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District 5 Hernando County Commission

NAMES ARE FAMILIAR: Three former County Commission candidates, one former commissioner, a former fire chief and veteran reporter are vying to be the Republican nominee for the District 5 seat.

The District 5 Republican primary race for Hernando County Commission features several candidates who have held or run for office in the past. As a result, some of the most familiar names in local politics are facing off in the contest.

Anna Liisa Covell, J.O. "Jimmy" Batten, James E. Adkins, Janey Baldwin, Barbara "Bobbi" Mills and Lara Bradburn all criticize the current county leadership for frivolous spending and a failure to seriously address the issue of growth.

One of them will face Democrat and former Commissioner Chris Kingsley in the Nov. 2 general election. Kingsley, who lost to sitting Commissioner Robert Schenck in 2002, faces no primary opponent. A write-in candidate, Richard A. Power, is also in the race.

District 5 had been represented by Commissioner Betty Whitehouse, who died in March. Former Sheriff Tom Mylander was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to finish Whitehouse's term.

Covell owns A.L. Covell Electric in Brooksville and has sat on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2000. That year, she lost in the District 1 Republican primary to Janey Baldwin, whom she faces again this year. Due to redistricting, District 1 is now District 5.

Covell points to the county's October purchase of the Florida Water Services utility in Spring Hill as extravagant spending and argues that the commission has been too easy on builders, failing to ensure that adequate roads and water supply are in place before developments are approved.

Her experience on the Planning and Zoning Commission gives her insight into growth issues, Covell said, and her business background would bring greater fiscal restraint to county government.

"I know what it takes to live within your means," Covell said. "And I think that is what sets me apart from the other candidates."

Jimmy Batten is a Brooksville native long involved in farming and ranching. He is the owner of J.O. Batten Farms in Brooksville and several subsidiary businesses.

In 1996, Batten lost the District 1 Republican primary to Henry Ledbetter.

Batten said he probably knows Hernando County better than any candidate in the race because he was born and raised here. To preserve what he feels is a rapidly disappearing quality of life in the county, Batten said it is not enough to require impact fees on new developments.

People who come to Hernando and buy existing homes also fill schools and roads with kids and cars, and they too should pay some sort of impact fee, perhaps $1,000, Batten said.

"I want to preserve some of the qualities and characteristics of the county that brought all these people here to start with," he said.

James Adkins came to Brooksville at age 10. He retired from the Brooksville Fire Department in 1998 after spending 13 years as chief.

Adkins said that county services disproportionately favor residents on the west side of Hernando. Angry eastside residents tired of getting shortchanged, Adkins said, encouraged him to run for office.

In addition to a fairer distribution of county services, Adkins said that as a commissioner he would seek to curb spending and revamp ordinances to make them more sensitive to geography. For example, he said, Spring Hill residents may want greater regulation of garage sales, but go to Masaryktown, Ridge Manor or Istachatta and no such regulation is sought.

"It can be done," Adkins said of making ordinances more place specific. "It just costs a little bit of extra time to do it."

Janey Baldwin has a long history of involvement in county politics. She ran for County Commission from District 1 in 1992, but lost in the primary. In 2000, she beat Covell in the primary, but lost the general election to Betty Whitehouse.

Baldwin opposes the mandatory recycling program in Spring Hill and called the county's public transportation service, THE Bus, a "questionable scheme." She is also critical of the county Legal Department, which she said is overpaid, overstaffed and underworked.

Baldwin, who also has a long record of civic involvement, said her experience and leadership qualities set her apart.

"I think I can be an effective advocate for the taxpayers in this county," she said.

Bobbi Mills came to Hernando in 1979. She ran for School Board in 1994 and lost. In 1996, she won the District 3 County Commission seat, only to lose it in the 2000 primary race.

Mills opposes raising impact fees on new development, what she considers wasteful spending on new initiatives such as THE Bus and what she feels are county ordinances that trample individual rights. Among them are rules that require homeowners to eradicate Brazilian pepper plants on their property and regulate the size of sheds in residential areas.

Rather than forcing people to obey laws that require them to conserve water or control invasive plants, Mills said, residents should be educated about the potential value of such practices and left to make their own decisions.

"I just think there should be less government," she said.

Mills argues the county bureaucracy is expanding and that staffing levels are high. She stopped short of calling for a mass firing of employees, but said that when a county worker voluntarily leaves, greater care should be given to whether the person needs to be replaced.

Lara Bradburn moved to Brooksville as a child and spent 16 years as a reporter for Hernando Today. Her extensive experience reporting in the county, Bradburn says, gives her special insight into the problems the county faces and how to find solutions.

