Skip to main content

Tag: 2024 election

Letter to the Editor: Thanks for voting

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Letter to the Editor, Opinion.

I would like to do a big “shout out” to all the islanders that showed what passion and dedication can do; how a community can rally together, put political differences aside and come together for a common cause.

A special thank you to all of you that put signs out, made phone calls, waved signs, donated and worked the polls. We could not have done this without you.

Election Day was one of the best performances by our cities in years. You showed up and voted.

A special thank you to Commissioner Diggins for taking a shift and to new candidates Carol Whitmore and Mike Roth for coming out and talking to residents.

We have proven that grassroots works. Our voices can be heard. That our little city has a big voice.

Now the next chapter begins. We still need to get some of our candidates elected in November.

The good guys have been given the opportunity to make a difference.

 

 

Renée Ferguson

Holmes Beach

Editorial: Fresh air

Written by Sun staff on . Posted in Editorial, Opinion.

The red stripes on the American flag are intended to remind us of the sacrifices made by members of the armed forces who died to enable us to – among other things – get a good education and vote.

A lot of people don’t think their vote counts, and some of them don’t vote as a result- only about a third of Anna Maria Island voters did.

But last week, a whole new group of elected officials started on their way either to an elected office or to the November election, thanks to voters who believed their vote counts and who bothered to vote.

Those who were elected are not the old guard or the good ol’ boys, which comes as a bit of a surprise, fresh air-wise.

If you’re of the opinion that your vote doesn’t count, think about that before the November election.

Come to The Sun’s candidate forums on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Holmes Beach City Hall at 6 p.m. and on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at Anna Maria City Hall at 6 p.m. and get educated.

Then vote.

You might be surprised.

Holmes Beach commissioner seeks re-election

Holmes Beach commissioner seeks re-election

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioner Dan Diggins is seeking another term on the dais with the goal of establishing a better relationship with Manatee County and Florida state leaders.

“My number one goal is to have a better relationship with the county and the state because whatever we’ve been doing, it’s not working,” Diggins said. He added that he has talked with Rep. Will Robinson Jr., who suggested the city give a little on some county initiatives. One of those initiatives that Diggins is in favor of pursuing is a water taxi landing area. He said he feels that he might be the only elected official in the city who is willing to say he supports the concept of a water taxi landing.

“If you support the concept, then the plan will come,” Diggins said.

One county project that he’s not willing to bend on is a proposed multi-level parking garage at Manatee Beach. Diggins said the addition of a parking garage wouldn’t alleviate traffic to the beach. He also noted that the project is currently unfunded by the county.

“There’s plenty of parking,” he said. “We don’t really restrict parking like they do in Bradenton Beach and Anna Maria. We don’t charge for parking. We mark our parking spaces. We welcome visitors to come in and enjoy the beaches. We really do welcome the people.”

He also said he doesn’t support consolidating the three Anna Maria Island cities into one. Diggins said he thinks consolidation could have been done several decades ago, but now it wouldn’t be beneficial to the cities or fiscally responsible. He said now it would be more expensive to consolidate the cities than it would be to maintain the three city governments, though he could see some benefits in consolidating some services among the cities. One thing that concerns him about the consolidation talks, he said, is that any cost savings would come at the expense of people’s jobs.

One change he would like to see is a lower millage rate.

Diggins noted that the city has done a lot to build up reserves but he feels those funds are in good shape and the taxpayers deserve a break, along with a lowered city budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

If re-elected by voters in November, Diggins said he plans to continue bringing an open mind and willingness to hear both sides of an issue to the city government.

“One thing I can do when I’m up there on the dais is I can argue both sides of most of the issues. I’ve done that several times, I’ve argued both sides and I think that’s the sign of an open mind. I see this at the county level when I attend their meetings. Their minds are already made up, it doesn’t matter what people say,” Diggins said. “I actually listen to what the people say. I listen to all the facts and then I make a decision. My decision’s not made ahead of time and I purposely argue two sides of most issues before I make up my mind.”

Newcomer ready to take mayoral seat

Newcomer ready to take mayoral seat

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Mike Roth may be a political newcomer on Anna Maria Island, but he has plans for what he’d like to see in the community if residents vote him in as mayor in November.

