A SPRAWLING FIELD: Thoughts of growth, parks and septic tanks loom large in a race teeming with candidates ranging from a builder to an artist to a boat captain.
By JUSTIN GEORGE
Published August 24, 2004
Roger Batchelor surprised even people in his own Republican Party when he announced in March that he would seek re-election to the District 1 seat.
Batchelor's late announcement allowed a slew of formidable candidates to stack the District 1 field. An eighth candidate joined after Batchelor made up his mind.
Now, Batchelor, 66, who said he has rebounded from health problems and from the death of his first wife a few years ago, must try to fend off four strong Republican candidates while three Democrats battle each other.
Batchelor has served two terms on the commission and has seen growth change the county during that time. He counts highway widenings, new parks, and government building additions and extensions as some of the improvements he helped push through.
New parks and roads are a priority for Batchelor. Finding a long-range solution to waste disposal, expanding water and sewer systems, and cleaning up rivers and lakes are some of the charter boat captain's goals.
But Dennis Damato, a general contractor, said his 33 years of business experience gives him an edge. As a builder, he said, he has "hands on" knowledge of growth patterns and land-use issues, which will help him manage the county's booming growth and form redevelopment districts in Old Homosassa and Floral City. He would like to improve the aesthetics of Citrus' buildings and preserve natural and historical resources.
Sam Lyons, a retired dive shop owner, has different ideas: He supports a home-rule or charter government structure, which would give Citrus voters more "ballot box" power over elected officials and policy.
He opposes urban sprawl and supports redevelopment. Lyons supports establishing sewer service around lakes and rivers so that polluting septic tanks can be removed, and he would like the county to move landfill services elsewhere. He urges the public to use "Florida friendly" landscaping and hopes to streamline bureaucracy and promote business relocation through incentives.
John "Fred" Bunts Sr. wants government to be more responsive and advocates moving one commission meeting per month to the evening so people who work during the day can attend.
Bunts wants to increase impact fees and other development fees to slow down growth so that county services, such as roads and sewer, won't be stressed. He wants more parks, and he supports a mandatory septic system maintenance program to ensure that sewage isn't leaching into the ground.
Frank Carter, a veteran in the Air Force, said the county needs to be a more aggressive advocate for veterans. A retired police officer, Carter said he knows growth can lead to more crime and traffic. He also wants to protect the environment and leave Citrus the "Gem of the Nature Coast."
As competitive as the Republican primary race might be, the Democratic race is considered wide open.
Mike Gudis is a former two-term Crystal River City Council member who also spent three terms as a Montgomery County, Md., council member. He ran unsuccessfully for County Commission in 1996.
Gudis said he wants to bring good-paying jobs to the county as a commissioner while maintaining growth by following the county's comprehensive plan. He supports cleaning up county waterways by getting people to stop using septic systems near water sources and the wrong fertilizers for their crops and plants.
Leonard "Lenny" Kaplan used to head a South Florida health organization that helped lower-income residents obtain prescription and groundbreaking drugs for their illnesses, including AIDS.
He has worked with the Florida Health Fraud Task Force, and would like to help small-business owners work with the county government to get health insurance for employees. He wants more scrutiny of "megastores" to make sure that big-box retailers benefit residents and do not harm Citrus' environment.
He also supports an independent study to determine who would benefit from a possible Suncoast Parkway extension through Citrus.
Jimmy Carr unsuccessfully took on Charles Dean in the state House District 43 race in 2000. He was bidding to challenge Dean again this year but, citing a lack of campaign money, switched to the commission race.
Carr, a semiretired business owner, said he plans to emphasize environmental protection in his campaign. He favors more growth regulations that protect forested areas and the addition of a central sewer system service along lakes and coastal areas to get rid of septic tanks that can pollute waters.
THE JOB
The five Citrus County commissioners set policy and decide on ordinances. District 1 is northwest Citrus County, including Red Level, Ozello, Crystal River, Citrus Springs and Citronelle, which includes some parts known as Dunnellon. Commissioners must live in their districts but are elected at-large and make decisions for the entire county. They serve four-year terms and are paid $48,789 per year.
