The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Mike Wells Jr.

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.

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.

Wells comes out swinging in commissioner race

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Pasco County Commissioner Henry Wilson has been raising money for his re-election campaign since last July, and has amassed a respectable $19,000 through the end of March.

Mike Wells Jr.
Mike Wells Jr.

But now Wilson will have to go into full fundraising mode because his new challenger, Mike Wells Jr., isn’t holding back. Wells, the son of Pasco County property appraiser Mike Wells Sr., has already out-raised Wilson — in a single month.

Wells collected $20,700 in April, according to election campaign documents filed with the county, the largest single-month total of any county commission candidate so far this year. In fact, Wells’ haul was the most in a single month by any candidate in any commission election since the race between Ted Schrader and Ronald Oakley two years ago where both candidates combined to raise nearly $345,000.

A good portion of Wells’ early donations — nearly $6,800 — have come from property developers and those involved in real estate, primarily in the New Port Richey area. However, he also received a $2,000 boost from Waste Aid Systems in Land O’ Lakes, including from its vice president, Thomas Peterson.

Wells has spent less than $400 in his first month, meaning he comes into May with more than $20,000 on-hand.

Wilson has yet to file his financials for April, but raised $1,900 in March. He has not spent much as well, with nearly $18,000 in the bank through the end of March.

But who has the most money may not be the final decider in this race, if the past has anything to say about it. Wilson raised just $8,700 in his first bid for county commission in 2010, and beat incumbent Michael Cox, who raised more than $162,000.

Barring anyone else jumping into the race, voters will decide between Wells and Wilson in an open primary Aug. 26.

Mariano joins Wilson in opposing elevated toll road

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In a brief email to organizers of an opposition group to a proposed elevated toll road across along the State Road 54/56 corridor, Pasco County commissioner Jack Mariano has joined in the dissent.

“I want you to share this with everyone you can,” Mariano said in an email from his personal account Wednesday morning. “This toll road is bad for residents, businesses and Pasco County commuters. I support using the available north-south connections, the rail connection to Channelside, and Ridge Road extension all the way to” Interstate 75.

Mariano, who is the current chair of the commission, sent the email to Pasco Fiasco organizer Richard Connors. Pasco Fiasco is a group of residents who live along the proposed path of a 33-mile elevated expressway that would connect Zephyrhills and New Port Richey. The final decision on whether to move forward on the project lies with the Florida Department of Transportation, which maintains the corridor. However, officials there have said they won’t approve it without the blessing of Pasco County government leaders.

The road was first proposed last year by a group known as International Infrastructure Partners LLC, and said they would privately fund the estimated $2.2 billion project, earning money back through collected tolls.

Mariano’s opposition to the project joins fellow commissioner Henry Wilson, who has spoken out against the elevated toll road for the last few months. Wilson, who is now facing a primary battle for his seat with Mike Wells Jr., recently reached out to Pasco Fiasco himself, hoping to get help with his campaign based on his elevated road position.

In sharing Mariano’s email with the rest of his group, Connors said he wanted to “thank Commissioner Mariano for his continued opposition to the Pasco elevated toll road and alignment with our group.”

Pasco County commissioners are planning to hold three public meetings in cooperation with FDOT in all parts of the county some time this summer.

Mike Wells challenges Henry Wilson for commission seat

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Mike Wells Jr. has a name that is quite familiar to Pasco County residents, thanks to his father, longtime property appraiser Mike Wells Sr.

Mike Wells Jr.
Mike Wells Jr.

And now the younger Wells wants to make a name of his own by challenging Pasco County Commissioner Henry Wilson in the Republican primary. In making the announcement, Wells doesn’t share a lot about his platform, except that he knows being a commissioner “demands hard work as well as leadership skills attuned to citizens’ needs.”

“With the blessing of my family and friends, I am committing myself to do all that is necessary to run a positive and informative campaign,” Wells said, in a release. “For most of my life, I have seen government at work. I am now ready to participate in the democratic process by doing what it takes to earn the job of representing the citizens of District 4.”

Wells will have to start by raising money, and lots of it. Wilson, who was first elected in 2010, already has a running start with more than $17,000 raised and at least $16,000 in the bank, according to election records, through the end of February. Wilson’s biggest month was in January when he hauled in $8,735, at least half of it coming from builders and developers.

Wells’ father served on the county commission himself in the 1980s and was elected the county’s property appraiser in 1996. As a commissioner, the older Wells, among other things, was a leader in creating the county’s public library system, and was a major proponent of getting Pasco County Public Transportation underway, creating mass transit options for county residents.

The younger Wells said he’s been active in political campaigns since he was 12, and has worked in both sales and management for Enterprise Rent-A-Car for 17 years.

The other active county commission race is for the seat currently held by the retiring Pat Mulieri. At this point, three Republicans and one Democrat are looking to replace Mulieri, and have all raised a combined $56,000 in that race so far.

Primary elections are set for Aug. 26.