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 Piney Point disaster spotlighted the problems inherent to Florida's phosphate mining industry, even as that industry seeks to expand. In 2018 the DeSoto County Commission rejected an application from The Mosaic Company to rezone 14,000 acres from agricultural to mining. However, the state has required the Commission to readdress the issue in 2023. If elected, would you support DeSoto County Commissioners and oppose ANY further expansion of phosphate mining in Florida?

  Yes

• Question 2 : Yes
  2) New scientific research directly links human activity to harmful algal blooms, with researchers reporting that nitrogen flowing from the Caloosahatchee River, Lake Okeechobee and areas upstream of the lake contributed to red tide in Charlotte Harbor, the Caloosahatchee Estuary, and presumably beyond, between 2012 and 2021. If elected, would you support aggressive local measures to address this, such as a moratorium on new septic systems, establishment of a stormwater system inspection and monitoring program and acquisition of additional land for water storage and treatment?

  Yes

  Candidate Comment:

  Yes, in fact in Pinellas County we have instituted an education and incentive campaign to have homeowners associations understand their responsibilities in terms of stormwater. Many are not even aware that they should be maintaining them. We also have a prioritized list of properties that we stand ready to purchase when and if possible to mitigate stormwater effects.

• 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:

  Of course, Pinellas has very little room for agriculture, but our county instituted a fertilizer ban during the summer months many years ago and it is enforced.

• Question 4 : 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:

  I would, but we are a built out county and have no such rural areas.

• 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