County Commission — District 7: Betsy Benac

Age:  59

Hometown:  Saginaw, Mich.

Party affiliation: Republican

Occupation: Full-time commissioner since being elected in 2012; Prior to that had a 33-year career as a professional urban planner

About: Betsy Benac moved to Florida in 1982 and began work as an urban planner, whose job involved working with individuals and organizations to comply with government regulations and create livable environments (consistent with my degree in Environmental Studies). She was a part of owner of a successful engineering and planning firm, WilsonMiller, before it sold in 2010.

Why are you running for office?

I intend to continue to work for our citizens to ensure that the government supports and does not inhibit the opportunity to find good jobs, affordable housing and an excellent quality of life.

What do you believe will be the biggest issues that will arise due to expected growth?

Providing for mobility to avoid gridlock in key areas of the county. This issue is not new,  but we need to move road construction and alternative transportation options forward to construction. We also need to adopt a fiscally stable, predictable budget that does not rely on reserves and retains the county’s low tax rate.

What are the biggest opportunities within your district?

The proposed update to the Land Development Code and the Tax Increment Financing district provide opportunities and incentives for urban core redevelopment, maximizing use of existing infrastructure, an alternative to greenfield development, as well as affordable housing. Working with the Sarasota-Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization and Florida Department of Transportation, we will prioritize and fund the long needed transportation improvements identified in the Central Manatee Network Area Analysis.

Could you please talk about three issues you deem most important that you already haven't addressed in the questions above?

1.  The previous commission, prior to 2012,  watched the indigent care fund expire, and provided no leadership to address the issue. Today, through partnerships with nonprofits agencies such Turning Points and other innovative programs the budget for indigent care has been reduced to a fraction — approximately one-third — of the previous annual budget. Local government cannot and should not be the provider of healthcare.

2.  The Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1989 as an “award winning plan” and has not been significantly modified since its adoption. The Comprehensive Plan should be simplified to the maximum extent allowable by law, so that the community can rely on the regulations in the Land Development Code, and not interpretations of the plan, which is meant to be a policy document.

3. Phosphate mining. Mining is a property right, subject to stringent regulations. The Manatee County Mining Ordinance has been updated, and provides for regulations and protections, such as bonding, should restoration efforts not be successful. We need to assure that the regulations remain up to date and are enforced.