Primary Election: Manatee County School Board, District 7

Battling for the Board of Manatee County Commissioners District 7 at-large seat are two Republicans: political hopeful Betsy Benac and incumbent Joe McClash.

Benac, who currently works as a senior planner for Benderson Development, has worked as a planner for Manatee County, as well as a consulting land planner and business owner.

McClash, a military veteran and local businessman who owns and manages real-estate properties, has served on the commission since 1990.

Betsy Benac
Age: 55
Family: Husband of 29 years, Bob. Two children, Ali, 26, and Bo, 23
Hometown: Saginaw, Mich.
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan
Relevant experience: Worked for Manatee County Planning Department from 1983 to 1994, serving as assistant planning director. Vice president and principal (owner) of WilsonMiller Engineering and Planning from 1994 to 2010. Currently works for Benderson Development as a senior planner. Member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) and LEED (Leadership in Environment and Energy Design) Accredited Professional.
Website: betsybenac.com

What would be your top priorities if elected?
The economy: We need to diversify the economy by being as business-friendly as possible. We need to have clear, balanced regulations and ensure that we are doing everything we can to attract and retain the businesses that provide good-paying jobs for our citizens.

The county budget: The county needs to control spending. We need to look for opportunities to eliminate waste and duplication of programs, including with regional and state government. The county will need to phase out the reliance on budget stabilization funds to get to a balanced budget.

Keep taxes low: Given the continued reduction in tax revenues due to the drop in sales and property values, we need to deal with continued reductions in state and local revenues. We need to grow the economy to increase revenues, and not raise taxes, because that will be a disincentive to attracting retirees and businesses.

How can Manatee County’s economy be diversified?
Manatee County needs to continue to work with partners such as the Economic Development Council and the Suncoast Workforce Board to make sure we are doing everything we can to attract and retain the right kind of businesses that have the best chance to grow our economy. We need to keep taxes and fees low so that we have incentives for businesses to move here and grow. We also need to work with our schools and businesses to make sure that we have the employees ready to work in the skilled jobs that the new economy demands.

What would you change to make the county more business-friendly to create jobs?
Review all regulations, permit processes and fees, including state and regional regulations to reduce duplication and limit costs for new businesses growing locally or moving into the community. (We need to) make sure that our infrastructure is ready and able to accommodate new growth, especially in targeted growth areas. (We need to) review the use of impact fees and the Capital Improvement Program to make sure that planned improvements are truly the ones needed to grow the economy and not simply in response to the “wants” of the commission.

What is the best way to manage growth, particularly in East County?
East County has benefited by having master-planned growth, and I would work with the community to make sure that the trend can continue. We need to look at our Comprehensive Plan to make sure it encourages and supports master-planned growth and allows for mixed-use communities that accommodate the type of housing and support services that our growing and aging population will need in the future. I would like to see an infrastructure plan in place for the Parrish area, so that master-planned growth can occur when the market is ready. I think the county’s website needs to be improved to provide more information regarding upcoming projects and regulatory changes to better inform the community.

Would you attempt to change EDC policies of seeking companies in Manatee County?
The county has chased virtually every lead, and many have not panned out, so I think we need to do a better job of defining where we want to focus our efforts. The funding for attracting new businesses will not be available indefinitely, so we need to come up with other incentives and ensure that we are as business-friendly as possible.

What makes you a better candidate than your opponent?
While my opponent has been in government for the past 22 years, I have been working in the private sector with businesses that have grown our economy, even during the recession. As a consulting land planner and a business owner, it has been my job to ensure projects are completed on time, within the defined budget and in compliance with all rules and regulations. The projects I have worked on have been built and contribute significant tax revenues to our economy, as opposed to costing taxpayers. I have provided leadership to the community during this time with many different organizations, not just government. I will use the skills I have acquired building coalitions, working with the government and the private sector to being a full-time commissioner, providing effective leadership on the commission.

Any other thoughts/comments?
Change is inevitable. It is how we deal with change that is important — and it is time for positive change to move our community forward.

Joe McClash
Age: 54
Family: Wife of 32 years, Casey. Two children.
Hometown: Astoria, N.Y.
Education: Manatee High School and became a United States Marine
Relevant experience: Business owner since I was 24 years old. Owned and operated McClash Heating & Cooling; own and manage real-estate properties and act as the publisher and owner of The Bradenton Times.
Website: Votejoemcclash.com

What would be your top priorities if elected?
The first priority is the need to continue to focus on job creation. We need to use our port as a catalyst to spur new economic activity, as well as build on our other proven economies: agriculture, tourism, retirees and sports economics.

