Who I am
I grew up in Eustis, attended Eustis public schools, and chose to raise my children here. I am passionate about preserving the things that make Lake County such a special place to live. I am a fiscal conservative, independent thinker and active community leader.
I attended the University of Florida College of Law and have practiced real property, land use and environmental law for over 30 years, so I am very familiar with the complex growth management issues facing residents in Lake County. I carefully consider the concerns of all parties involved and the long term impacts of each case, including whether there are existing rights and entitlements (which may subject Lake County to expensive lawsuits) and how to protect surrounding landowners and address safety and infrastructure needs.
As a business owner, I know firsthand the challenges facing our local businesses. When considering the adoption of local ordinances, I am always cognizant of the impact such regulations have on the cost of doing business. I understand the importance of workforce development. We cannot attract or maintain high wage jobs in Lake County without educational programs to back up our workforce.
Lastly, I care deeply about local issues which impact our families, having raised my own family here. And now I have a new perspective as a grandmother. Lake County has changed in many ways since I was a child, but the qualities that brought me back to Lake County remain the same: we have beautiful natural resources, parks, trails and waterways, and an abundance of outdoor activities; our unique towns and cities have tremendous community pride and public engagement; and our faith based community, civic organizations and non-profit organizations, and everyone who is involved in these organizations, make Lake County an incredible place to live.
As your current Lake County Commissioner, I have
Voted against tax increases
Fought to protect rural lands from municipal annexations which allow high density subdivisions
Supported our First Responders and improved response times
Brought high wage jobs to Lake County and expanded vocational training
Fought for more funding from the Florida Department of Transportation for much needed improvements to State Roads in Lake County (e.g. SR 44B, US 441, US 27, Hwy 50, SR 19) and for County Roads that relieve pressure on State Roads (e.g. CR 44 from Eustis to Leesburg, CR 452, CR 42).
Established our No Kill Animal Shelter
Improved our water quality and fought against special interests threatening our aquifer and quality of life
I want to finish what I started. Rural lands are still at risk of being annexed and used for high density subdivisions, and there are several important road projects I want to get across the finish line. We are at a pivotal time in our County’s history.
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Our community is under attack on two fronts: the special interests who want to pave over Lake County and a group of power brokers who want us to go along with their plans. Both have thrown their support behind my opposition because they want me out of the way. Decisions are being made daily that are pivotal to the future of Lake County, and they want someone they can control.
I am running again because I won’t be influenced by special interests. I understand the complexity of these issues and realize how crucial these decisions are to our future. We must protect rural lands from being annexed into cities for residential subdivisions and stop activities that are ruining our water quality and the peaceful enjoyment of our own property. There is a correct balance whereby property rights are honored and conscientious land use decisions are made, but these special interest groups combined with State laws which are stripping away the authority of local governments to make zoning decisions, have tipped the scales to the extreme and growth and congestion in our county is out of control.
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I have been threatened that if I didn’t “play ball” and participate in a concentration of power by certain individuals who have the backing of large development interests and other special interests, they would run people against me and, good to the word, they have done so. These are the same people who talk about things like term limits and defeating “career politicians” because these individuals and power groups cannot control me and they want me out of the way. They know I’ll stand up to their power grabs and put the people of Lake County first.
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I earned this support because I have always put the people of Lake County first. I see this position as a “job” not as being a “politician.” I deliver results because I work hard, I'm fair, and I follow conservative principles with regard to budgeting and taxation. I am well-versed in the issues facing our county, and I want to finish what I set out to do which is improve the lives of individual Lake Countians while preserving the things that make our community so special. My experience makes me uniquely qualified to navigate challenges currently facing our county, and to advocate for changes to State laws that affect our every day lives such as transportation funding in the State of Florida which needs serious reform.
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I am being supported by a diverse group of Lake County residents and businesses, who know I love Lake County and know my heart is in this job. I have supporters from all walks of life, some of whom contribute, volunteer or support me on social media. But it is not unusual for business interests and developers to get involved in campaign season and make donations. It is their prerogative to make donations directly to a candidate which must be shown in public campaign reports, and the maximum donation is limited to $1,000.
There is also a mechanism called "dark money" PACs whereby large interests who don't want to be identified can make unlimited donations not shown in public records. I am up against at least one opponent who is supported by such "dark money" and I expect they will use dirty campaign methods to attack my record, my reputation and the time I have served the residents of Lake County as the focus of their campaign (using texts, phone calls, mailers, social media, etc.).
On the other hand, anyone who donates to my campaign (whether $25 or the maximum amount) understands my allegiance is to fairness and upholding the law, and looking out for the best interests of Lake County. My voting record shows I have often voted against applications presented by those individuals or entities who donated to my campaign. Please don’t be fooled by efforts to portray me as someone influenced by political contributions. I am objective, fair, and I always look out for Lake County’s best interests.