Two Tallahassee-based entities are targeting incumbent District 4 County Commissioner Don Amunds in political mailings and so-called robo calls. The ads label Amunds a “double dipping millionaire” with ties to corrupt former Sheriff Charlie Morris and former Okaloosa County Tourist Development Council director Mark Bellinger. Amunds termed the allegations “misleading half truths.”

A group called the Small Business Advocacy Council paid for the mailing. The Main Street Leadership Council provided the robo calls. Michael Fischer, who in 2010 served as Rep. Matt Gaetz’s campaign treasurer, chairs both political action committees. Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, acknowledged donating money to the Small Business Advocacy Council and confirmed that Fischer was “responsible for the content” of the mailing and robo call.

Gaetz — who has endorsed Amunds’ opponent, Trey Goodwin, a former Fort Walton Beach city councilman, in the District 4 race — has donated $20,400 to the Small Business Advocacy Council since 2011. His PACs contributed just $1,000 to the Main Street Leadership Council, according to Florida Division of Elections records. The organization received $65,000 from the Committee for a Conservative House, chaired by state House Speaker Will Weatherford. Goodwin and Amunds are Republicans, as is Henry Kelley, the third candidate in the race.

Goodwin claimed he knew nothing of the negative PAC ads until a mailer arrived at his home.

Amunds noted that both of his opponents in the District 4 race have the backing of state lawmakers. Sen. Greg Evers has used his own PAC to contribute to Kelley’s campaign. Kelley, in turn, pointed out that Amunds and Goodwin have received plenty of money from local special interest groups, including $5,000 each from companies controlled by developer Peter Bos.

While state politicians are employing legal committee-based fundraising methods, Dan Krassner, executive director of the nonpartisan government watchdog group Integrity Florida, said committees and political parties often transfer funds to each other, which makes it difficult to trace the exact donor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa commission race goes negative with mailer, robocalls

CRESTVIEW — The City Council launched its review of the city’s 2014-15 budget at a Monday evening workshop dominated by discussion of the proposed fire assessment.

The proposed $29 million budget is balanced, City Clerk Betsy Roy said, and includes a 3 percent increase in expenditures over the current fiscal year.

FIRE ASSESSMENT

Councilman Mickey Rytman said a proposed fire assessment — which would levy a fee on all the city's commercial and residential properties — would stymie business development while hurting residents on fixed incomes.

“Seeing another fire assessment tax on commercial development, I don't want to see that happen,” Rytman said. “I hate to put a burden on people.”

Council President Shannon Hayes said the assessment makes provisions for low-income residents, allowing them to apply for an exemption or reduction in the fee.

“What bothers me is the ones who aren't paying anything,” Hayes said.

Councilman Tom Gordon, who had favored the assessment if it meant a decrease in ad valorem taxes, said he could not support the proposal now that it appears to raise taxes on businesses.

“I can't be in favor of something that's going to make it harder for businesses to come to Crestview and provide good-paying jobs,” he said.

“I see it as a tax,” Councilwoman Robyn Helt said. “I am also not optimistic that the city would not be able to offset the amount of millage to offset that assessment.”

Helt said the proposal has no safeguards to prevent a future council from raising the millage again even if property owners’ rates initially decreased to offset the assessment.

COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

The city council agreed that a full-time council administrative assistant is needed to handle its day-to-day operations.

Upon the forced resignation of the previous director of Administrative Services, such duties have fallen on the city clerk, contrary to the city charter.

“Until we get proper management in place, I don't want to put this tax, or whatever, on my fellow citizens because we don't manage our money properly,” Rytman said, referring to the fire assessment.

Gordon agreed, saying the city is fortunate to currently have a diligent clerk, but a future clerk may not be as skilled or conscientious.

“The police department is waiting on tables so they can have dogs,” resident Ken Nielsen said, referring to a recent Cops for K-9s fundraiser. “Maybe you guys can wait on tables to pay a city administrator.”

For now, the council agreed that a detailed review of the proposed budget was needed to trim unneeded spending.

