 Citrus County’s administrator search may have hit a roadblock before it even gets revved up.
Commissioner Scott Carnahan’s comment Tuesday that none of the 25 applicants measured up, followed by Commissioner Ruthie Davis Schlabach wondering out loud what Plan B is, certainly gives the impression that commissioners are simply hoping this plays out well despite no real cohesion as to what they’re looking for.  Been spending so much time on politics lately I’d forgotten how enjoyable a County Commission meeting could be.
You heard me. Some people go to the movies for fun. I sit in the back of the room and observe government in action, as was the case Tuesday:  The voice on the phone was desperate.
“Can’t something be done about this?” she pleaded. I almost didn’t take the call because it came from someone living in Inverness Villages Unit 4. I am very familiar with that neighborhood from my Chronicle days. The development along Independence Boulevard in Inverness is best known for its streets — its unpaved, supposedly public streets.  A few months back, Commissioner Jeff Kinnard said he had heard from residents about the need for a traffic light at the intersection of Gospel Island at S.R. 44, about three miles east of Inverness.
With the county commission’s backing, Kinnard went up the chain and asked the Florida Department of Transportation to study it. FDOT did and, sure enough, said it meets the warrants for a signal.  Two thoughts before we send Primary Election 2022 into the Fort Island Gulf Beach sunset.
—How about a final round of applause for our new candidates who, though not winning, represented themselves well during the campaign? John Murphy Jr. and Stacey Worthington each brought passion and excitement to the county commission races. Their messages were positive and encouraging. I sincerely hope both stay connected because they’ve made a lot of friends these last few months.  My, oh my what a busy Primary Election Day in Citrus County. So let’s get right to it.
— Winner of the day is Diana Finegan, whose County Commission District 2 win over Stacey Worthington was nothing short of impressive. The forces behind NPA Paul Grogan’s “campaign” must be giddy this played out exactly as hoped. By blocking the primary to solely Republican voters, Finegan appealed to the far Right base and enough of them showed up to push her across the finish line.  And then there’s Primary Election Day.
I’m sure you’re as tired of reading about it as I am of writing about it. We’re all ready to get it over with, congratulate the winners, commiserate with the non-winners, and move on with our lives for at least a week before the general election talk starts.  Welcome to the day before the primary, the DMZ of election coverage.
With early voting ending Saturday and Election Day on Tuesday, that gives three days for political writers to twiddle their thumbs.  One more thing before we end this week before the primary election.
Voting. Have we talked about voting? As in, this doesn’t work if people don’t vote. Seems logical, right? We spend weeks, or even months, leading to Tuesday where, in Citrus County, we’ll literally elect a county commissioner, legislator and judge.  Here’s one we can’t let fall off the radar: Citrus County administrator search.
Friday is the deadline for applications. The first batch of about 20 came out earlier this week and one grabbed my attention right away. |
AuthorMike Wright has written about Citrus County government and politics for 35 years. Archives
March 2023
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