A.G. Gancarski
Duval Clerk of Courts Ronnie Fussell, as of September’s end, has raised $105,975 in his re-election bid.
That sum was buoyed by a productive last two weeks of fundraising in September, with $9,500 coming into Fussell’s account.
All but $1,000 of Fussell’s new money was from out of the area. And except for a maximum contribution ($1,000 in Duval County) from uber lobbyist Ronald Book of Aventura, the other $7,500 came from Pennsylvania … an unlikely sinecure of interest in Jacksonville’s courts.
Adding another layer of intrigue: $4,000 of that sum came from Harrisburg companies involved in the credit collections industry. And $6,500 of that came from the same address: : 916 S. 14th St.
PennCredit corporation,”PennCredit II,” and Central Credit Control each had a maximum contribution.
Furthermore, at least one of these third-party collections agencies has a contract with the City of Jacksonville.
Penn Credit collects parking fines.
The Jacksonville Daily Record reported in January of $11 million in uncollected parking fines the city has not enforced over the years.
Despite one of the best reporters on the city hall beat asking questions to the mayor’s office, additional insight as to the city’s relationship with Penn Credit were not to be gleaned.
Two other businesses at the same address on S. 14th Street in Harrisburg — Double D Ranch and the Donagair Aircraft company — maxed out for Fussell. Those companies are owned by Donald Donagher, an apparently well-diversified businessman in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, who likewise maxed out for Fussell from his personal account.
Fussell, a consummate Jacksonville insider, appears likely to win his race against Democrat Paula Bartlett.
At the end of September, she had just $1,100 on hand, compared to Fussell’s almost $62,000.