Bradburn argues that county government suffers not only from frivolous spending, but also from a disturbing lack of vision when it comes to planning for the future. As a result, precious natural resources are being squandered, and ripe opportunities for preservation and intelligent development are being missed.

As a former reporter, Bradburn says she knows where to find the data to back up her claims. And where others just talk, she says, she has answers.

"I can get the job done," she said. "That is what sets me apart from other candidates."

County commissioners are elected to four-year terms by the county at large but must live in the district they serve. Commissioners adopt ordinances governing the county to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its residents. Commissioners are paid $51,058 a year.

JAMES ADKINS, 55, was born in West Hamlin, W.Va. He moved to Brooksville at age 10. He is on the board of the Hernando Farm Bureau and the advisory council of the county's Retired Senior Volunteer Program. Adkins served in the Air Force as a crew chief on jet fighters before joining the Brooksville Fire Department in 1973. He retired from the department in 1998 after serving 13 years as fire chief. Adkins is a graduate of Hernando High School and is a certified welder and auto mechanic. Adkins is married and has a daughter and son.

ASSETS: home, bank account, ranch equipment.

LIABILITIES: auto loan.

SOURCES OF INCOME: pension and disability from the Veterans Administration.

WEB SITE: www.james-adkins.com

JANEY BALDWIN, 74, was born in St. Louis. She came to Florida in 1986. She is a member of United Communities of Hernando County, an associate member of the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and belongs to the Salvation Army Advisory Board, among other groups. Baldwin is married and has a daughter and son. Before marrying and raising her children, Baldwin worked in a child guidance clinic and as an airline flight attendant. She was elected an alderman for St. Louis County in 1982 and served a two-year term. In 1992, Baldwin ran for County Commission in District 1 and lost in the primary. She ran again in District 1 in 2000 and lost in the general election. Baldwin graduated from St. Margaret's High School in St. Louis and attended St. Louis University, but did not get a degree.

ASSETS: home, bank accounts, treasury bonds.

LIABILITIES: none.

SOURCES OF INCOME: bank accounts and bond revenue.

J.O. "JIMMY" BATTEN, 58, was born in Brooksville and raised in Hernando County. He is divorced and has a daughter and two sons. Batten has been involved in various agricultural associations for decades. He is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Marine Corps League. Batten was in the Marine Corps for three years and served in Vietnam in 1969. When he returned, he got involved in the farming and ranching business. He is the owner of J.O. Batten Farms, which has many subsidiaries with an agriculture focus. In 1996, Batten ran for County Commission from District 1 and lost in the primary. He graduated from Hernando High School.

ASSETS: home, business, farm equipment.

LIABILITIES: bank loan.

SOURCES OF INCOME: business income.

LARA BRADBURN, 41, was born in Cherry Hill, N.J. Her mother's family is from Brooksville, and she visited often as a child. Bradburn moved to the city permanently in the early 1970s. She is single. Bradburn is a founding member of the Good Neighbors Trail Committee. After working in Nashville as a marketer for a record label, Bradburn took a job as a reporter with Hernando Today. During her 16 years as a reporter, Bradburn covered county government and growth and environmental issues. She graduated from Hernando High School and received an associate's degree from Pasco-Hernando Community College. She also received a bachelor's degree from Florida State University.

ASSETS: bank account, investment and pension funds.

LIABILITIES: bank loan.

SOURCES OF INCOME: freelance writing and research projects, savings.

ANNA LIISA COVELL, 53, was born in Wyandotte, Mich. She moved to Florida at age 6 and came to Hernando from Pinellas County in 1992. She is married and has a son and daughter. Covell belongs to the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and has sat on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2000. She is co-owner of A.L. Covell Electric in Brooksville. In 2000, Covell ran for County Commission but lost in the District 1 Republican primary. She is a graduate of Dixie Hollins High School in St. Petersburg and is a certified electrical contractor and inspector.

ASSETS: home, business.

LIABILITIES: mortgage, auto loan.

SOURCES OF INCOME: business income.

WEB SITE: www.alcovell.net

BARBARA "BOBBI" MILLS, 63, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. She moved to St. Petersburg in 1962 and came to Hernando County in 1979. She is married and has a son. Mills sits on the board of the Florida Farm Bureau and the county Tourist Development Council. She has done work as a stockbroker, mortgage broker and substitute schoolteacher. Mills ran unsuccessfully for the county School Board in 1994. She ran for the County Commission's open District 3 seat in 1996 and won. In 2000, she lost in the primary. Mills graduated from Oceanside High School on Long Island. She took courses at Eckerd College but did not receive a degree.

ASSETS: home, bank account, government bonds.

LIABILITIES: none.

SOURCES OF INCOME: Social Security and bond revenue.