FiscalRangers.com Central - Lake County, FL - Friday, March 12, 2010
by Vance Jochim
Whooo boy, politics in Lake County are fun. This is an issue you won't find in the local papers - they rarely cover the juicy stuff.
So, the "Right Side of the Lake" blog supported by Romac Lumber, sour orange and rotten orange lovers, many builders and written by Romac VP Don Magruder attacked incumbent Lake County School Board member Larry Metz (Republican) for nominating another Board member, and known Democrat, Cindy Barrow, to be Chairperson of the Board this year. That actually happened the end of last year, and
since I attend most Board meetings, she has run the meetings fine without any liberal takeover.
Since the School District Board member positions are "NON-partisan", this rarely is an issue on the School Board. And, since Barrow was already Vice Chair, it is normal, and courteous to nominate the Vice Chair to the Chair position the following year. As Larry explains below, Barrow was the most logical choice for the next Chairperson of this NON-partisan Board. Although some information about Barrow's liberal interests may be correct in the Blog's article, much of it is all outside the School Board activities. Only once in the past 3 years have I seen much of a blatant partisan action by Barrow, but the other side was involved also.
That is what happened, and all was running smooth.
But, you see, Metz had previously been Board Chairman in 2007 and had to supervise the impact fee calculation and then submit recommendations to the County Commission to approve them. Metz and the Board have a responsibility to see the schools provide adequate classrooms to kids, and so they figured out what it would take, and made recommendations for a boost in Impact fees to the County Board, PLUS they asked for more impact fees to pay the approximate $30-million of interest being paid on over $200-million in school bonds that were used to pay for schools before the Impact fees became a prime source of funding. The builders don't want impact fees which ensure adequate schools and roads are constructed in time for the population growth resulting from all the new buildings, so anyone pushing impact fees, even if justified, will be attacked by them as "anti-business".
And, that aggravated the land developers and builders, who basically want to develop land for houses and buildings and not contribute to schools etc. at the time of construction. They want a reduced fee or subsidy (with waivers or deferrals), and want all taxpayers to pay later (or go into debt with more bonds) for schools and roads after their projects have been sold. That is what happened in the past and is why the School Board now has over $200-million in bonds that are being paid off. You have to get the funds from somewhere to pay for schools and roads, and impact fees are now the main methods for doing so in Florida (which is a separate controversy).
So, they were ticked at Metz, AND Barrow for voting for Impact fees, AND now they also support a different candidate running against Larry for Florida State Rep District 25.
So, now you have background on how this blog operates...they don't say any of that in their attack, but only focus on the minor issue of Metz nominating Barrow and saying he is a liberal by association. They do some good research in some of their articles, but they are off base on this one. Basically, if they say someone is a liberal and anti-business, you have to understand their definition includes anyone who supports School or Road Impact fees or supports limits on development and restricts zoning changes. Actually, I think there are some builders that support pay as you grow taxes, but the Right Side guys make so much noise, all builders end up being painted with the same viewpoint.
So, here is Larry Metz's response to the Right Side of the Lake blog attack, and below that is the link to the actual blog article. I personally support Larry Metz because he has provided leadership in a number of School Board issues, including fiscal issues that are the focus of THIS blog. And, when Metz talks below about his turnaround of the Board's initial plan to vote for an optional "quarter mill" property tax in 2009, he is right. I was there at all the meetings, and his logical presentations provided enough factual evidence the Board decided NOT to support the original proposal for a quarter mill tax increase in 2009 that was really pushed emotionally ("all the roofs are leaking...and the kids will drown...") by the Unions to get more funds available for wage increases (my opinion). This quarter mill issue will probably come up again this year, and it was caused by the STATE legislators stealing a quarter mill of taxes dedicated to County schools, but saying the School Board could vote to hike local taxes again.
Since the builders and land developers are such a big lobby, you think the Right Side guys would go after the county's State legislators, since the State is the one that keeps reducing school funding, increasing the need for impact fees or the pending vote on a quarter mill tax, but they don't. Or, you think they would have stood up to the recent approval of teacher wage increases without any public discussion or input, which will increase pressure to increase taxes, but they didn't. And, the Right Side guys keeps using statistics trying to compare Lake County Impact fees to lower ones in other states. But those states have income tax, and we don't. So they don't compare.
Oboy, what is next in local politics...
PS: I already have a long white paper draft written on the school's impact fees and new requests by developers to defer them...it will be posted this coming week.
Vance Jochim
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Response from Larry Metz to the Right Side of the Lake article - received by email
Once again Don Magruder, the registered agent and manager of Citizens for Better Government, L.L.C., has leveled a personal attack against a public official using The Right Side of the Lake Newsletter, which he does often. Usually he reserves his most bombastic attacks for women office holders because, based on past experience, they choose to ignore him. Ignoring such attacks is not the practice of this office holder.
