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Pasco Commission Majority Deserves To Be Kept Intact

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 13, 2008

Pasco residents are fortunate to have a county commission that works well together. Teamwork will be needed to tackle the economic challenges facing the county, which for too long has relied upon residential building and sends nearly half its workforce to other counties for jobs.

Though they represent geographic districts, Pasco commissioners are elected countywide. Three incumbents - Ted Schrader, Ann Hildebrand and Jack Mariano - are asking voters for another term.

Actually, Schrader has already secured a third term in District 1, which covers east Pasco, with a victory in the August primary. Still, his name will be on the ballot because a write-in candidate didn't withdraw soon enough.

Schrader's colleagues face sincere challengers, but the competition is stiff in only one race - District 5, where Mariano is challenged by former New Port Richey Councilwoman Ginny Miller.

District 5

Mariano, a 48-year-old Republican, came out of nowhere to beat former Commissioner Peter Altman in 2004.

The former automobile salesman has stumbled a few times, most notably when he ignored the county attorney's advice and conducted his own investigation of a development-related appeal, which was supposed to be decided on the existing record. Though not illegal or unethical, his actions were disruptive.

Still, Mariano has grown in the job, does his homework and is arguably the board's hardest-working member. Enthusiastic and accessible, he has focused on enhancing Pasco's tax base by developing sports-related tourism. And he is a big backer of strategically located employment centers, which the county have designated, so residents can work closer to where they live.

He is a strong proponent of environmentally friendly building processes, which he pushed to include in the county's blueprint for growth - the comprehensive land-use plan. If re-elected, he would continue his focus on economic development and press to expedite planned improvements to U.S. 19 and State Road 52. His experience as chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization will help.

Miller, a 49-year-old Republican, served nine years on the governing body for Pasco's largest city, New Port Richey, before resigning to challenge the incumbent. She has a strong background in land use, redevelopment and budgeting, and served her city well.

A middle-school math teacher, her personality and demeanor helps build consensus, an important trait considering Pasco's diverse needs. She could step into the demanding job and make an immediate impact.

Her big idea is a good one - establishing redevelopment areas in older neighborhoods that need energizing and fixing up, and allocating area property tax dollars to do it. Miller's experience could make it work.

Voters can't go wrong in this race. But we recommend another term for Mariano. He has matured, asks tough questions and keeps the best interests of the county - and its residents - at heart.

The Tribune recommends Jack Mariano for Pasco County Commission, District 5.

District 3

This is a huge mismatch. Hildebrand, 70, a Republican seeking her seventh and, she says, final term, is challenged by Terri Conroy, a Democrat who edits and writes articles for a newspaper specializing in good news.

Hildebrand, a New Port Richey resident, has served with honor and distinction for 24 years. Her stamp is all over Pasco. Although she has approved more than her share of development projects, the former social worker has worked tirelessly to preserve more than 4,000 acres of sensitive coastline, reduce property tax rates, provide health care to the poor and fund parks, libraries and roads.

She also has made an impact on one of the region's most hotly contested issues - groundwater pumping that damaged the environment. Hildebrand pushed successfully to reduce pumping to reasonable levels. Her institutional knowledge of the county and region will be needed as the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority, on which she serves, develops a regional plan for mass transit.

Conroy, 49, also a New Port Richey resident, is personable. She has a genuine desire to serve the public, but she has a superficial knowledge of the issues.

For any voter who believes Conroy should be elected, think about this statement she made to us: "We don't encourage new building here." Now consider that Pasco has grown by more than 117,000 people since 2000, and Pasco officials have approved tens of thousands of residential units that have yet to be built - all attributable to overly friendly development policies.

Hildebrand has played a role in that, granted, but overall she is an outstanding public official. The Tribune strongly recommends Ann Hildebrand for Pasco County Commission, District 3.

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