“I’ve been on-Island for over 20 years,” Roth said, noting that he and his family visited almost every weekend from their primary residence in Tampa. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said their Holmes Beach house became their primary residence and it’s a move that neither he nor his wife have regretted. Roth made his career in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret before making the move to the Army Reserves and switching careers to banking. He said he still works as a banker with an office in Tampa though he enjoys working from home most of the time and says that his work and his training with the Reserves will not impact his ability to serve as the city’s mayor.

In fact, he said his retirement from an active military life is what enabled him to be able to run for mayor. “I’ve had people say you should run for mayor, but I couldn’t. Now I can.”

Once he retired from the military, Roth said he began attending city commission meetings and was happy giving suggestions during public comment until the parking garage at Manatee Beach discussion came up.

“It doesn’t even make sense to me why we don’t have someone outside of the Island agreeing with us that it’s a waste of money, it’s going to environmentally impact a great location and it’s going to be a real pain in the butt for Manatee County residents who normally park in that lot to not be able to use it for a couple of years while the construction is going on.”

When Mayor Judy Titsworth went to Tallahassee to speak with lawmakers before the bill was passed and didn’t sway any votes, Roth said he felt the city was facing a serious issue.

“That’s when I was like there’s something wrong,” he said. “I’ve got to figure out what it is and I’ve got to do something about it because I’m that person.”

Roth said a new injection of ideas and solutions could be what the community needs.

“No one comes here to start their political career,” he said, adding that, after speaking to some community members and Manatee County leaders, he feels that he can help to mend relationships with other political leaders.

“They made it very clear to me that it’s one individual,” he said, noting that while he doesn’t have an issue with any elected officials in Holmes Beach, some local politicians do, something that he would hope would change if he was elected as mayor.

“You can find creative solutions to bring both parties closer together or you can just ignore it,” Roth said. “From an outsider’s perspective, they believe that we’re not willing to compromise, we’re not willing to do anything to help Manatee County.”

One of his primary goals would be to create a better relationship among the city, the county and the state.

“We are their largest capital contribution but we have the smallest voice,” he said, noting that there are so few voters on the Island that without some give and take with Manatee County leaders, consolidation of the three Island cities would happen.

Roth said county leaders would like to have an Island-wide planner or manager, one person who would oversee planning and building to help bring agreements among the three cities to handle Island-wide ordinances. He said environmental impact would be another item that could be handled by the Island manager.

Over the next few years, Roth said it’s imperative for the three Island cities to work together and see what services can be consolidated and where resources can be shared, another goal of county commissioners.

“Manatee County is telling us they want us to do that,” Roth said. “The fact that we don’t want to do it doesn’t mean we just ignore that. And that’s going to be our problem. We have to have some level of compliance with the state of Florida and with Manatee County. We have to be able to communicate with them and keep them updated on what we’re trying to do because otherwise they can do something drastic like what they’re trying to do right now. I do believe both of those (consolidation and the parking garage) can go away. The biggest concern I have is, and I’ve asked the outside parties if they can wait until after the fifth (Nov. 5) because I really am just offering my capability, because if I don’t get elected, that’s fine. The powers that be have already told me what they plan on doing if I don’t win and I’m like okay, well the Island will be very different. May be good, may be bad, but most likely bad, in my opinion. And that’s what worries me. It’s not about me. It’s not about I’m so much better, so much smarter, so much faster. I’ve got a lot of experience in leadership and in business. I think both of them will apply here very rapidly. I do believe we have a good city government in general, I just think it needs a more professional way of handling things outside the Island and better communication with the county and the state of Florida.”

Other goals, he said, would be to incentivize owners to give city center businesses a facelift to make the area more appealing, work to conserve the environment and create better solutions to stormwater and tidal flooding.

Submit your questions to Roth for The Sun’s candidate forum at news@amisun.com.

New weather reality threatens local waters

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors.

Reel Time was conceived as a fishing column, a way to spread information on a passion that you and I as anglers and environmentalists share. I include environmentalists because with time, you begin to understand that protecting the resource is protecting the quality of the fishing we love. We all take up rod and reel in the hopes of catching fish, but for most anglers, just being “out there” is a big part of the experience. That experience has evolved for me, as reflected in this column’s emphasis on advocacy.

Now another threat has arrived in the form of huge sewage and wastewater releases occasioned by storms that bring rainfall amounts that easily overwhelm the failing infrastructure. While these have been referred to as 100-year storm events, the reality is they are increasing all over the world as temperatures rise. Case in point, the two “unprecedented” rain events that occurred in the last month. Then-Tropical Storm Debby alone resulted in 25 million gallons of wastewater and sewage being released into the Manatee River.

