2022 General - Voter Guide Ranking

2022 Clean Water Questionnaire Responses

To read each question, answer and candidate comments click below.

• Question 1 : Yes
  1) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), and while the plan should reduce harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, discharges will still occur when the level of the lake gets too high. Do you agree the Army Corps and the South Florida Water Management District must send more water south during the dry season in order to minimize the possibility of discharges and their impact on human health and the environment?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  During the dry season there is often not enough fresh water diverted into the Caloosahatchee and thus we have die offs of tape grass this is detrimental to our natural eco system and needs to be accounted for.

• Question 2 : Yes
  2) Florida is booming, with an estimated 1,000 people moving here every day. As a result, development is pushing growth further into Florida’s rural and natural areas, imperiling wildlife and natural resources like clean water. Will you oppose changes to your county’s Comprehensive Plan/Urban Development Boundary that would allow non-agricultural development in rural areas outside the urban, most densely developed area(s) in your county?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  As someone who lives in rural Charlotte County I firmly believe we need to protect our environment from over development and urban / suburban sprawl. We need to be responsible in how we build and develop and protect our natural resources, water and wildlife.

• Question 3 : Yes
  3) State legislation, FDEP data and the Blue-Green Algae Task Force all report agriculture as the dominant source of phosphorus and nitrogen within most impaired watersheds of Florida. Do you agree industries and property owners should be held to clearly enforceable pollution standards and penalties; including mandatory adoption and verification of best management practices, and to implement inspection programs targeting septic, agriculture and industrial wastewater?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  As a farmer myself I have taken steps to prevent runoff and fertilizer contamination. We do not use pesticides and in fact grow more crops indoors hydroponically and reuse our water over and over utilizing every nutrient and then drying the water leaving the minerals in a drying tub to be reused on the net crop. It is a cost effective and responsible way to farm.

• Question 4 : Yes
  4) Key water bodies along the Florida coast, including the Indian River Lagoon and Biscayne Bay, are plagued by excess nutrient pollution which kills seagrass. This in turn has led to increased turbidity and reduced habitat essential for fish, birds, marine mammals, and other marine species. If elected, would you support aggressive measures to address water quality problems, including (but not limited to) a mandatory septic inspection program, increased investment in septic-to-sewer conversions and upgrades to municipal sewage treatment facilities, increased stormwater pollution controls and tougher fertilizer restrictions coupled with strict enforcement?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I firmly believe septic works but only as long as it is maintained, and a routine inspection will ensure the system is functioning properly. Many of the sewage spills in Charlotte county could have been avoided with proper construction, quick spill response and a properly sized and built sewer treatment system. Charlotte often rushes to build and expand housing before taking sewage volumes into account and this practice must be stopped and re evaluated.

• Question 5 : Yes
  5) Special interests in Florida spend lavishly to influence elections at the local, state and federal level. The sugar industry, phosphate mining industry and big utilities, among others, spend millions to aid candidates who then back their preferred legislation - too often, at the expense of clean water. Do you agree your campaign will accept no contributions from any source with ties to polluting industries including, but not limited to, the sugar, phosphate and utility industries?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  I have not and will not take money from any of these industries and in fact have been outspoken against Mosaic and their pollution of our natural resources. I will not take money from any large corporations as well. To often our incumbent commissioners want to stay in office at any and all cost lending them to engage with less then responsible corporations and special interest groups. I am beholden to the people not a company.