THE REPUBLICANS
ROGER O. BATCHELOR, 66, is a Crystal River resident and the commissioner in District 1. He has served on the board since 1996. He was born in Haines City and graduated from Haines City High School and Radio, Electronic, Television Schools Inc. of Miami, where he studied electronics. He retired from Florida Power Corp., where he worked in several capacities, including public relations. He works as a part-time charter boat captain. He is married and has two children.
ASSETS: home, property, cabin, bank accounts.
LIABILITIES: home equity loan, credit cards.
SOURCES OF INCOME: county job, retirement pension, Social Security.
JOHN F. BUNTS SR., 60, is a lifelong Citrus resident who lives in the Citrus County portion of Dunnellon. He graduated from Crystal River High School and then went to the U.S. Navy electronics school. He has also studied at the Naval War College, Capital Radio Engineering Institute and Central Florida Community College. He works as a sales engineer, designing and selling process control systems and equipment. He is married and has six children .
FRANK CARTER, 59, was born in Miami, lives in Crystal River and ran for Citrus County sheriff in 1996. A 10-year Citrus resident, he returned to Florida after retiring from the Pennsylvania State Police in 1993. He served in the Air Force and has some college education. He served as a law enforcement adviser in Bosnia from 1997-1998. He is a self-employed painter and is married.
ASSETS: home, bank accounts.
LIABILITIES: mortgage.
SOURCES OF INCOME: pension, job.
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DENNIS DAMATO, 51, was born in Jersey City, N.J., and lives in Crystal River. He has served on several government and political advisory boards or committees. Damato graduated from Harist High School before attending Rutgers University and the Institute of Design to study construction. He has run Dennis Damato General Contractor Inc. since 1972. He is married and has one child.
ASSETS: real estate, bank accounts, home, revocable trust, annuity, life insurance, savings bonds, investments.
LIABILITIES: loan, mortgages.
SOURCES OF INCOME: business, dividends.
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SAMUEL H. LYONS, 57, was born in Union City, Pa., and has been on Citrus government, environmental and business boards or associations since the 1970s and was appointed to the Withlacoochee River Basin Board by Gov. Jeb Bush in 1999. He is a member of the Tourist Development Council. He lives in Crystal River and graduated from Crystal River High School and the University of Florida. He is a retired owner and operator of a Crystal River dive shop. He is married and has two children.
ASSETS: home, real estate, certificate of deposits, money market accounts, bank accounts, mutual funds, annuities, partnership, investments, bank accounts.
LIABILITIES: none.
SOURCES OF INCOME: interest, dividends, stock sales.
THE DEMOCRATS
JIMMY CARR, 60, was born in Baltimore but grew up in the Tampa Bay area. He ran unsuccessfully for state House District 43 in 2002. He lives in Crystal River and graduated from Florida Beacon College in Largo with a degree in Bible education. He is a semiretired food broker who ran Carr's Market Inc. He is married and has four children.
ASSETS: home, stock, bank accounts, real estate.
LIABILITIES: car loan.
SOURCES OF INCOME: business, rent.
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MICHAEL L. GUDIS, 68, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is a former two-term Crystal River City Council member, a former County Commission candidate and three-term council member in Maryland. He lives in Crystal River, where he runs an accounting firm. He graduated from Gorton High School in New York and George Washington University with degrees in accounting and business. He is single.
ASSETS: home, real estate, stock, bank accounts, annuity, money market funds, mutual funds, bonds.
LIABILITIES: car loans, mortgage.
SOURCES OF INCOME: job, interest, dividends.
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LEONARD KAPLAN, 57, was born in Miami Beach and lives in the Citrus portion of Dunnellon. He is an artist, who used to serve as chairman of the board of a Broward County health care advocacy group that helped people obtain prescription drugs. A one-time chef, he is a Navy veteran and advocate for the disabled. He is married and has four children.