New weather reality threatens local waters
Raw sewage bubbles from a manhole on its way to the Manatee River during the passing of then-Tropical Storm Debby. – Submitted | Alex Conyers

Suncoast Waterkeeper Executive Director Abbey Tyrna was right on target when she made the following statement, “Florida’s wastewater technology is alarmingly unprepared for the increasingly frequent extreme weather events. The recent tropical storm with torrential rainfall is not an isolated incident; we’ve seen the devastating aftermath of Hurricanes Ian and Idalia, which led to massive amounts of sewage entering our surface waters. The pressing question is: how are state and local governments preparing wastewater infrastructure for the next extreme weather event? The state should collaborate with local governments to elevate infrastructure, create additional storage, ensure adequate backup power at lift stations, innovate filtration technology and reduce inflow and infiltration. Regrettably, these necessary actions are not being taken. Instead, the state is drafting rules that will place this outdated industry in charge of our drinking water supply. For more details, refer to the FDEP rulemaking site here and our comment letter here.

“Florida’s history of prohibiting references to climate change has set us back decades. We remain unprepared and will continue to be until we have leaders who prioritize resiliency on the Suncoast and throughout Florida. How many more storms must we endure before meaningful action is taken? We need leaders who have the vision to comprehend what needs to be done to protect our waters and can marshal the forces to make the changes.”

Tyrna is right on target and this need for leaders with vision circles right back to you and me, the voters. Unless and until we vet our candidates, and demand action and accountability, we’ll see the continued loss of the resources that enrich our lives and are the foundation of our economy. Vote water.

Sun to host candidate forum

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Holmes Beach.

HOLMES BEACH – Meet this year’s mayoral and commission candidates at The Anna Maria Island Sun’s Holmes Beach Candidate Forum and get your questions answered.

The Sun is hosting an in-person candidate forum on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. at Holmes Beach City Hall, 5801 Marina Drive.

City commission candidates including former Manatee County Commissioner Carol Whitmore, Planning Commissioner Steve Oelfke, incumbent Commissioner Dan Diggins and newcomer Bill Romberger are scheduled to attend to answer questions from the community in a public forum. Questions begin at 6 p.m. with a mayoral candidate forum beginning immediately afterwards.

Holmes Beach mayoral candidates Mike Roth and incumbent Mayor Judy Titsworth will discuss their plans for the future and the current issues facing the city.

While The Sun has some questions for the candidates, we also want to ask the candidates your questions. Please submit your questions to The Sun at news@amisun.com and specify if they should be asked during the commission or mayoral forum. All questions submitted for the candidate forum will be asked anonymously during the forum and candidates will not have access to the questions beforehand. Candidate questions must be submitted no later than Monday, Aug. 26 to be included in the forum.

If you can’t make it in person, the forum will also be streamed live on The Sun’s Facebook page with on-demand replay available after the event concludes.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

MANATEE COUNTY – The access code to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections’ tabulation and ballot storage room will be changed to prevent Interim Supervisor James Satcher from entering that room because he is a candidate in the primary election.

The access removal occurred during the Aug. 6 Manatee County canvassing board meeting at the request of congressional candidate Eddie Speir and other meeting attendees. During the meeting, the canvassing board determined the Clear Ballot auditing system Satcher recently purchased will not be used in the primary election, which concludes on Aug. 20 with early voting and mail voting already underway.

ACCESS REMOVED

Speir is running against Vern Buchanan in the 16th congressional district Republican primary. Speir attended the Tuesday morning canvassing board meeting and recapped the meeting in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. In his Facebook reel, Speir expressed concerns about Satcher’s connections to political consultant Anthony Pedicini and a political action committee chaired by Pedicini.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed
Congressional candidate Eddie Speir requested Satcher’s ballot room access be removed. – EddieSpeirForCongress.com | Submitted

“James Satcher is connected and receiving money from Anthony Pedicini and the developers. Because of that, I’m immediately concerned about access to ballots. James Satcher has already broken rules and protocols that are put in place to ensure the integrity of the election. The tabulation and the ballot storage room are critically important. Nobody’s allowed in there alone, but Satcher said he is allowed to do this.”

