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Military Man Says County Could Use His Assertiveness

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By JULIA FERRANTE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 16, 2008

Democrat Nicholas Planck faces Teresa "Terri" Conroy in his bid for the District 3 county commission seat nomination. The winner of that contest will run against whoever prevails in the Republican primary between 24-year incumbent Ann Hildebrand, Wil Nickerson and Matt Matey on Aug. 26.

The Tampa Tribune asked Planck, a retired Coast Guard officer, why he thinks he is the best candidate and how he would handle key issues if elected.

Why Are You The Best Candidate?

After he retired from the Coast Guard, Planck worked for Pasco County as a traffic signal technician for two years. He left the county to go into more lucrative contract work but was laid off in October.

Planck said residents' needs are not being met by Pasco government. He said his leadership experience in the military would make him an effective county commissioner.

"I'm very assertive, and I think the county needs that," Planck said.

He said Hildebrand has "lost her effectiveness" during the past 10 years and that county officials have not worked fast enough to "fix" the building permit process or to build a park in Trinity.

If elected, Planck said, he would suggest consolidating some county services such as the sheriff's and county's fleet management as well as some functions of human resources. He also would push for more road improvements, particularly on east-west roads.

"Pasco County is at the bad end of a lot of jokes, and we need to change the perception," he said.

Like Hildebrand, Planck supports efforts to create a regional rail system to serve the growing population. He said he has more leadership experience than Conroy.

"I'm a big fan of TBARTA," said Planck, referring to the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority. "We have a little over 400,000 people in Pasco. We're not a rural community per se."

Economic Development

Pasco officials need to do a better job of working with builders and should follow the advice of a recent Urban Land Institute study and "fix" the construction permitting process, Planck said.

"If we repair our permitting process, we will encourage some economic growth," he said. "ULI said we've driven some businesses out of the community. They've created a board to address it, but this is not a new problem."

County officials also should make better use of grant money to help small businesses grow and reevaluate how incentives are awarded, Planck said.

"Instead of holding money for that once-in-a-lifetime thing, we need to expand the pot to let smaller businesses grow," Planck said.

Construction Impact Fees

The one-time construction fees on new building in Pasco are necessary, Planck said, and he does not support lowering the rates as a way to boost the economy. He noted that the county studied the fees before raising them to ensure they were fair.

"Nobody's going to buy anything if they don't have a job," he said. "If we say tomorrow, 'No more impact fees,' do you really think we're going to see more houses? We already have a lot of empty houses. Let's fill them up."

Planck did question the way impact fees are calculated, noting residents of mobile homes pay less than owners of four-bedroom homes.

"Are they saying people in mobile homes read less?" Planck said.

Cost-Cutting

Planck did not support the constitutional amendment to offer homeowners greater tax breaks, saying the provision cuts too much into county revenue.

"Tallahassee did not do its job," Planck said. "They abdicated their responsibility and put it on the shoulders of local government."

If elected, Plank said, he would look for ways to trim the county budget and examine how money is being spent.

"I don't disagree that we need more sheriff's deputies," he said. "But the sheriff handed back $1.5 million in reserves. Why didn't he spend that on deputies?"

Planck did not have specific suggestions for how to make ends meet.

"It's a little difficult to get information from the outside," Planck said. "I don't have necessarily all the answers at this point in time. It's a huge, huge ball of wax."

Environmental Protection

Planck supports efforts to purchase the Cross Bar Ranch in central Pasco and dedicate it to preservation, but he is skeptical about how the county will pay for the acquisition.

"I think it's the right thing to do," he said. "I think it's a big monster, the size and numbers involved. It's a very expensive option. The question is: Can we do it?"

Planck said he is "leaning toward" mandatory recycling to reduce the amount of solid waste Pasco discards. He questions whether the county should continue its blue bag recycling program or convert to more popular hard-sided bins.

"We've had the blue bag program for 15 years. There's a failure in the political will to drive that program forward," he said.

AT A GLANCE

NAME: Nicholas Planck

AGE: 49

FAMILY: Married, two children

EDUCATION: Graduated from high school in Ohio, attended some college in Mesa, Ariz.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Retired from the Coast Guard in 2003 after 18 years; also served four years in the Air Force. Most recently a consultant in the communications industry; laid off in October

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None

WEB SITE: www.planckforpasco.com

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