Major money gap: The incumbent has raised far more money than his two opponents, leading one to say he's too cozy with developers.
By BILL COATS
Published August 24, 2004
If you measure Commissioner Ken Hagan's re-election effort by campaign money, he is a whale, swimming against two trout.
At one point at the end of July, Hagan had raised 17 times more money than challenger Rod Gaudin and 23 times more than challenger Tom Jones. Hagan's fundraising advantage isn't likely to change, his opponents acknowledge.
Jones says that shows Hagan is in the pocket of the real estate and construction industries, which account for more than a third of Hagan's contributions.
"I'm personally concerned about the special interests running the county," Jones said. "Somebody has to get out there for the neighborhoods and take back the county government."
Replied Hagan, "That's always the claim some people make when you have money from developers. But that's just the business."
On development votes, Hagan said, "I listen to both sides. I look at the facts. I look at the merits of the case and I do the right thing."
On the campaign trail, Hagan has peppered north Hillsborough County with signs. He has knocked on 10,000 doors, he said.
Jones has ridden his bicycle, a personal passion, for several hundred miles through the district. This is his first race for public office.
Gaudin, a barbecue restaurateur, has handed out mini bottles of "Common Sense Sauce," his custom-brewed hot sauce. He sought the same District 2 seat as a Democrat in 1985, then without a party affiliation in 2002, and now as a Republican.
Hagan's successful campaign two years ago was his first.
Hagan, the quietest commissioner in commission meetings, said constituent service has been his top priority. He cites his influence in commission decisions to:
-- Spend $1.8-million widening Cross Creek Boulevard.
-- Install a traffic signal at Cross Creek and Kinnan Street.
-- Staff the Lutz Volunteer Fire Department around the clock with a paid paramedic.
-- Pay $276,000 to remove an unpopular billboard from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.
-- Enlarge plans for the future Upper Tampa Bay Library at Country Way.
Hagan said transportation problems are the county's greatest challenge. He hopes the county will reprioritize its finances, and not raise taxes, to improve roads.
Gaudin agrees. "Some people have got to come up with some innovative ideas," he said. For example, Gaudin thinks improving the sensors at signalized intersections could enhance traffic flow by 10 percent.
He thinks the county should plan for the day when collector roads such as Gunn Highway, Lutz-Lake Fern Road and Livingston Avenue are widened into landscaped, four-lane boulevards such as Linebaugh Avenue in Westchase.
Government should better ensure safe sources of drinking water and more control of stormwater, Gaudin said.
Gaudin and Jones, who have become friends while campaigning, both complain that the costs of development have pulled the county's resources away from existing neighborhoods. They want park improvements. They say the county is increasing its budget more for administration than operations.
To better allocate the county's money, Jones thinks commissioners should think longer-term and work more closely with planners.
"We need a vision and agenda to get through the next four years, and not just muddle through the issues day to day," he said.
The Republican primary winner faces Democrat David Cutting and write-in candidate Don Fulmer in the November general election.
REPUBLICANS
RODNEY L. "ROD" GAUDIN, 59, owns Hot Rod's Bar-B-Q & Grill in Lutz. He serves on the board of the Lutz Nature Park and is a former board member of the Lutz Volunteer Fire Association. A New Orleans native, Gaudin moved to Tampa after high school. He earned an associate's degree in business at Hillsborough Community College and was an auditor in the convenience store industry before opening his restaurant in 1998. Gaudin lives in West Tampa with his wife and mother-in-law. He has two married daughters. ASSETS: Restaurant, rental properties . LIABILITIES: Bank loans. INCOME: Restaurant, rents . E-MAIL: r.gaudin@verizon.net WEB SITE: www.rodgaudin.com
KENNETH L. "KEN" HAGAN, 36, is in his second year on the Hillsborough County Commission. He previously worked in sales and marketing in the insurance and securities industries. He serves on the local board of Big Brothers Big Sisters and is a member of other civic groups. A Tampa native, Hagan grew up in Carrollwood and graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Florida. He earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Tampa. He lives in Cross Creek with his wife and young son. ASSETS: House, investments. LIABILITIES: Mortgage . INCOME: Salary. E-MAIL: Ken@hagan2004.co m WEB SITE: www.hagan2004.com
THOMAS A. "TOM" JONES, 65, has been community association manager for the Plantation at Carrollwood for 10 years. He is a retired Army colonel. Jones is president of the Carrollwood Area Association of Neighborhoods and Friends of the Carrollwood Community Center. He is a member of the county's Code Enforcement Board. Jones earned a business degree from the University of Akron in Ohio. He lives with his wife in the Plantation. They have two grown children. ASSETS: House, investments . LIABILITIES: Home equity loan . INCOME: Salary . E-MAIL: Tom@votefortomjones.co m WEB SITE: www.votefortomjones.com
THE JOB
Commissioners approve a $2.9-billion budget, run the Environmental Protection Commission, approve local ordinances and decide all zoning issues. The District 7 seat is elected countywide. The winner will serve a four-year term, and earn a projected annual salary of $84,213.