While addressing the canvassing board, Speir said, “I request that James Satcher have his access removed from the room. I think that would go a long way to building voter confidence – the same way Mike Bennett did.”

After a brief discussion, Satcher agreed to abide by the same non-access protocols former Supervisor of Elections Mike Bennett practiced when he was seeking reelection.

“They’re changing the code so he does not have access to the tabulation room and the ballot storage room and vote by mail. This is huge, thank you very much,” Speir told the board.

CLEAR BALLOT DELAYED

Bennett retired on March 1 with nine months remaining in his four-year term. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Satcher – a sitting county commissioner with no experience supervising an election – to serve the remainder of Bennett’s term. DeSantis chose Satcher over Bennett’s longtime chief of staff, Scott Farrington.

Farrington resigned after Satcher’s appointment but had already launched his election campaign to serve as Bennett’s elected successor. Farrington and Satcher now face each other in the Republican primary that will determine who serves as Supervisor of Elections for the next four years.

On July 25, Satcher issued a press release announcing the purchase of the Clear Ballot audit system.

According to the press release, “A third-party, independent audit of 100% of our election results is going to help secure our elections and increase voter confidence and trust in the election process. The system utilizes high-speed scanners to rescan and tabulate ballots for a comprehensive verification of results, completely independent of the primary voting system.”

The system cost $179,615, plus an additional $25,000 for software.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed
The Supervisor of Elections office purchased the Clear Ballot audit system in July. – Manatee County | Submitted

The canvassing board consists of County Court Judge Melissa Gould, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office General Counsel Eric Werbeck and Bradenton City Councilwoman Lisa Gonzalez Moore. According to the public notice issued in advance of the meeting, the board was to conduct a logic and accuracy test of the tabulating equipment and reporting software to be used during the election, including early voting. Speir videotaped the board meeting and shared some of his footage in a Facebook reel he posted later that day. Speir’s footage included public input given by Farrington.

Satcher access removed, Clear Ballot delayed
Former Chief of Staff Scott Farrington stressed the need to follow established election regulations and protocols. – VoteScottFarrington.com | Submitted

When addressing the board, Farrington said he hadn’t heard them reference administrative rule 1S-5.026. The rule includes the procedures manual for a post-election certification voting systems audit. It also establishes the requirements and procedures that canvassing board members are to ensure are followed and gives the board the responsibility and authority to decide whether the Clear Ballot system is used.

“I have not heard a motion on whether or not you’d be using this audit system,” Farrington said.

Farrington expressed concerns about the meeting notice not referencing the Clear Ballot system.

“The rule requires the canvassing board to conduct a test of the automated system. I’m unaware that the canvassing board has done so,” Farrington said.

He also said, “I am concerned about the security procedures and whether or not they’ve been updated to accommodate early voting ballots. My understanding is that early voting ballots will be processed on an ongoing process before the end of the election. I believe the security procedures must be changed to accommodate the security of those ballots as they are coming back and the seals are broken and they are processed through the system,” Farrington said.

Speir’s video footage didn’t include the board’s actual vote. When contacted later in the week, Farrington confirmed the board voted 3-0 to not use the Clear Ballot system for the primary election because the public notice for the board meeting didn’t reference it.

“They didn’t look at any of the other things that I mentioned because the notice wasn’t proper for the audit system,” Farrington said.

He also noted the Supervisor of Elections is required to maintain security measures that include the security of early voting ballots as they’re transported, tabulated and stored.

“I could not see where those had been adjusted to accommodate the movement of the ballots that was going to be required for the audit,” Farrington said. “What normally happens is they seal the early voting ballot at the early voting site, transport it back to the elections office and then they’re stored. For the audit, they’re going to have to break that seal, process them through the audit equipment, reseal them and store them. Those are extra steps. I’m not saying it’s impossible to do, I’m just saying the security procedures are supposed to be written so everybody knows what security measures are in place.”

He said he later obtained a copy of the security procedures that had not been adjusted accordingly.

Farrington expects the Clear Ballot system to be used for the general election in November.

“There’s plenty of time for them to do everything properly and use it in the general election. I was not objecting to the use of the Clear Ballot. I was just asking the canvassing board to make sure all the requirements had been met if they were going to use it,” Farrington said.

