The LAKER
ee r F
EAST PASCO EDITION
LAKERLUTZNEWS.COM
JUNE 24, 2015
Florida could decide next president By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
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Predictions as to which Republican candidate will come away with the prize of the national party’s presidential nomination is an impossible task this early in the race. But there is no doubt that Florida will be a pivotal state in a hard-fought 2016 election, according to Susan MacManus, a University of South Florida political scientist. “There’s not another state in the country that will be this competitive,” she said. “It’s considered a bellwether, a microcosm.” MacManus addressed about 30 people at the Conservative Club of East Pasco on June 15 at the group’s monthly meeting in Zephyrhills.
By Kathy Steele
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
The city of Zephyrhills lost its bid to purchase Hercules Park, but there is hope still that a large swath of the park and its aquatic center can become city property. The Pasco County School Board unanimously voted to begin negotiating the park’s sale with developers from Gh&G Florida LLC. Their bid for $2.3 million topped Zephyrhills’s bid of $1.7 million for the 15.5acre park. But Deputy School Superintendent Ray Gadd said any deal brought back to the school board must stipulate that between 10 acres to 11 acres of the park would be donated to the city of Zephyrhills. The acreage would include a fitness trail, the children’s playground and the aquatic center. School board member Allen Altman said he agonized over his vote. He explained: “We just don’t have the ability to turn down additional money right now.” The school district is recovering from significant budget cuts resulting from the economic crash in 2008. The lack of funding for capital improvement projects is critical,
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Developers could buy Hercules Park; donate land
Auto Accident? Slip and Fall?
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Susan MacManus, a political scientist at the University of South Florida, offered insights into the 2016 presidential race to members of the Conservative Club of East Pasco.
The Interstate 4 corridor will be key to carrying the state, she said. Gov. Rick Scott had just a 1 percent edge in votes along I-4 in his re-election victory over former Gov. Charlie Christ in 2014. And, past presidential elections were decided by about that same slim margin. “Almost half of registered voters are between Pinellas County and Daytona Beach,” MacManus said. Florida mirrors the nation in demographics such as population age and diversity among registered voters, though not among total population. It is a myth, MacManus joked, that people in Florida are 95 years or older. Also untrue
A jungle gym, picnic table and swing set go unused at Hercules Park, which was closed by Pasco County four years ago for lack of funding.
KATHY STEELE/STAFF PHOTOS
A fence, with a stop sign, blocks vehicles at the former entrance to Hercules Park. A faded sign lists park rules.
said school board member Cynthia Armstrong. “It is our constitutional duty to do fiduciarily what is best for our people, our students, who are also the people in Zephyrhills,” she said. Other board members echoed those sentiments despite impassioned pleas from Zephyrhills’ Mayor Gene Whitfield and others to accept Zephyrhills’ bid. “I’m disappointed,” Whitfield said. “We want the park. We’ll do everything we can. We’ll wait to see what they offer and proceed from there.” Prior to the school board’s vote, Whitfield recounted the park’s history. He described a “handshake” agreement nearly 50 years ago between Hercules Powder Co. and the school district that the park would be used for children and for education but not for commercial use. At one time Hercules Powder Co. was the largest employer in Zephyrhills. The company processed pine stumps into rosin, turpentine and pine oil on about 80 acres. The property later became sites for the park, Zephyrhills High School and Woodland
Elementary School. Some residents had feared that a gas station would be built on a corner lot at U.S 301 and County Road 54, adjacent to the park. But a $1.7 million bid from Del Lago Ventures Inc., affiliated with Race Trac Petroleum Inc., was rejected. Belleair Development Group, with a $1.6 million bid, also lost out. “Something needs to be worked out, because we in Zephyrhills need that (park),” said resident Fern Williams. “I’m not even seeing what your vision is with a gas station on that corner.” In April, school officials announced plans to put the corner parcel on the market for commercial sale. Zephyrhills’ City Council previously agreed to rezone the site with expectations that the school board would consider leasing the remaining acres to Zephyrhills for $1 a year for 100 years. City and school officials have somewhat different recollections on what happened next. Gadd said as far back as 2011, the school See HERCULES, page 11A
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Citizens’ coalition to pursue charter commission By Kathy Steele
segments of Pasco County. The existing panel has been widely criticized for its nearly exclusive makeup of white A group of residents critical of current ef- men. Only one woman serves on the panel. “We’re ambitious,” Colson said. “We think forts to determine Pasco County’s future government structure are banding together we can do it in three months. We’ve set a to follow their own path toward a charter- goal.” The group hopes to forge an alliance style government. On June 8, the newly formed Pasco with State Rep. Richard Corcoran. The lawCitizens Charter Coalition announced plans maker pushed Pasco County commissioners to gather 45,000 petition signatures needed to create a charter commission back in to establish a charter commission. If success- January. Under state law, a charter commission – ful, the commission would be a counterpoint to the 15-member charter once established – must write a charter that panel appointed by the Pasco Commission then has to be put on the ballot for voters to decide. County commissioners could not and the legislative delegation. Members had a press conference outside make changes to the document. The appointed panel, in contrast, is nonthe Dade City Courthouse shortly before binding with a final decision of what, if the start of the panel’s second meeting. “We want to keep government simple… anything, goes to voters in the control of and answerable to the people,” Clay Colson, a county commissioners. community activist, and a former Independent The panel will consider issues such as candidate for the Pasco Commission, said in term limits, single-member districts and an interview. “We want government to be one whether to allow an elected county adminthat gives citizens control, not one that gives istrator or mayor. Members can take as long government control of citizens.” as 18 months to complete their task. Meetings to date are scheduled into July. Colson said the petition is being drafted Corcoran could not be reached for comwith language that will make clear that the charter commission should represent all ment.
ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
In March, he sent a letter to Chairman Ted Schrader naming the legislative delegation’s five appointments to the panel. “We strongly urge you to make the commission’s report binding,” he wrote. But he also complimented Schrader for statements that county commissioners would distance themselves from the panel and “not micromanage.” Coalition members have not met with Corcoran as yet, Colson said. The lawmaker in recent weeks has been in Tallahassee attending a special session of the Florida legislature. “We’re waiting until he is back in Land O’ Lakes,” Colson said. The coalition and Corcoran don’t agree on every issue. Corcoran has said he wants an elected county administrator, but coalition members want to keep that a non-elective position. Other issues supported by the coalition include term limits, single-member and atlarge districts, a $250 limit on campaign contributions, nonpartisan elections, ethics reform and a process for residents to recall elected officials. The petition will be promoted through social media and online.