Former commission-mates face off in the Democratic primary. Unopposed by a Republican, the winner takes all.
By SAUNDRA AMRHEIN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published September 5, 2002
The two used to sit next to each other at County Commission meetings. But one of them, David "Hap" Clark, gave up his seat two years ago for an unsuccessful run for tax collector.
Now Clark, 80, wants his job back on the commission. And he's hoping to unseat Steve Simon to do it. Clark says his eight years in office plus 20 years in the school district give him knowledge and experience in the county that Simon doesn't have.
Simon, 50, nearing the end of his first term as commissioner from District 4, says his expertise and willingness to take charge on issues overshadow Clark's tenure.
The two Democrats meet in the primary, where all county registered voters can participate because there is no Republican candidate. The race will be decided in the primary.
Simon says his training in real estate law, which he taught for 12 years, gives him the expertise to handle the county's growth and difficult land-use issues. He points to his leadership in getting the commission to pass the school impact fees paid by developers to offset school overcrowding. Developers often pass the cost along to homebuyers.
A believer in growth paying for itself, Simon has supported other impact fees either approved or planned, including those for libraries, parks and recreation and law enforcement.
During Clark's tenure, the commission gave developers the green light, Simon said.
"In the eight years before I got there, it was open season. It was a free ride," Simon said.
He says he has received enough letters of thanks for his help to fill two bags since he got into office.
"I don't think you can say the same thing about the achievements" of Clark, Simon said.
Clark, who has not returned recent calls for comment for this story, has said in the past that his time in the community gave him all the expertise he needs.
"I'm well aware what's going on in the county," Clark told the Times.
Clark has said he was proud of his ability to help constituents get appointments with the county administration and to secure money for government buildings in Dade City and Land O'Lakes.
Clark gave up his seat in another district two years ago to run against Olson for tax collector instead of seeking re-election. He did so because Olson supported someone else running for Clark's seat on the County Commission. That campaign quickly turned ugly.
Clark and his wife supplied several former tax collector's office employees with the forms to file complaints against Olson with the state Commission on Ethics, accusing him of emotional abuse and of running political campaigns on state time.
Olson sued Clark, asking $1-million for defamation. The suit is still pending.
Olson beat Clark at the polls by a 3-1 ratio.
Later, the ethics commission tossed out the complaints as "legally insufficient."
Pasco Democratic party leaders have frowned on Clark's entrance into the race. Clark has shrugged off the criticism.
"If I didn't think I could win, I wouldn't be spending $4,000 of my own money to qualify," Clark has said.
District 4 covers west-central Pasco County. Commissioners are elected countywide but must live in the district they represent. The County Commission approves rezonings and ordinances and sets policy. Commissioners serve four-year terms and are paid $66,810.
DAVID "HAP" CLARK, 80, served on the County Commission for eight years before he stepped down two years ago in a heated and unsuccessful run against Tax Collector Mike Olson. Before joining the commission, Clark worked for two decades as a teacher and administrator with the Pasco County School District. He was born in New Port Richey. His grandfather was a county commissioner in 1892 and his father a county commissioner in the 1930s. Clark attended Rollins College on a football scholarship and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology. He has a master's degree in education from the University of Florida. He is married and has five grown children.
ASSETS: Home, property, air boat.
LIABILITIES: A loan, credit cards.
SOURCE OF INCOME: Pension, Social Security, land sales.
STEVE SIMON, 50, is nearing the end of his first four-year term as county commissioner. He lives in New Port Richey. He is a native of New York and attended Queens College in Flushing, N.Y., for two years. He is a former small-business owner and a life insurance sales trainer. Before the joining the commission, Simon had been a real estate license instructor for the Ed Klopfer Schools of Real Estate since 1986. Simon coaches and manages teams for the West Pasco Girls Softball Association. He is a past president of one of the Nature's Hideaway Homeowners Associations. He and his wife have two daughters.
ASSETS: New Port Richey home, bank accounts, stock accounts, land in North Carolina.
LIABILITIES: Mortgage, car loans.
SOURCES OF INCOME: Salary and residual income from Internet consulting work.