11 minute read
Vote 2020: Pinellas County Board of Commissioners
By Laura Mulrooney
As part of the Gabber’s election coverage, we’re reviewing lesser known races to help voters make a more informed choice in November.
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In this issue, we take a closer look at Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, Districts 1, 3 and 7. The Gabber asked each candidate questions compiled by our editorial staff. Answers have been edited for style and length. Read each candidate’s full answers with this article at thegabber.com/vote.
The Board of County Commissioners governs all unincorporated areas of Pinellas County and is responsible for setting the millage rate for the county. The board approves the budgets for the clerk of the circuit court, the sheriff, and the supervisor of elections, and serves as the Emergency Medical Services Authority, the Fire Protection Authority, the Mosquito Control Board, the Countywide Planning Authority, and the Water and Navigation Control Authority.
The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners has seven members: three are elected at-large – which means they are voted on by all county residents – and four are elected by the registered voters within each singlemember district. Terms are four years.
District 1 (at large)
The District 1 seat represents northeast and mid-Pinellas County and is one of three county-wide seats. The candidates are Larry Ahern and incumbent Janet Long. Ahern did not respond to the Gabber’s questions.
Larry Ahern (Rep) – Ahern previously served Florida’s 66th District in northwestern Pinellas County from 2012 to 2018. He served in Florida’s 51st District from 2010 to 2012. Running for District 1 Board of County Commissioners, Ahern promises to uphold the U.S. Constitution and fight
Janet Long
Janet Long
JANET LONG for those rights that empower the individual and limit the government.
Janet Long (Dem) – Long is running for re-election to the Pinellas Board of County Commissioners and states that her top priorities include addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation funding and infrastructure, affordable housing, climate resiliency, and sea level rise.
If elected, what county-wide initiatives or projects would you support?
Ahern: No response
Long: Transportation. We need to find new and creative ways to fund our transportation projects while focusing on new and emerging technologies. We need to continue to build relationships at the local, state and federal level. We need to be persistent, which paid off in the recent $21.8 million federal PSTA grant for the St. Petersburg SunRunner BRT project. We also should be more flexible with how we approach transportation funding. Now it takes 10 to 20 years to get a big project done. Instead of asking the legislature for more money, we should go to the state and focus on the funding pot for Strategic Intermodal Systems. That money cannot be spent on transit unless the DOT district dedicates it and opens it up for procurement. By working with DOT Secretary Gwynn, we could make this a reality.
Expand affordable housing options. We have been leaders in the state and have set aside 8.3% ($80 million over the next decade) of the Penny for Pinellas for affordable housing in Pinellas County. These funds may be used for land acquisition or for capital projects associated with the development, construction and major rehabilitation of housing units affordable to the local workforce. We need to stay focused on this issue as it is vital to attracting and retaining young people that fuel our workforce.
Establish a Countywide Office of Resiliency to combat the threat of climate change and sea level rise and build off of our prior efforts at the county level. I led the charge to create and now chair the Tampa Bay Regional Resiliency Coalition (tbrpc.org/resiliency/)
MARIA SCRUGGS
Maria Scruggs
Maria Scruggs
Maria Scruggs
Participating in the resilience coalition has enhanced counties, cities and stakeholder organizations’ understanding of changing risks and best practices and policies for increasing resiliency. We should also focus on advocating for a statewide resiliency office. I have worked with the Florida Association of Counties (I currently serve on the Board of Directors and Chair the Urban Caucus) and intend to make this leading charge with my vice-chair of the Urban Caucus, Mayor Jerry Demings of Orange County.
Recently the Gabber highlighted a disparity in mask distribution sites between the north and south county. What will you do to ensure that the north and southern parts of the county have equal resources? What do you propose to enhance the quality of life in the southern parts of the county?
Ahern: No response
Long: We have provided more than 200,000 face masks to locations county-wide (north, mid, south and beaches) and continue to actively promote to our community partners throughout the county. A list of our distribution sites is available online (covid19.pinellascounty.org/freeface-masks), and we continue to adjust as more community locations express interest or restocking needs. If there is a specific location that is experiencing a need, we would like to know which one so we can reach
Unincorporated areas – like Tierra Verde – do not benefit from municipal support. What will you do to ensure that residents in unincorporated areas have access to resources they may not otherwise have?
Ahern: No response
Long: The General Fund unincorporated area taxable values had been projected to increase by 4.0% in FY21. The actual increase for FY21 is 5.4%. Due to the negative effects of COVID-19 on businesses throughout Pinellas County, taxable values are projected to fall by 4.0% in FY22, and then slowly increase through FY26. This means that we will need to be cautious in any/all expenditures and evaluate requests from all our unincorporated areas to ensure residents have access to the most important resources (health and safety being a priority). Increased constituent services for our unincorporated citizens is also a priority during these trying times.
The District 3 seat represents southeast Pinellas County, out to the beaches and is one of three county-wide seats. The candidates are incumbent Charlie Justice and Tammy Vazquez.
Charlie Justice (Dem) – Incumbent Charlie Justice is a native of Pinellas County and was formerly a member of the Florida House of Representatives representing the 53rd District from 2000 to 2006 and the Florida Senate representing the 16th District from 2006 to 2010. Justice has been District 3 county commissioner since 2012. Infrastructure updates, transportation, affordable housing, and economic development are Justice’s top priorities.
Tammy Vazquez (Rep) –Vazquez is a local business owner who wants to represent other local business owners and employees. Vazquez has ideas on improving tourism, public transportation, infrastructure, support for fire and police departments and support for local fisherman.