“We just need to roll up our sleeves — or wear short ones — and go through the budget line item by line item,” Helt said. “We need to look at our largest expenditures and make sure we're being fiscally responsible.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Council: Detailed budget review necessary, fire tax loses traction

Okaloosa County Administrator Ernie Padgett has submitted his resignation after 18 months on the job. Padgett said he’s leaving because, after two budget cycles, he and his wife, Lydia, are ready for a change of pace.

In a letter to county commissioners Wednesday, he said his departure would be effective Oct. 1. County commissioners expressed surprise and disappointment at Padgett’s announcement.

Padgett, who underwent a quintuple bypass in September 2013, said health was not a factor in his decision to leave.

Padgett said he and his staff are focused on crafting a progressive county budget that will secure funding for even a small level of storm water upgrades.

After Padgett leaves, he and his wife plan to do some traveling, including visiting friends in Australia.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: County administrator resigns

CRESTVIEW — Differences between Okaloosa County School Board candidates may arise, but on one topic of voter concern, they are practically united: Each finds components of the state’s Common Core standards to criticize.

State educators are developing a Florida version of the nationwide Common Core standards, including guidelines on how to implement them.

District 5 incumbent Melissa Thrush, completing her first term, reminded voters the school board did not choose Common Core.

“If we don’t like Common Core, we need to vote in a new governor and legislators,” Thrush said. “I think what is most frustrating for our teachers is we keep changing the rules.”

Her opponent, David Scholl, was more blunt in his criticism.

“Common Core: I oppose it,” he said. “I believe Common Core will do for our school system what the Affordable Care Act has done for our health care. I want tough standards, but I want local control.”

Cindy Frakes, a 16-year District 1 incumbent, said while she agrees with the state’s version of the standards, she disagrees with the range of hundreds of “exemplars,” or curricula options.

“Standards are what we teach,” Frakes said. “Curriculum is how we teach it.”

However, Frakes said she trusts area teachers to select curricula that reflect community standards.

“I know the teachers in Northwest Florida, and I know how conservative we are,” she said. “I know our teachers are not going to pick some risqué exemplars.”

Her challenger, Dr. Lamar White, a former teacher, coach and principal, faulted local acceptance of a Race to the Top grant, which required recipients to implement Florida Core, the state’s version of the national standards.

White also criticized the increasing number of early-release days in recent years that “reduce instruction time in the classroom.

“In effect, Okaloosa County has had academic decline and there’s no doubt Common Core will continue that,” White said.

The candidates spoke at a Thursday night forum organized by the North Okaloosa Republican Club. The night before, the club hosted a forum for county commission and clerk of court candidates.

The school board forum drew about 25 residents, which was less than half the previous night’s attendance.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: School board candidates united against Common Core

CRESTVIEW — More than 60 residents now understand county commissioner and clerk of court candidates' platforms following a Wednesday forum.

Though interest in mid-term elections is not generally high, supervisor of elections Paul Lux said, North Okaloosa Republican Club members had to set out additional chairs for the forum.

Attendees, mostly senior citizens, tend to be regulars at such events and, as a result, are generally more informed than many younger voters, clerk of court candidate Dan Spence said.

“I’ve been around here since dirt,” multi-generation Baker resident Kendall Helms said. “Sometimes you’re afraid to vote because you think you’re voting for a change for the better and it gets worse.”

Low attendance now seems to be a regular occurrence at opportunities to meet candidates, “but it wasn’t that way before," Crestview area resident Harold Lafountain said.

Lux said because no Democratic Party candidates entered the fray, “these races will be over Aug. 26,” meaning the open primary election will determine who fills the vacancies in November.

CIVIL DISCOURSE

Contesting incumbent County Commissioner Don Amunds — who couldn’t attend the forum due to a prior commitment — are attorney Trey Goodwin and business leader Henry Kelley.

Both men said addressing the county’s infrastructure should be priorities.

Kelley said improving drainage and paving north county roads will attract business. He cited, as an example, the condition of Fairchild Road, a dirt path that leads to L3 Crestview Aerospace. The quagmire deterred a major business from coming to Crestview after its executives arrived to tour the Bob Sikes Airport area in a rainstorm.

“There was nothing we could do when their car was sliding in the mud,” Kelley said.

