Three Candidates for County Commission district 2 and one from District 4 spoke at a forum Thursday evening at the Fort White Community Center and agreed on most issues.

Cedric Davis, Mark Kazmierski, Rusty DePratter, Leo Flemming and Stewart Lilker are running in District 2, which is open due to the retirement of Dewey Weaver. DePratter and Fleming did not attend. Toby Witt is challenging Stephen Bailey in District 4. Bailey, the only incumbent in the group, did not attend.

Rosalie Bandyopadhyay, President of the Alachua County League of Women Voters, moderated the meeting, which was organized by NEAT - Neighbors Equine Assistance Team.

Each candidate had a three-minute opening statement. Questions prepared by the League and from the audience followed, with each candidate getting two minutes to respond to each question. A one-minute closing statement from each candidate concluded the meeting.

Cedric Davis said he lived in the county 45 years. “I decide to run because I want to make a difference. I smile a lot, but when it is time to get serious, I get serious. My serious issue is how the county spends your money and our money.”

“I would try to have meetings at least twice a year, just to reach out. I want to make sure I know what you need,” he said.

Mark Kazmierski said, “I’m your candidate, your choice for District 2.  “ My Dad was Dr. Kaz. They moved here in the early ’70s. All of my memories are here in Columbia County. I’m a paramedic and a nurse. I ‘ve graduate from CHS. I went to Lake City Community College and went through their EMS and nursing programs. I have worked at both hospitals. I’ve worked for EMS for almost 20 years. I had to quit in order to run for County Commissioner. I work full-time for ShandsCare on their helicopter. IU work 24 hours on and have 72 hours off. I work two days a week so I am available to attend the meetings. I’m available for you,” he said.

He talked about working with other government agencies and creating jobs. “We need to protect the resources we have here.”

Stewart Lilker, who prefers to be called Stew Lilker, said, “I’m here for you and to listen to you. My mission is to build trust. I think it is time people in this county told you the truth. I want to show you something, if I can find my bag, which just disappeared.” He left it on a chair in the audience.

Holding up a plastic jar of coins, he said, “If you imagine all the money in Columbia County, this is it. This is what’s here. There’s no more. There are approximately 75,000 people in Columbia County, there’s 36,000 registered voters and not there’s not enough money to go around. This is it. When you take out top 200 or 300 top (earning) families in Columbia County, the average per capita income for a family is $18,000. It’s time for a change. I’m asking you to support me. I’m going to be that change. I’m un-bought. I’m not one of the good old boys.

Toby Witt said, “I started my care as a paramedic in Levy County and shortly after that transferred to Columbia County. I was a paramedic in Columbia County until recently when, like Mr. Kazmierski, I had to resign to run for office. In 2002, I started my career with LifeFlight and was promoted up the ranks to become the area business manager.

“What inspired me to run was, I was involved heavily with the Citizens Against Forced Utilities movement. I was a founding member of that group. Through the process of  working with the group, it became apparent that the politicians, our elected officials, weren’t listening to us.

“Also, it became really apparent to me that the County Commission meetings I was really disappointed in how the citizens were treated.” I think people need to be treated better. That is the key thing in the County right now. They are not listening to us and, not only are they not listening to you when you go to a meeting to speak on the public’s behalf, you’re not treated with the respect you deserve.

I’m not a career politician. I’m not a natural public speaker, but I think we need to hold the government accountable.”

The first question asked about managing the county budget.

Lilker said, “The first thing I will do if I am elected Commissioner, is establish a citizens budget advisory task force. The second thing is I would require supervisors and department heads to show up at County Commission meetings. It’s kind of sad and I don’t understand it – they’re banned from County Commission meetings. We need real-time spreadsheets to show you what each department is spending.

“In Columbia County most department heads don’t do their own budgets, they’re given their budgets, so that’s why department heads are banned from County Commission meetings.

Kazmierski said he would like to do an across-the-board budget cut, “But I realize that may not be feasible. How can we provide the same level of service for your EMS, fire, Sheriff’s Department? But we potentially cut 30 percent from the public works department. They don’t mow the grass on the sided of the road two times a week, they only mow it once a week or they only grade once a week.

Davis said he would ask the county Manager to sit back and – anything that’s not restricted, funds that you can’t do anything with because they are restricted – any kind of service would be fair game. Do you know that the EMS and the Fire Department are merged, but only on paper. Anything like that we can look at as possible cuts. A couple of months ago the county went out and purchased a zero-turn tractor, $9,000 – they bought two of them. I don’t have a problem with buying a lawn mower f that’s what we need, but we need to make sure we live within our means. We got to start looking at these departments and we got to start cutting the fat out.

Witt said you do what me and my wife do – you stop spending on non-critical projects. We just spent $900,000 on a community center. Can you imagine this building right here costing $900,000. The words revenue neutral get thrown around a lot. There is nothing revenue neutral about the county budget. The attitude seems to be, ‘Let’s spend everything in our budget or we won’t get that next year.’ That’s the wrong attitude to have. I think there’s a lot of fat in the bgudget. I think the community center project is a prime example. And I’m not arguing that the community center isn’t needed – but do you do it in a recession and do you do it to the extent of $900,000.”

The most volatile question was “What is your view of the right of citizens to address the County Commission? Are you in agreement with the present policies of the Commission.

Witt said, “I’m not in agreement. This is what inspired me to run is the way I saw our citizen being treated as they went up to address that board. It is appalling sometimes, they are talked down to the arrogant behavior is beyond me.”

Davis said, “If you haven’t been to the County Commission meeting lately, you need to come. They have the five-minute rule, I don’t care whether you’ve got to talk about a barking dog or whether you have a $50,000 problem – the clock starts clicking. When that buzzer goes off, you sit down. I have a problem with that.”

  Lilker said he agreed with everything Witt said. “I’ve been attending County Commission meetings now for about five years. I’ve seen the deterioration. I didn’t just start, like some of my new friends attending meetings when they decided to run for county commissioner. I’ve been in the thick of it. Five years ago, you could get up there and address the county commission.”

Kazmierski said, “Not only is the disrespect atrocious, what the County Commissioners do to the general public but what they do to each other. It turned my stomach a couple times. What do you do? You put somebody up there who has the spine to say ‘No we need to table this discussion until we have all the information.’ You need somebody who can stand up to the other commissioners who demand a vote.”

Each candidate opposed water bottling plants and the selling of water from the aquifer.

They generally agreed that septic tanks can harm the environment, if not properly maintained. Witt said if you already have a septic tank and if you already have a well, you should not be forced to hook up to any septic system or any water system.”

Lilker said “Columbia County Now, a group I am chairman of, did a survey three years ago. They have high-tech septic systems now. Apparently, you take a poop and five minutes later a sirloin steak comes out the other end,” he said.

“They’re expensive – might be a good investment for some folks.” He said there are tax credits available for high-tech systems. “There could conceivably be grants from the EPA for these high-tech septic systems.