Second is the need to increase our taxable values by helping our existing urban areas. The focus on new construction sometimes hurts our existing urban areas. Urban redevelopment and shoring-up our older communities is a priority for me. By doing this, our communities will be uplifted, bringing values up and also reducing crime and social distress.

Third, is keeping a focus on public safety. I am promoting a regional approach to public safety in order to reduce costs, and ensure we have the best programs to deal with these challenging times. By working on a regional approach we will be able to achieve better results, and I am willing to lead this effort.

How can Manatee County’s economy be diversified?
First, we need to use Port Manatee as a catalyst to spur economic activity. Only a few counties have a deep-water port, and ours is the closest to the Panama Canal. I have worked hard to be creative and, using my business skills, create new opportunities for businesses and cutting bureaucracy. The Port Encouragement Zone I initiated allows for a quick approval process for businesses, saving time and money. This business-friendly approach already has worked to bring new jobs to diversify our economy. This county also has a rich heritage in agriculture that we need to protect. Our tourism economy is having a record revenue year, and by focusing on eco-tourism we can be increase visitors to our area. We have recently focused on sports as another diversified economic asset by assisting with a world-class rowing facility and helping IMG (Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy) with their expansion plans. A diverse economy is a healthy economy, and I will continue using my business skills to the benefit of this community.

What would you change to make the county more business-friendly to create jobs?
Since the economy slowed down, we re-organized the county departments to be a leader in delivering business-friendly services. We offer a rapid-response team that works with new and existing businesses to ensure there are no obstacles that we, as the government, cause to impede their plans. The personalized services get compliments from businesses on how well we work with businesses. The county has a slogan, “Jobs Now!” to enforce our culture of creating jobs and treating everyone as a customer. As a commissioner, I take a personal interest in guiding policies to ensure we are business-friendly. We have good employees who make this happen every day. It is our priority to create jobs, and more than 5,000 jobs will be created from our economic incentives and our business-friendly services.

What is the best way to manage growth, particularly in East County?
I have led the way to ensure our infrastructure is ready for growth. Serving on the (Metropolitan Planning Organization), a regional transportation board with Sarasota, I established a business plan to improve State Road 70 and State Road 64 to handle the growth at acceptable levels of service. I also brought together the School Board and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch to build the Lakewood Ranch Park. We developed a public/private partnership and allowed for a shared use of facilities to save money. There are good plans already in place such as our Comprehensive Plan and Development Plans for subdivisions that offer quality growth without destroying the environment we respect.

Would you attempt to change EDC policies of seeking companies in Sarasota County?
I would not support a policy of seeking to lure companies from our neighboring county. There is plenty of business that we can seek throughout the world without stealing from Sarasota.

What makes you a better candidate than your opponent?
I will represent the people first. I am a proven leader and have a dedication and commitment that is proven. My opponent represents developers. As a commissioner, I can be trusted with preserving your quality of life. At a time when politicians are not willing to lead, I lead. My experience in the Marine Corps taught me lessons that I use in my role as a county commissioner. As a successful business owner since I was 24 years old, I have experience that brings a skill level few have. I love this county and my country. I enjoy boating, fishing and kayaking along our preserves. When some want to destroy our natural beauty, I stand to protect it, because once it is lost, it can never be restored. We have a sense of community that is worth fighting for, and that is what I will do better. I will continue to fight to keep Manatee County a great place to live.

Any other thoughts/comments?
I am proud to offer some positive news about our county. We are in great financial shape. During the time when revenues escalated, I fought for a conservative policy that spent half of our new revenue on recurring expenses and the other half on one-time expenditures. We built new parks, roads, a judicial center and a much-needed emergency operations center. Manatee County is a leader in innovative health care, investing in preventive programs that have saved money and lives and allow our employees to live a healthier life.
When the financial crisis hit, we fine-tuned our departments. Today, our employees are working harder and smarter. Our citizens have seen taxes reduced by more than $80 million a year. We have a balanced budget. Unemployment is finally going down, and 5,000 new jobs will be created from our economic incentives. Port Manatee completed the dredging for our new Berth 12. Home sales have increased. Tourism set a new record-high this year. Our bays are the healthiest since the 1950s. Our air is cleaner now that the power plants switched to natural gas. Crime is down. There is hope and optimism.
I know there are many challenges, but with each challenge comes an opportunity. My goal is to keep Manatee County a place we always want to call home. I am asking for your confidence, and your vote.