will leverage $75 million of its funds through cooperative partnership, as well as public and private partners. The funds are matched to make $150 million available for alternative water supply development, and other water resource management projects.
On top of that, $12 million is budgeted for springs initiatives, and another $6.4 million in state funding is designated for water supply activities to reduce groundwater withdrawals and improve water quality.
