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New candidate seeks County Commission seat

Mike Smallridge, a GOP candidate for District 4, says serving his community is a central part of his life and has been for years.

By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published June 21, 2006

As chairman of the county's Water and Wastewater Authority, Mike Smallridge has tackled some of the most politically controversial issues in Citrus in the last year.

Now the 37-year-old lifelong Citrus resident says he's ready to kick it up a notch. On Monday he filed to run as a Republican for County Commission, District 4.

"I want to have a say-so in what goes on, and I think we need some fresh leadership," Smallridge said.

He said he's still working out the details of his platform, but "growth, as far as how we grow and why we grow and where we grow" is paramount.

He said serving on the Water and Wastewater Authority has given him a unique perspective on county government.

"That was my first experience in a government-type setting. I really, really have learned a lot, and I know that I've really grown as a person," he said. "Those experiences make me look forward to being on the County Commission."

Smallridge graduated from Citrus High School in 1987 and has been working as a Realtor for Century 21 since the late 1980s.

He was the legislative chairman for the Citrus County Board of Realtors for seven years and has served on the Smart Growth Council for the Florida Association of Realtors. He now serves on that organization's Public Policy Committee.

This is the first time Smallridge has run for office, but he said community involvement has played a central role in his life for years.

He was a Little League coach for 10 years and served on the board of directors of the Inverness Little League and as assistant varsity baseball coach at Citrus High for four seasons.

This year, he's president of the Inverness Kiwanis Club. Last year he won the Citrus County Young Republicans' Man of the Year award.

Smallridge is the first candidate to join the District 4 race since incumbent Commissioner Jim Fowler announced last week that he would not seek re-election. Fowler had not notified the supervisor of elections of his withdrawal as of Monday afternoon.

In the Republican primary on Sept. 5, Smallridge will face at least two opponents: John Thrumston and Richard "Dick" Callahan.

Bernie Leven and James Brunswick are slated to square off in the Democratic primary. Steve Hasel is running with no party affiliation but was notified by the elections office Monday that he was eight signatures short of achieving the required number to qualify by petition.

"It's kind of a kick in the gut. But basically I realized I made a lot of mistakes because I'm new at this," Hasel said. "But I have not withdrawn by any means. And I'm very encouraged by what we were able to accomplish in 17 days."

Noon Monday was the deadline for candidates to qualify for County Commission by petition, with 908 signatures required.

Candidates with no party affiliation have until July 21 to qualify by paying a fee of $2,104.04 - 4 percent of the annual salary of a commissioner. The fee for candidates with a party affiliation is $3,156.06, 6 percent of a commissioner's annual salary.

The general election is Nov. 7.

Catherine E. Shoichet can be reached at cshoichet@sptimes.com or 860-7309.

[Last modified June 20, 2006, 22:37:36]