Goodwin said addressing heavy afternoon traffic on State Road 85 will benefit both ends of the county, attracting both businesses and visitors.

“I’ve been to Crestview too many times at 4 o’clock and understand if you want to get from the Shoal River to the courthouse on time, you have to leave in plenty of time,” he said.

Moderator Cal Zethmayr of WAAZ/WJSB radio said the candidates at both forums did a good job of addressing the issues without denigrating their opponents.

JD Peacock and Spence, candidates for clerk of circuit court, presented their qualifications and stating their positions clearly, Zethmayr said.

“They were both very civil,” he said. “They’re both sharp candidates. They presented themselves well.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Improving county infrastructure among top priorities, candidates say

CRESTVIEW — A community organization’s request for free use of a city building for a school supplies giveaway drew a caution from city attorney Jerry Miller.

During Monday’s city council meeting, Concerned Citizens representative Rae Roberson requested the city waive its $25 fee for use of the Allen Park community hall for the organization’s annual Back to School Bash. The Aug. 9 event features a school supplies giveaway for any Crestview child, along with games and free hotdogs and hamburgers.

“We have set precedents that we have co-sponsored these sort of events in the past,” Councilman Tom Gordon said.

Miller cautioned that by providing free city facility use, officials were setting themselves up for problems should an objectionable non-profit request the same consideration.

“We've been down this trail before,” Miller said. “Then when the Nazis come in (asking for a fee waiver), you're going to have problems. If you're not going to enforce a fee, get rid of it.”

Council vice president Mickey Rytman, presiding over the meeting in President Shannon Hayes’ absence, offered to fund the Concerned Citizens’ facility use fee out of his own pocket.

Because the city has received many non-profit organizations' requests for free park or facility use, the previous council set a no-freebies policy.

Gordon said at the time that when the city budget is so tight that employees had to be furloughed, it didn’t make fiscal sense to give away facility use.

The new council has circumvented the policy by “co-sponsoring” a number of events, with the city’s contribution as a sponsor being free use of the facility.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Attorney cautions council against fee waivers

CRESTVIEW — Voters can meet local political candidates, discuss issues and concerns, and listen to the candidates debate during candidate forums tonight and tomorrow.

The North Okaloosa Republican Club will host forums for county commissioner and county clerk candidates on July 30 at Warriors Hall. School board candidates meet the following night.

Both events begin at 5:30 p.m. with an hour-long meet-and-greet, during which voters may speak with candidates one-on-one. The debates begin at 6:30, with candidates answering submitted questions.

Organizers hope more people will take these opportunities to consider the candidates, their records and their approaches to issues of concern.

“The people who show up at the forum are the same ones who always show up at forums,” Republican club president JB Whitten said.

“It is the citizen’s role to get in there and try to prompt candidates. You have to be informed and you have to know what’s going on,” Whitten said.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: North Okaloosa Republican Club Candidates’ Forums

WHEN: County Commissioner and County Clerk Forum, July 30; School Board Forum, July 31. Meet-and-greet begins at 5:30 p.m. each night; forums begin at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Warriors Hall, Whitehurst Municipal Building, Stillwell Boulevard at Industrial Drive, Crestview

CONTACT: NORC President JB Whitten, 610-1176 or norcoffl@outlook.com

THE CANDIDATES

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT AND COMPTROLLER

Charles Baugh Jr., Crestview (Republican)*

J.D. Peacock, Shalimar (Republican)

Dance Spence, Crestview (Republican)

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION, DISTRICT 4

Don Amunds, Mary Esther (Republican)*

Trey Goodwin, Fort Walton Beach (Republican)

Henry Kelley, Mary Esther (Republican)

SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 1

Cindy Frakes, Shalimar (no affiliation)

Lamar White, Shalimar (no affiliation)

SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 3

Joseph Slusser, Baker (no affiliation)

C.W. Soldier Hyden, Laurel Hill (no affiliation)

Rodney Walker, Fort Walton Beach (no affiliation)

SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 5

David E. Scholl, Laurel Hill (no affiliation)

Melissa Thrush, Niceville (no affiliation)

*Candidate invited but unable to attend due to a schedule conflict

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Republicans host candidate forums, hope for larger-than-usual turnout