Related coverage: Elections office implementing Clear Ballot audit system

Guest Column: Vote to end destruction of nature

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

My name is Brice Claypoole. I’m 16 years old. I have a deep love for our nature and a passion for protecting it. I’ve been following Manatee County politics – and their impact on our community and environment – for several years. I get involved where I think I can make a difference, like advocating for mangroves and wetland buffers. It’s been a frustrating experience, with a Board of County Commissioners (BCC) that consistently serves special interests at the expense of their own constituents. If you follow local politics, you probably know the routine – lots of people speak out against a detrimental project only to have their comments fall on deaf ears. How did our BCC come to abandon fair representation?

It began in 2020, when Commissioner Vanessa Baugh introduced a major sponsor of local political campaigns, developer Carlos Beruff, to political consultant Anthony Pedicini. Beruff has long been involved in Manatee politics where he is frequently accused of using campaign donations to effectively “bribe” commissioners to make decisions friendly to his development business.

Beruff and Pedicini formed a plan to take control of the county commission, Beruff funding several candidates while Pedicini acted as their consultant. They funneled tens of thousands of dollars into misleading attack ads smearing opponents. Their strategy paid off when Baugh was elected, along with developer-funded candidates George Kruse, Kevin Van Ostenbridge and James Satcher.

The new board majority hit the ground running. Likely under the direction of Beruff, they immediately fired our highly qualified county administrator and began the unprecedented move of completely reshaping county government. This new BCC’s goals were to consolidate power and eliminate all barriers to development, which became even easier when developers took the entire board in 2022.

The takeover was marred by scandals, mismanagement and corruption. Commissioners were investigated for theft, ethics violations and Sunshine Law violations. Baugh admitted to corruptly abusing her power to obtain COVID-19 vaccines and resigned shortly after to be replaced by former developer lobbyist Raymond Turner.

A FORK IN THE ROAD

The most prominent developer-controlled commissioner is Kevin Van Ostenbridge (aka KVO) who won a seat in 2020 and soon became board chair. Van Ostenbridge has unwaveringly served special interests who bankroll his campaigns. He has faced ethics complaints and potential Sunshine Law violations. In 2023, he served 90 days probation for theft of a bougainvillea plant. One of his biggest controversies is his attack on home rule in Holmes Beach and threats to build a parking garage against the community’s will.

Van Ostenbridge continuously shows contempt for those who oppose his actions, such as during the 2022 scandal where he called former Commissioner Besty Benac an obscene name. He provoked outrage again in a 2023 hearing when he called me a “political pawn” of “communists” due to my support of wetland protections. It was a stunning moment for me to realize that Van Ostenbridge did not care about his constituents, apparently viewing children as an obstacle to his agenda.

Another commissioner elected in 2020 was George Kruse. Then a political ally of Van Ostenbridge, Kruse often voted with the pro-developer block. He faced several high-profile controversies culminating in a car crash and accusations of driving under the influence in April 2022. Kruse denied the allegations and was never charged with DUI.

Since the incident, Kruse’s votes began to diverge from the board majority. “I heard the perception of me,” Kruse wrote in a recent Substack. “I saw the outrage against me. I spoke with people in our community and outside of it who were impacted by drunk driving. I took these to heart. I reevaluated my life with sincerity. I made a renewed vow to focus on doing the right things for the right reasons… I know I’m a substantially better person today as a result of April 2022. I can’t change the past. But I’ve made every effort to change the future.” Kruse has shown intelligence, humility and a willingness to learn. Despite mistakes, he has grown as a commissioner and become the voice of the public on an otherwise unhearing board.

Now Van Ostenbridge and Kruse are up for reelection, facing off in an unprecedented race between incumbent commissioners. Van Ostenbridge and Commissioner Raymond Turner are joined by Beruff and Pedicini’s two other candidates, Steven Metallo and April Culbreath, in running expensive developer-funded campaigns. Rather than engaging with the community ahead of the election, these candidates are relying on their unlimited funding and mass attack ads against their opponents.

Kruse joins Republican challengers Talha Siddique, Robert McCann and Carol Felts in contending against the status quo. Instead of taking developer money and churning out negative mailers, these candidates are running grassroots campaigns, talking with community members and promising a return to representation and responsible policy making.

THE TIPPING POINT

The impacts of bad governance are real and tragic. We have suffered from increasing traffic, irreversible loss of green space and degrading water quality. I have seen the collapse of seagrass meadows and the destruction of mangrove forests. Lyngbya algae choke waterways each spring, and red tides kill wildlife. One of the most awful things I’ve ever seen is dead sea turtles lying on the beach during red tide. It astounds and saddens me that our commissioners continue to let this happen.

