Tavares, FL (Lake County, FL) Monday, August 25, 2014
Update Aug. 26, 9am: We have corrected 3 bloopers as noted below.
If you haven't voted yet, below is our reminder and fiscally conservative recommendations for Lake County, FL (no cities). Forward this to anyone who you think could use the information.
But first read this NOTE: DID you get your property tax TRIM notice this week and see how high the proposed tax is? The Lake County Board is having a workshop tomorrow (Tuesday) on the pending budget and proposed 18% tax hike. If you want to give them your opinion, call, write or go to the meeting and give public input. You will have to do that at the BEGINNING of the 10am meeting (not 9am) when public input is allowed. The workshop could be 1-3 hours later. This is a workshop, and not the TWO required public hearings which are the final votes on Sept. 9 and Sept 23rd at 5pm in the County Admin building. Plan to be at BOTH meetings. Here is where you can find a copy of the proposed budget
Update: 4pm: We got this superb 5 page analysis of all the alternatives to the County millage rate increase from Curt Binney, a CPA in South Lake County. Download, print and read it. It should give you more reasons to raise hell with the four County Commissioners (Jimmie Conner, Welton Cadwell, Tim Sullivan and Sean Parks) who voted to put the 18% proposed tax hike on your TRIM notice. They sure did not go through such an exercise to look for alternatives.
Download 2014-08-25 Binney stop millage increase
My Local Lake County, FL Election Recommendations - VOTE on Tuesday if you have not voted
Governor
Of course, you want to vote for Rick Scott to keep Charlie Crist AWAY from bungling up Florida again.
Lake County School Board we need experienced BUSINESS people who know budgeting and can make decisions and hold Administrators accountable. These positions are non-partisan and ALL the candidates are against Common Core.
Tod Howard - re-elect him
Bill Mathias - re-elect him
Nancy Muenzmay - Elect her to fill the vacancy from Kyleen Fischer leaving the position. She has significant budget analysis expertise, economic development experience, plus Board experience (on a bank) and a Master's degree.
District 31 Florida House District (Apopka, Mt. Dora, Eustis, Tavares and nearby areas)
Our long article on this race and the candidates is HERE.
But the short answer is I recommend a vote for Jennifer Sullivan
Judges ( I have met both and most opponents):
Terry Neal (incumbent) - no reason to replace her
Circuit Judge: Mary Hatcher (oops - not the incumbent)
Lake County Commissioners
Leslie Campione is the lone candidate on the Republican ticket, so she won't be on the ballot, but vote for her in the November General Election. She is the incumbent and has initiated a number of sound conservative actions. She also is the lone Commissioner that did not vote for the pending 18% property tax hike. Her opponent, an NPA, but really a Democrat, supports all the tax hikes pending.
Sean Parks had no opponent at all, so he has won and is not on the ballot. Thus you cannot even put my name as a write in just to make him nervous.
Lake County Water Authority
Revised 8/26 - This election is NOT on the primary ballot but the Nov. General Election ballot. So look for more detailed information probably in October. Correction entered here (per John Harris - I got their mission backwards! ): They do not oversee groundwater -- that would be the St. John's Water Management District. The primary function of LCWA is to help protect and preserve surface waters in the Lake County area. Please See their website at LCWA.org for additional info.
North Lake County Hospital
All three candidates have no opponents (so may not be on the ballot) and are replacing three incumbents who all quit the Board. No one on the Board wants to do the work to get their millage tax renewed NEXT year.
