Ocala City Elections: If You Were Running For Office
One of our alert bloggers reminded us that the City of Ocala election is October 18. So little campaign publicity that it almost slipped by!
Up for grabs are the position of Mayor and three City Council positions—Districts 1, 3 and 5. To get into the swing of things, here is our question of you for the City political races:
If you were running for one of the positions, what would be the most important thing you would commit to voters to improve about the performance of our City government?
Let’s have your comments. I bet some of the candidates will be looking at what you post. We will keep this section of the blog open and active through the election.
IMPORTANT NOTE TO CANDIDATES FOR THE CITY ELECTION:
If you would like to have us post a brief biography of your background, including a photo (optional). Just click on “E-Mail Us” send us your information and we will post your bio on our Home Page. Also, we are requesting that you include a concise statement concerning:
What is your position on downtown redevelopment?
In addition to posting your bio, you will also have the opportunity (if you want to use it) to communicate comments back and forth with the bloggers (voters) who post comments on our blog.
Blog Master
posted by Blog Master @ 6:45 PM
62 Comments:
As Mayor, I would commit to reducing the crime rate in the City or I will not run again at the end of my two-year term.
I would vote "no" on every request for a new residential development that was presented during my four years as a councilwoman.
If you stopped residential development in the City, wouldn't that cause the developments to spring up in the County, beyond the City's control?
Would it not be better to more closely regulate the growth? Maybe re-think the infastructure requirments, such as roads.... Is it time for city impact fees for roads?
What is is about current growth that is offensive?
I would merge the city and county fire services under one organization. There has to be savings to the taxpayers in doing this. I know one of the county commissioners jokingly suggested this at one time. It may make more sense than the reception his suggestion received.
Merge the fire departments. You have to be out of your mind! We don't even know if the EMSA arrangement works. Why go into somehing like this? I like have my own City fire department.
Bring back Susan Miller. Our city needs her more than the animals at the Humane Society.
Charles, I’m not against growth. Just very dissatisfied with what is happening.
Perhaps “transferring” dealing with the problem to the county is not such a bad idea. Maybe it’s time to take the growth planning away from the municipal governments and let a central or even regional body handle everything. Yes, I know the politicians would go crazy about this!
Since nothing is likely going to be done about anything, I would not change my position to vote “no” on all requests for new developments. They could call me the no-go on growth city councilwoman.
If Susan Miller is as smart as I believe she is, she wouldn't come back to the City Hall mess. Been there-done that!
Charles suggests impact fees for city roads and streets. That’s probably what it will come to. Our whole infrastructure seems to be going south, both city and county. Has anyone found a street leading to city hall that will assure you a “smooth trip” to city hall? I haven’t, and silver springs blvd. is an absolute mess—even though we can’t lay that entirely on the city.
So what's wrong with merging the fire departments? That is not a crazy idea.
I wonder what success other Counties have had with a unified fire dept. What do our neighbors do?
I notice one of the questions asked was about downtown development -- yet no responses. I doubt if there are 500 people in the whole city who are in favor of the expensive downtown development that the city finally threw the towel in on recently. That self serving letter from Ken McGurin complaing how the city screwed up the deal was a joke. He approved all the details in that deal and still the city turned him down. It was a bad deal. Let the free market place take care of downtown development. There is no need for any incentives.
pwf
I wouldn't worry what other communities do about fire departments. I would support anything that: 1. costs less than curent and 2. does not compromise the quality of city/county fire services. The City firemen will try to protect their ass on this one. They might have to work for a change in a combined operation.
Re the fire dept., It is always worthwhile to learn the mistakes of others. In all the "run yer business better" seminars I went to, I always learned a lot (if not more) from the bull sessions afterwards in the lounge.
You can always discard the info, but at least you had it.
I know my wife's business bldg in the city pays ZERO in fire, while my friend's identical facility in the county pays $6,000. So, lower cost to who???
Now the issue of quality is too nebulous to gauge. Maybe I could compare insurance rates. Hmmmmm. I wonder what a chat with the Ins guy would reveal
I would stay on the City Manager to strengthen the City’s financial department. Since Susan Miller left, I am not at all comfortable with some of the finance planning that is taking place. Perhaps Ms. Miller compensated for the current weakness.
Charles point about the differneces in fire assessments between the city and county is why I said: I want to keep city fire protection. Turn it over to the county and we will pay more and the county residents will likely pay less---not a good deal for a city resident.
In Re City vs county fire protection . . .
The city funds its fire and police services from the general fund and electric dept financnial contributions. So people in the city are paying for protection. As for comparisons, I have a fire hydrant in front of my house and pay less than my good friend who lives a mile away and has county "protection."
Ahh, so then those residents in the county who are on Ocala Electric and paying county fire protection are being double charge. Hmmm....