If Van Ostenbridge and allies win this election, it will show that local politicians have to sell their souls to developers and turn a blind eye to the community’s suffering. Developers will maintain control of the BCC, and the public will continue to have little say in policymaking. The impacts on our community – the failing infrastructure, the traffic, water pollution and lost resources – will be irreversible. What will be left when my generation assumes responsibility for this land?

If, on the other hand, people wake up to the influence of developers and look past Pedicini’s misleading mailers, then we can turn things around. If Kruse and other community advocates win, it will prove that you can successfully run a clean, grassroots campaign. We can elect the candidates who promise to rebuild Manatee County’s government, restore integrity, and immediately work to save our county’s natural wonders.

I don’t have a vote, but as someone who will inherit the legacy of today’s decisions, I feel a responsibility to speak out. Now, it’s up to you to take back Manatee County from developers. How can you help? First, share this article. Everyone has to be informed about the state of Manatee politics if we are to turn things around. And make sure you vote on Aug. 20!

Here are the candidates I recommend.

DISTRICT 1: CAROL FELTS

Carol Felts is an eighth-generation Floridian who promises to fight over-development and conservatively steward tax dollars. Felts has been active in local politics for years, often speaking at commission hearings and advocating for community-friendly policies.

DISTRICT 3: TAHLA “TAL” SIDDIQUE

Tal Siddique served with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and has a record as a Republican community leader. He brings a focus on accountability, public safety and environmental protection.

DISTRICT 5: ROBERT “BOB” MCCANN

Dr. Bob McCann is a physician and veteran of the U.S. Navy. The most important issues for him are protecting our environment and improving the quality of life for residents. He is focused on protecting parkland, reducing overdevelopment and traffic and supporting local veterans.

DISTRICT 7: GEORGE KRUSE

Commissioner Kruse is the only incumbent commissioner with a history of fighting for the community rather than pandering to developer interests. He has successfully raised impact fees, supported veteran housing projects, and worked to rein in reckless development. Kruse’s record shows a responsible public servant deserving of a second term.

SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS: SCOTT FARRINGTON

Along with BCC races, the Supervisor of Elections is an essential race this year. Developer-controlled incumbent James Satcher has showed that he’s dangerously anti-democratic, making it imperative to vote for highly qualified challenger Scott Farrington. Farrington has over two decades of experience running elections. As a Certified Elections Administrator and Master Florida Certified Election Professional, he promises to bring integrity and security to the office.

– Bryce Claypool

Local candidates meet and greet potential constituents

Local candidates meet and greet potential constituents

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Featured, Manatee County.

CORTEZ – Karen Bell hosted five candidates running in local political races at a meet and greet event at the Star Fish Co. dock on Sunday evening.

Invited candidates were Scott Farrington (R) for Manatee County Supervisor of Elections; Charlie Hackney (R) for Manatee County Property Appraiser; George Kruse (R) for Manatee County Commission District 7 at large; Tal Siddique (R) for Manatee County Commission District 3; and Carol Whitmore (R) for Holmes Beach City Commission.

“I decided to do this because I am concerned about the current state of our local government and thought it would be good for people to have an opportunity to meet these candidates who I know personally and respect,” Bell said.

Farrington, who has more than 20 years of experience in the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office as chief of staff, spoke first.

“This election is important to make sure there are accurate and secure elections,” Farrington said. “I believe that experience matters, doubly so, when it comes to elections. I have 20-plus years in elections, in Sarasota County for 10 and in Manatee County. That experience gives me the ability to run the elections office and in a way you expect the elections office to work.”

Farrington, a Republican, reminded those assembled to vote in the Aug. 20 primary.

“In order to vote in the primary, you must be a registered Republican,” he said. “I understand some of you may not be Republican, but understand in the primary a 30% turnout is considered really good, so that means the winner is going to be selected by less than 30% of the Republican party. It’s your choice, but if you want to have a say, vote in the primary. I’m not asking you to switch parties.”

Charlie Hackney, Manatee County’s property appraiser for 32 years, is running for another four-year term.

“If I get elected, we can keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past 30 years, what I’m proud of,” Hackney said.

George Kruse spoke next.