If elected, what county-wide initiatives or projects would you support?
CHARLIE JUSTICE
Charlie Justice
Charlie Justice
Charlie Justice
Justice: County-wide issues that we need to continue working [on] are infrastructure updates, transportation, affordable housing and economic development. We have made progress in each of these areas, but important work remains. All the while continuing our great strides in improving the quality of our bodies of water. Tampa Bay is now at the best quality it has been in over 50 years due to our policy and funding initiatives, but we cannot let up.
There are times and issues that the commission has county-wide authority and there are times that the commission is “the local government” for the unincorporated areas. We believe in strong partnerships with our cities and we have worked with each municipality to further their priorities.
Vazquez: Term Limits. The citizens of this county voted to institute term limits in 1996. Our local commission has never honored the vote of the people. Term limits must be instituted.
Public Safety. I am committed to fully funding our first responders and providing them with what they need to keep this community safe. I am personally committed to raising the awareness of human tracking in this county.
Truth in Taxation. Milage tax has not increased, however many do not realize that our property values have resulting in rising taxes for us all. In addition, special fees and taxes for emergency services, health care and higher service fees have been implemented.
Transportation. Improve traffic congestion and roadways in the most cost-effective way, with an emphasis on public safety and promoting local business.
Water Quality. We must protect and preserve marine and coastal ecosystems, both vital to medical research and tourism. The continual rise of pollution and sewage overflow into our waterways is unacceptable.
Recently the Gabber highlighted a disparity in mask distribution sites between the north and south county. What will you do to ensure that the north and southern parts of the county have equal resources? What do you propose to enhance the quality of life in the southern parts of the county?
Justice: We need to continue working with our emergency operations team to make sure that distribution is equitable. The county has partnered with the cities of St. Petersburg and Gulfport to make masks available. One of the first site events was at the Gulfport Neighborhood Center on 49th Street.
Vazquez: It is important to provide equitable resources across the county, however we must consider risk factors and underserved communities when allocating resources. A county commissioner’s personal engagement in disenfranchised communities is critical to realizing those needs.
Unincorporated areas – like Tierra Verde – do not benefit from municipal support. What will you do to ensure that residents in unincorporated areas have access to resources they may not otherwise have?
Justice: We have a strong relationship with leaders in the Tierra Verde community. While it is not a traditional municipal setting, under my leadership the county commission has held meetings on TV at the Tampa Bay Watch headquarters, ensured longterm stability for their fire department with approval of a contract with the Lealman Fire District. We also worked with the TVCA on improved rescue capabilities at Fort DeSoto. We have also funded safety and functional improvements to the recreation fields and are finalizing plans for a true Tierra Verde Community Center.
The main thing we can do to ensure the residents are represented is to continue to be available and listen and respond. We now have professional staff designated to respond to our unincorporated residents and the county is dramatically more responsive than prior to my terms on the commission.
Vazquez: I have already begun building relationships in several unincorporated areas of Pinellas. I see the need and have become invested in their plea for help. Building relationships with homeowners’ associations across the county is helping me better understand and put things in perspective through their eyes.
Tammy Vasquez
Tammy Vasquez
The District 7 seat represents southeast Pinellas County and is one of four area specific seats. The candidates are Rene Flowers and Maria Scruggs. Rene Flowers did not respond to the Gabber’s questions.
Rene Flowers (Dem) – Flowers says she is committed to improving student graduation rates, keeping students safe, increasing teacher and support staff pay, building and rehabilitating schools, and increasing administration diversity.
Maria Scruggs (NPA) – Scruggs promises to focus on job development, increase affordable housing options and increase job and small business opportunities that benefit the residents in the surrounding communities, and increase quality of education in District 7.
If elected, what county-wide initiatives or projects would you support?
Flowers: No response
Scruggs: The county’s budget is going to be impacted tremendously. It is going to be imperative for the county commission to take the lead in hosting county-wide listening tours for a month for the explicit purpose of hearing directly from the people, not for profits and businesses. COVID-19 did not discriminate; as public officials we can’t pretend we will know what is best for the people. Formal county commission meetings that limit engagement will not work. After hearing from the county the next step would be to prioritize services that match the needs and align with the realities of a drastically impacted budget.
Recently the Gabber highlighted a disparity in mask distribution sites between the north and south county. What will you do to ensure that the north and southern parts of the county have equal resources?
Flowers: No response
Scruggs: Please see my response to question one.
What do you propose to enhance the quality of life in the southern parts of the county?
Flowers: No response
Scruggs: Jobs that pay livable wages, affordable housing prices that are in line with the realities of working people’s income, greater accountability over the Southside CRA and the redevelopment of Tropicana Field.
Unincorporated areas – like Tierra Verde – do not benefit from municipal support. What will you do to ensure that residents in unincorporated areas have access to resources they may not otherwise have?
Flowers: No response
Scruggs: 87% of the residents of Tierra Verde are employed with a median income of $90,000, however it is important to hear from the residents of Tierra Verde as well to determine how that community has been impacted by COVID-19. There are other unincorporated areas like Lealman where the median income is an estimated $31,000. It is imperative that the county acknowledge and respond to those communities with the greatest needs. Lealman has a CRA. The county must learn from the mistakes of the City of St. Petersburg CRA and work with the residents of Lealman to ensure the CRA strategy will result in the people for whom the CRA was intended will benefit.