I agree with the comment about the city needing stronger financial management. Miller was very good at this--being a former accountant.
Are you saying that if I live in the county but use Ocala Electric I am paying double for my fire protection? Not sure I understand one of the above comments concerning this.
Well, you pay the county fire assessment, and you pay for utility service from the City of Ocala (plus a ten percent surcharge) and part of that money goes to pay for my fire protection in the city. So Thank You very mucgh. I appreciate your help!
Thank you very much is a correct statement! So maybe they will send both fire departments (county + city) if I ever have a fire.
I would revitalize the discussions on downtown redevelopment. Encourage more local companies to get involved in this.
I hope you will post some information about the candidates for city offices.
We have reserved some space for candidates to provide us with information. Hope a few will take advantage of this.
I would start an active campaign to annex more county area into the city.
Annex more into the city, you have to be joking! We should be going the other direction.
what are the reasons for annexing and what is the argument against it?
For annexing: more tax revenue to the city and less dependence on the county for growth management.
Against: probably don’t have the city infrastructure, services and staff to handle it. Many possible areas to annex would also likely not agree.
I still think it is a bad idea.
I met Dr. Bean this week. If he represents the quality of candidates for city mayor, the voters are in big time trouble. Glad I’m not a city resident.
What we need is a conservative woman for Mayor...
A female mayor would be great. Has the city ever had a female as mayor? Perhaps someone should convince Susan Miller to run. She is certainly a fiscal conservative.
Female mayor or male mayor, it doesn't matter to me. We just need someone good. The present group of candidates looks pretty weak to me. Maybe a dark horse candidate will appear.
Charles,
Are you for or against more annexing into the city? You asked about the pros and cons. Tell us how you feel about it.
On Aug 24, anonymous proposed annexing more land into the city.
I am in favor of annexing only the "in-fill" area -- square off the city boundaries, and eliminate all the gerrymandering that has gone on the last few years. The city does not need to annex the rest of Marion County, The city does not have the infastructure to support ANY more territory.
A good example is the downtown fiasco. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in studies and staff time to get a 5-0 vote AGAINST (finally) the proposdal to give 20 years of city tax revcenues to a developer when the infastrtcure for which those special tax revenues were intended is not available, and without the infastructre the developer could not develop a single inch of the property in question.
Oh, yeah, I know this department has said the approval will come shortly, and that department has said send the plans and we will approve them. It took 30 years to get 14th street fourlaned. It took 40 years to get North Magnolia widened and drainage fixed. Every hard rain and Tuscawillla all but over flows. The water and sewert systems in areas haven't been worked on in 50 years.
No, the county doesn't have good infrastructure either, but thre reason developers annex to the city is they can get more from the city than from the county.
Beware any more annexation. The city is already talking about a special city wide MSTU-type tax to finance fire protection. Then will come one for Police and more for whateverelse they want -- just like the county has.
--pwf
In response to Jim's inquiry, I do not know whether I favor annexation, as it seems to depend on the area to be annexed. From the City's point of view, it does not make sense unless the revenue requirments of the area sorta equal the taxes to be gained. Lets not annex a money pit.
I believe "pwf" has it right on the annexation issue.
Where are some profiles on the candidates for the City elections?
Thank goodness, Dr. Bean did not file to run for mayor. However, I'm disappointed that Chris Boyd did not file to run for city council. He would have gotten my support.
Some of you thought Dr. Bean was a weak candidate. Has anyone met Sam Riggs? He is running against Daniel Owen. Riggs seems a nice, religious man who I don’t believe has a clue about the problems of the city of Ocala. Why in the world the republican party would encourage him to oppose Owen is hard for me to understand!
Perhaps Owen isn't "right" and "religious" enough for the REC. Riggs would fill that requirement. Doesn't matter, Owen will win because he serves the people.
I believe we have a big integrity issue with "candidate Tillander". He seems to want to play games with where he lives. Not the kind of city official I want.
Daniel Owen disappointed me in his recent “cool reception” to the members of our school board who came to the city council seeking help in solving the problem of new schools created by the council’s decision to add new homes to the city. Owen’s reaction was not at all cooperative and helpful. Perhaps Sam Riggs might not be a bad replacement for Owen. At least Sam will be respectful of others.
I agree with John. No one should discount Riggs as a candidate. There are many republicans who are behind him. They don't like Owen's arrogant, "I'm some sort of big executive" persona.
I suggest we did not elect Mr. Owen for his personality. I will take bad personality over bad decisions, anytime.
The school board's approach bothers me. The have taxing power and they have impact fee power. Charged with the responsibility to provide schools, they have the duty to act accordingly. Nooooo! They don't want to raise taxes because it will offend people, and they don't want to impose impact fees, because don't want to lose political support from developers.
Now, it seems, they want the other branches of government to help them out, to do their dirty work.