“I’m at large so everybody in Manatee County will have me on their ballot Aug. 20,” Kruse said. “This is having a voice in your government and you’ve lost a voice in your government. Every year it’s getting chipped away more and more and more.”

Without mentioning names, Kruse spoke about the Manatee County Board of Commissioners.

“Those people don’t actually care about you, they don’t answer your calls, they don’t answer your emails,” Kruse said. “You need to fix that. This year is incredibly important. In the supervisor of elections race you have somebody in there now that has no business being there.”

“We’re not hoarding money from developers and LLCs who tell us to do what we’re told,” Kruse said. “We’re not sitting on our couch with mailers full of lies going out. We’re here speaking to you and hearing your concerns so we can govern for the next four years.”

Tal Siddique spoke next.

“I’m running to be your next grassroots commissioner,” he said. “If you’re a registered Republican and you live in the district, you can vote for me in the primary. I want to see a new generation of leadership.”

Siddique referenced a benefit for boat captain Marty Lee in Cortez on Saturday night.

“In no other town in this country have I seen that,” he said. “This is old Florida. When we see a problem, we fix it. That’s what I want to see happen on this board.”

“We need good people on this board,” Siddique added.

Carol Whitmore spoke next.

“I’ve been there done that, I was mayor of Holmes Beach, city commissioner and county commissioner. I came back to the Island after I lost my election to Bearden and I worked for a year and a half raising money for a non-profit. I cannot live in Holmes Beach and not try to repair the relationships with what’s going on. They’re trying to consolidate the Island because of one person,” Whitmore said, adding, “I promise you this is my last time in public service.”

Jonathan Lynch (NPA), candidate for the Manatee County School Board, was invited but unable to attend.

Vote water

Vote water

Written by Rusty Chinnis on . Posted in Outdoors, Reel Time.

Readers of this column are well aware of the critical state of our coastal waters in Manatee County and beyond. The Dapis (lyngbya) blooms that have persisted from 2020 to this year have brought the issue front and center as the harmful algae bloom choked waters and fouled the air and seagrass beds from the Manatee River to Palma Sola Bay and beyond.

I’ve mentioned in recent columns that these insults to Florida’s environment point to the lack of political will to effect the changes that are necessary to preserve our environment and the economy it supports. The recent move by the Manatee County Commission (Commissioner George Kruse being the lone dissenter) to allow developers to build closer to wetlands at a time when we should be doing just the opposite defies reason. At a state Waterkeeper weekly Zoom meeting a couple of years ago, Florida Sportsman Editor Blair Wickstrom addressed their most recent efforts to elicit support for their Vote Water Initiative. The efforts dovetail perfectly with what groups like Waterkeeper are seeking to address. This advocacy is a continuation of the magazine’s long involvement in protecting Florida anglers’ interests. Florida Sportsman Founder Karl Wickstrom and the magazine have been on the front lines continually lobbying for common sense rules and regulations.

Their plan resonated with me immediately, so I reached out to Wickstrom to hear more about Vote Water’s goals. He responded quickly with a passionate and well-reasoned argument. “If you had to pick one reason for the lack of success in protecting our state’s water from continual degradation, it would have to be lack of political will from our elected officials to get something done,” said Wickstrom, vice president of Vote Water.

“What we have in the state of Florida (and Manatee County) is a political problem, not a party issue, but when it comes to fixing the state’s water, the political problem requires a political solution,” Vote Water President Ray Judah emphasized. “Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. If you truly want to have clean air, clean water and public officials that represent the public interest instead of the special interest, the people that vote need to be informed.”

That’s the same argument I’ve used on these pages, pointing out the shared responsibility we as voters have to effect much-needed change.

The Vote Water initiative highlights not only politicians’ votes but also the amount of money they accepted from special interests. That “dirty money” is a part of the Voter Guide that the organization wants to spend more time on going forward. As the adage says, you have to follow the money. It’s clearly the case in politics.

“In order for people to be represented, to have a true democracy, we need to help make taking money from a special interest, such as the phosphate industry, toxic,” emphasizes the organization.

Don’t be fooled into believing what candidates promise, especially as the election approaches. If you care about our coastal resources don’t vote Democrat or Republican. Check the candidates’ voting records on the water we drink and that the fish we pursue swim in. If we don’t, we may well be voting against our self-interest. The future of fishing in Florida and the economy hangs in the balance. VOTE WATER!