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District 4 candidates zero in on growth

Their plans differ, but rivals in the GOP commission primary share one priority: relieving growing pains.

By CATHERINE E. SHOICHET
Published August 27, 2006

Curing the county's growing pains is a top priority for all three Republican candidates in the District 4 County Commission primary race.

But the policies they plan to prescribe are quite different, ranging from preventing as much development as possible to fostering "smart growth."

Two of the candidates, Richard "Dick" Callahan of Crystal River and Michael Smallridge of Inverness, are newcomers to the county's political arena. Floral City's John Thrumston is on the ballot for the second time. In 2002 he challenged incumbent Jim Fowler in the Republican primary and lost.

One of them will win the District 4 Republican primary and face a Democratic challenger and no party affiliation candidate Steve Hasel in the Nov. 7 general election.

The District 4 seat represents residents in Floral City, parts of Inverness and other unincorporated areas in the southeast corner of the county. Commissioners must reside in Citrus County to qualify for office, are elected at-large by all voters and make decisions for the entire county.

They must live within their districts when they serve.

Callahan, a 61-year-old Navy veteran who runs a pre-employment background screening company from his Crystal River home, has said he will move to District 4 if he wins the election.

As a police officer in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties for 20 years, Callahan says he saw firsthand what explosive growth can do to a community.

He calls himself the "slooow it down candidate." That, Callahan says, is how commissioners should handle the county's growth.

Callahan says developers must follow the county's comprehensive plan, though he admitted recently that he had never read it.

He supports banning fast-release fertilizers, stopping development on environmentally sensitive land and increasing impact fees. Callahan also says he is against the county's gas tax and the proposed extension of the Suncoast Parkway into Citrus.

"All it's going to do is bring growth that we don't need," he said.

Callahan filed for bankruptcy in 2003 after hard economic times hit his small business. Now, Callahan says he's bounced back and is ready to use his "Reagan Republican" principles to balance the county's budget.

According to financial statements provided to the Supervisor of Elections Office, Callahan has provided most of the $2,325 in funding his campaign has raised so far. Other contributors include Winston Perry of Homosassa, James Marchitto of Homosassa and Allison DeFoor of Tallahassee.

Smallridge, 37, was the last candidate to enter the District 4 race, filing to run shortly after incumbent Jim Fowler announced that he would not seek another term. But the lifelong Citrus County resident says he's long wanted to run for office here.

As chairman of the county's Water and Wastewater Authority, Smallridge says he has a good grasp of the county's infrastructure problems - and fresh ideas about how to solve them. He says the county should not buy the Florida Governmental Authority's Citrus systems because that move could lead to rate increases for customers.

Another top item on Smallridge's agenda is "smart growth," a concept which he says he has become familiar with through his work as a Realtor. That approach would allow shops and services to cluster in central areas throughout the county - with "town centers" within 5 miles of every house.

If commissioners take a more active role in encouraging growth, he says, everyone will benefit.

As a commissioner, Smallridge says he would vote to reduce impact fees, which he says have made living and working in Citrus too costly.

He supports the extension of the Suncoast Parkway into Citrus, and he says when it comes to land use issues he will "always favor someone's property rights."

According to financial statements, Smallridge has chipped in $10,000 of the $19,980 his campaign has raised. Other notable contributors include developer Jim Eyster, Albert Rooks, Canterbury Lakes Inc., 486 properties, J.W. Morton Real Estate and ERA American Realty.

Smart growth is also part of Thrumston's platform. He says county officials haven't done enough to plan for the future.

While growth should pay for itself, commercial impact fees have become too high, according to Thrumston, 41. That means small businesses can't afford to expand in Citrus.

And he says county officials should be more fiscally responsible. Gas guzzling vehicles should be purged from the county's holdings, he says, along with pricey oil changes and air fresheners in county vehicles. County departments should follow zero-based budgeting practices, Thrumston says.

He says money from the county's general fund shouldn't help fund projects that benefit an individual's property - an idea that has been suggested by some commissioners as a solution to infrastructure funding problems in Chassahowitzka.

"You can't make decisions with your heart. You have to make decisions with your mind," Thrumston said. "You have to do what's right for the community, not just one small part."

Thrumston, the first candidate to enter the District 4 race when he filed to run last June, had raised $47,817 as of Aug. 11. Notable contributors include Ralph Rooks, Hampton Hills, investor Nachum Kalka, Citrus Hills Construction, Pine Ridge Estates, Florida Showcase Properties, Citrus Hills Golf & Country Club, Canterbury Lakes, Citrus Hills Investment Proper, Hollinswood, Brentwood Farm, former county commissioner Frank Schiraldi, Church Without Walls pastor the Rev. Doug Alexander, Chamber of Commerce president Kevin Cunningham and Avanzini Builders.

More than a third of that money has gone toward campaign consulting services provided by Kenneth B. Chadwick and Associates.

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

[Last modified August 27, 2006, 06:32:55]