IMO, the school board should appologize for their failure to properly tax, and should get on with impact fees. Once they plugged the dam, then it may be the time to ask for help. I know the school board can't raise money immediately, but a solid commitment seems in order.
I beieve Tillander's residency issue has been solved. He is an Ocala resident. Just politics to hinder his campaign. Perhaps he has a few people afriad of his presence in city council.
Charles, Charles, Charles . . . My friend, you have it all wrong.
First, the Florida Constitution prohibits the school board from levying more than ten mills for operations and building UNLESS there is a bond issue approved by voters at the polls. Currently, the school board levies about 9.918 mills (about, but I am not off much) so they can not levy more taxes.
Second, the school board has NO authority to levy impact fees. They must be imposed by the County Commission, Problem is the old county commission openly was not interested in anything to help the schools. Now the commission recognizes that it is mandatory that we ALL work together to solve the problems of growth. Meanwhile, as the county commission was changing its position on growth, the school board was digging in and openly refusing to ask for impact fees. The cost of construction and land, meanwhile, reached epidemic proportions, and now the majority of the school board probably has changed its mind, apparently leaving Crawford and perhaps Kelly in the dust.
It's all a matter of leadership. So far, we haven't had a lot of leaders.
--pwf
Tillander has been cleared of any "legal" wrongdoing, but I have major issue with his integrity. Just what we need in city hall, another integrity challenged politician. I won't vote for him. If you are a good Christian, you should also have issues with his moral standards.
So who is right on the School Board impact fees issue, Charles or PWF? Seems to me that PWF has the better view on this.
I also think "pwf" has the correct point of view.
He also makes a good point about who on the board will show the leadership on this issue.
If campaign money means anything, and it does, then the winners of the city elections would likely be (if held today): Kay, Ruse, Phelan, Owen and Ruse. I doubt this will change much over the next several weeks.
Why have some of the candidates reported only $100 in campaign money when there is thousands of dollars in signage??????? Do they not have to report ALL expendatures?????
We need to keep the people who are continuing to run for the people and not for themselves. It is scarey to think of what could potentially be sitting in those chambers on Tuesday nights. We need to get the word out to go vote. Owens, Kay, Ruse and Ewers are the ticket.
Ewers over Phelan. I really doubt it. Ewers is a nice young man, but a lightweight when it comes to government and life experiences. I want someone who has made it without depending on his father for a job. Ewers should run for city council and get his feet wet first.
You would be shocked at how much campaign spending goes unreported!
Anonymous . . .
Unreported campaign expenditures? I am shocked, shocked, shocked, I tell you! You must be talking about "walking around money" or something.
Seriously, I suspect the $100 that Jurgens reported was correct, and the report was filed before he took possession and paid for the signs.
Go back in history a bit and until four years ago I could on one hand all the city races that cost more than $500. The Willard Ayres-John Marshall Green race for Mayor in 1963 (I think) was expensive, but the council races four years ago were the first where much money was spent. A couple of times, mayoral candidates have gottten carried away, and then Mayor Ergle spent about $35k to beat up on Carrasco was pretty expensive.
--pwf
a. The new ones are out today.
b. What is the motivation to not report expenditures? Would you risk everything, fame, fortune freedom and family to not report an expenditure?
c. If a candidate. you have to be a fool to trust someone who gives you a few bucks, under the table. Then you are at his mercy.
My son and I were watching MTV the other day and up popped a show where a young girl was saying how Ocala sucked and was full of old people while they were showing a run down trailor. It had definitely grabbed my attention. It was Mr. Tillander's daughter's 16th birthday party. According to the show, the Tillanders were very well known in Ocala. I think Ocala is a wonderful place and a great place to raise children. If Ocala sucks as bad as they say, then why is Mr. Tillander running for office?????
Mr. T filed a lawsuit against the city, and when he lost, he was quoted in the Ocala paper as saying, "The judge is just as (&%^$#%) stupid as city council.... I am going to appeal just to cost the city a lot of money" I think this was in May, 2005.
According to the district court website, he filed the appeal, and it is still going on.
It looks like Mr. Tillander may not be what we need in office in Ocala. I wasn't going to vote for him anyway. If you read the suggested candidates to vote for on the blog home page, it said Tillander is in the race for the wrong reason. Probably true.
Tillander has filed a motion seeking to delay filing of the appealate brief until the day after the city election so it wont get publicity prior to the election. And this from a man who said he had changed and was going to try and cooperate with the city police efforts to enforce the law against teeny-boppers patronizing a booze establishment.
Well it looks like the issue of merging the city and county fire departments is starting to receive some attention. I remember that issue being debated on this blog. Maybe some of the candidates read this.
Thank Jim Payton for starting this. I think it really does need some attention--has some possibilities to save taxpayers some money. Thanks Commissioner Payton!
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