 Happy Wednesday! Let’s go government geek big time today.
— Commissioner Jeff Kinnard received the support he requested for a 120-day letter of intent on Pirates Cove. Kinnard essentially has three months to raise $1 million in private donations to buy the 3-acre parcel. Uphill climb doesn’t describe Kinnard’s task. Remember…the appraisals came in at about $1 million. The county’s offer of $900,000 was worse than rejected — owners are asking twice that, or $1.8 million.  This should come as no surprise:
There’s a lot of people living in this county. And a lot more still to come. The County Commission has an 8:30 a.m. workshop today to discuss the “interactive growth model,” a study of what’s coming, where, and when.  Happy Monday! Let’s start the week with two of my favorite subjects:
Pirates Cove. Betz Farm. They are miles apart geographically but linked politically. As one goes, so goes the other.  All is well from Stress Central.
That’s how I think of these Tallahassee visits. Been coming up here for three decades and am still overwhelmed by the intensity of this town during Session. Because I know where NOTHING is, I have but one goal: Wherever I’m headed, get there early. I’ve attended these Citrus County Legislative Days meetings with state higher-ups when someone from our group shows up late and I tell ya…I don’t want to be that late person.  Ah yes, the Tallahassee trip.
That’s today and Thursday when about 120 of our Citrus County leaders head to the state capital to bring home the bacon. Citrus County Legislative Days is the Chamber of Commerce’s big political event of the year. Not only does it attract local elected types, it also has community leaders from all walks. Some are coming to the Capitol for a specific purpose. For others, it’s their first visit.  Happy Tuesday! Three random thoughts while pondering whether the City of Inverness should dye Big Lake Henderson green for St. Paddy’s Day next year:
— No developer takes it on the chin here more than James Dicks. Through his numerous sub-companies, Dix Development and I don’t view life in Citrus County the same way. Dicks wants to develop much of it to make money. Me, I’d like us to slow up a bit. Dicks is the developer holding Betz Farm at bay. Despite the property being cleared of all title issues, we have yet to see Dicks’ grand plans for it. County commissioners seem only interested in the $6 million he plans to fork over once they rubber stamp his project.  It is ironic that the humblest man in the room is also the most popular.
Sheriff Dave Vincent earned it. And we are reaping the benefits. Nine months to the day after his candidacy took off and never looked back, Vincent returned to the Citrus County Chamber of Commerce on Friday to give an update on how things are going.  Let me tell you a little about my wife.
Deb Kamlot-Wright is the mother of two successful sons. She works with HCA Florida Citrus Hospital and is well-respected by her colleagues. Deb’s the proud mom of a little puppy named Max. She loves Jesus. And last July, Deb turned 60. She also needs a kidney transplant, or her life will be cut short.  Here’s a truth: Nothing elevates someone’s cause more than getting TV news involved.
Local TV news is the Holy Grail of coverage. The biggest newspapers on the planet could show up in your backyard, but they all get pushed aside for the TV camera. That’s the way it is. Us print journalists always resented the attention those guys receive, but we can’t ignore their presence.  Bunny has no comment.
As you can see from our photo, I watched the second half of Tuesday’s County Commission meeting from the World Headquarters with my new best friend. Here’s a rundown: — The board voted 4-1 (Janet Barek voted no) to allow “Home Depot” access to Kensington. I put the store in quote marks because nothing is official, even though the company applied for a building permit. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 36 years. 
Archives
March 2025
|