Don Magruder’s latest criticism is that at The Lake County School Board’s organizational meeting in November 2009, I nominated the sitting vice-chairperson, Cindy Barrow, to be chairperson for 2009-10. Don Magruder argues that I should have opposed Ms. Barrow serving as chairperson because she is a registered Democrat.
First, some undisputed facts. There are five School Board members who by law must run in non-partisan elections. Four of those members are registered Republicans. It takes three votes to elect a chairperson. The chairperson’s main duties are ceremonial and involve approving meeting agendas prepared by the superintendent and conducting the meetings. While wielding the gavel a chairperson cannot make motions or second the motions of others. For a chairperson to advance any agenda item to a vote of the board requires the support of at least two other members. The chairperson does not have autocratic power over the school district.
As vice-chairperson for 2008-09, Ms. Barrow was next in line to be chairperson. She was also the next most senior board member who had not already served as chairperson. The outgoing chairperson had given an eloquent farewell address and never expressed a desire to serve a second consecutive term. I had already served two terms as chairperson. The other two members just completed their first year on the board, and neither expressed a desire to skip the vice chairmanship and become chairperson in their second year. I did nominate Ms. Barrow for chairperson, and that motion was seconded and passed by a vote of 5-0 with no conflict or debate. The absence of bare-knuckled partisanship in this decision of School Board is explained by these facts as well as a longstanding tradition that, absent special circumstances, the vice-chairperson becomes chairperson.
Since Governor Jeb Bush appointed me to the School Board in 2004, I have strived to be a calm voice of reason during School Board meetings. I know all too well that mean spirited pettiness, distinguished from principled but civil disagreement on substantive issues, has no place in public service. Moreover, to inject mean spirited pettiness could actually harm our school district by creating conflict on the board and a loss of focus on the education of students. In my view, it would have been petty and mean spirited not to advance Ms. Barrow into the chairperson position based on her party registration and even assuming she has liberal leanings. It also would have been disrespectful to the 77% of the voters who elected her in 2006. For these reasons I do not apologize for my motion or vote, and I defend the unanimous vote of my colleagues. It was the right thing to do, and reflected good boardsmanship.
This vote does not mean I am not a conservative, or that I have not fought for conservative principles. I am, I have, and I will continue to do so. For example, when Ms. Barrow first led the fight for increasing ad valorem property taxes in July 2009, the School Board voted 4-to-1 to preliminarily approve an approximate $5,000,000 increase. You would not know it from reading The Right Side of the Lake Newsletter, but I was the sole vote in opposition! Over the summer I held firm in my opposition despite concerted pressure from many to do otherwise. My opposition to the proposed property tax increase remained consistent through the final budget hearing in September 2009, when two other board members joined me in defeating it. During the debates I did not personally attack Ms. Barrow - I opposed her position on the merits.
Don Magruder’s attempt to label me as a “liberal” and a “political predator” are flagrant misrepresentations of me and my record. My unforgivable deed was voting in 2007 to approve Lake County’s new school impact fee study, which was the basis for determining the amount of that fee. The ability to impose a school impact fee to close the gap in capital funding is the only way that a school district like ours can meet the need for student stations caused by growth without raising property taxes on those already living here. Consistent with this principle, I have supported the school impact fee while opposing higher property taxes.
Since my appointment, I have consistently applied common sense conservative principles to my service on the School Board. I have pushed for greater transparency and accountability in our finances, authoring policies establishing a citizens’ audit committee and a formal audit process. During my two terms as chairman I led the School Board through a detailed line-by-line review of our budget, questioning department heads and cutting their budget requests to keep our budget balanced and our emergency fund healthy. (Such review has become our standard practice.) Also, I authored a policy to set standards and accountability for the issuance and use of mobile communications devices, which resulted in hundreds of cell phones and other devices being cancelled, creating a monthly savings of approximately $7000 per month after the first year. And, as stated previously, I have consistently fought attempts to raise property taxes. As my mother used to say, “Actions speak louder than words.” When it comes to fighting for conservative principles and putting them into action, the record shows that I have delivered.
Don Magruder’s latest rant should be viewed for exactly what it is: a blatant attempt to malign my record and reputation as a qualified and committed conservative. It was particularly disingenuous to list Ms. Barrow’s support for raising property taxes and imply that she and I had the same position, when in fact I opposed her position. As such, it was a shameless use of the tactic of guilt by association in an attempt to fool voters and help my opponents in the August 2010 Republican primary for State Representative. Voters are smart and savvy, and they will not fall for such a trick.
Thirty-four years ago I became a 21-year-old officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. I learned that Marines fight not just for right and freedom, but to keep their honor clean. As the saying goes, “Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Accordingly, when I am wrongfully attacked I will fight back, against both those who launch the attacks and those whom they intend to benefit.
Larry Metz
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Political advertisement paid for and approved by Larry Metz, Republican, for
State Representative, District 25.
(Editor's note - Metz did not pay or ask for this FiscalRangers.com blog entry - we provided it in the common interest - but his notice is required by election laws - vj)
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You can find the Right Side of the Lake article about Metz HERE.- end -