Joe Henderson
As you peruse your ballot, either on Election Day or if you vote by mail, there is a chance you’ll hit a stumbling block when you get to the section marked “Soil and Water Conservation District.”
On the Hillsborough County ballot, there are 11 candidates divided over three districts. You’re supposed to vote for some of them, but odds are pretty good you won’t know who any of them are. This is the place to go for a politician who needs to be in witness protection.
No matter. You’ll still be expected to choose between “Who’s That?” and “Never Heard of Him/Her” because these folks are trying to win election to a post where they’ll be expected to work hard and decide important issues for no pay.
I mean it. Absolutely no pay.
You might wonder why someone would agree to do that even if their best friend asked, let alone actually put their name on a ballot and (sort of) campaign for the job?
I wondered that too. But there is no question that a lot of people look at a seat on this board as something to be valued, and I applaud their service.
I also applaud voters who take the time to try and learn about the candidates, which isn’t easy and explains why I received an email this morning from a nice lady asking how she could go to do her homework on these people.
Why was she writing to me? Because everything lives forever on Google, and that’s where she found a column I wrote about the Soil board a couple of years ago for this fine website.
Apparently, a lot of other people found it too, because Board Chairman Mark Proctor told me that because of that column, there was a surge in people who wanted to win a coveted spot there. No need to thank me.
And because there are more people wanting information and they don’t know who else to contact, they reach out to Proctor because he was quoted extensively in the original piece and he told board members it was OK for people to call him.
“My phone is ringing off the hook. Thanks, Joe,” he said. “But I don’t really mind. All I can tell them is that I’ve met a few of the candidates and here are the ones I’m voting for. I don’t know all of them.”
It’s an important gig though.
The Soil and Water Conservation District concept was created by the Legislature to promote efficient use of the land and protect water resources; there are conservation districts throughout the state. Their mission, quoting directly from the soil handbook, is “ … to provide assistance, guidance, and education to landowners, land occupiers, the agricultural industry, and the general public in implementing land and water resource protection practices.”
With so much on the line, shouldn’t there be a way to find out more about the people who want your vote? After all, it would take an act by the Legislature to change these from elected to appointed, and that wouldn’t be such a good idea.
As awkward as the process of choosing members is now, it would be worse if the Governor of either party could stack these districts with buddies to push through an agenda.
But wouldn’t we like to know who we’re voting for? For all I know, someone’s idea of being qualified for this board would be the fact they mow their lawn. Or they could be like Kim O’Connor, who resigned from the board earlier this year over allegations she smoked a lot of pot while in an Okeechobee motel on official business.
She denied all that, by the way.
Proctor agreed it would be a good idea to have a central place to go for information about candidates.
Maybe candidates could submit background bios and answer a few form questions on things like “Why do you want to be on a board where you don’t get paid for doing lots of work?”
The information could be posted maybe on a central website or Facebook page.
It would be a start. If people want this badly enough to run for the job, we really ought to know more about them. Or, at least something about them.
That would be better than the current system of throwing a dart at the ballot when you get to the Soil and Water Conservation District, leaving that part blank, or calling Mark Proctor to ask if knows any of these people.
In the name of humanity and Mark’s eardrum, make it happen.
38 comments
Matt Gozdor
October 18, 2018 at 10:18 am
My name is Matt Gozdor and I am a Soil and Water Scientist running for the Soil and Water Board in District 5. I have spent the last 20 years as an environmental consultant helping companies assess and clean up their contaminated properties. As member of another Board I have helped raise money to provide college scholarships to those wanting to enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. You can find out more about me at my candidate Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MattGozdorSoilAndWater/
Kristin
October 18, 2018 at 10:30 pm
Searching everywhere for info instead of “guessing” here. Thanks for the heads up and at least a quick bio on Group 5.
Max
October 30, 2018 at 9:20 am
Me too😳Thanks Joe.
Linda
October 19, 2018 at 1:52 pm
Thanks, Matt, for the info. You have my vote.
Joannie
October 28, 2018 at 9:36 am
Thank you Matt, thank you for what you do, too.
Max
October 30, 2018 at 9:23 am
Thank you
Leslie Wallace
October 31, 2018 at 10:30 am
Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself! You’ve got my vote!
Mark smith
October 18, 2018 at 12:19 pm
I’m thinking a soil and water scientist is probably a good person for the job. I’ll vite for Matt Gozdor.
Susan McMillan
October 20, 2018 at 11:04 am
Thank you for introducing yourself and for caring about the environment. I see that Mariella Smith liked your Facebook page. That’s enough for me. You have my vote.
Robert
October 20, 2018 at 12:04 pm
Thanks Matt! Your comment and website was all it took to get my vote, my wife’s vote, and my mother-in-law’s vote. Hope you win.
David Lubin
October 20, 2018 at 2:01 pm
Matt’s got my vote. Any one who would read Joe’s column and leave information concerning their credentials gets my vote. Thanks Joe, found this online after getting back from a trip. Agree there should at least be info about the candidates, along with smoking habits…LOL.
C. Bentley
October 20, 2018 at 5:43 pm
Matt is a Soil and Water Scientist who has shown his commitment to protecting the environment and to helping others so he definitely has my vote and my gratitude! Thanks.
Janie Bear
October 21, 2018 at 12:42 am
Voting for Matt! Go Matt, the Science Guy!
Brianna O'Steen
October 21, 2018 at 10:12 pm
http://hillssoilandwater.org/board-of-supervisors/
David Maynard (Group 1) and Michael Hepburn (Group 3) are already on the Soil and Conservation Board. I voted to retain them. I also voted for Matt Gozdor for Group 5. Hope this link is helpful.
robin
October 26, 2018 at 12:21 pm
thank you! this is most helpful
John Merritt
October 30, 2018 at 12:49 am
I found David Maynards FB
https://www.facebook.com/david.maynard.127
Peggy
October 30, 2018 at 9:23 pm
Thank You, very helpful. I agree, if they are in a position that we are to vote, it should be required to have a place for them to post a Bio
James Royal
October 22, 2018 at 10:11 am
I voted for Matt Gozdor because he introduced himself. I voted for David Maynard because I liked Maynard G Krebbs on Dobie Gillis. I voted for John Waterman because how could someone named Waterman not do a good job on the Soil and Water Conservation Board.
Melissa
October 23, 2018 at 1:46 pm
Same on Waterman! 😀
Laura
October 23, 2018 at 5:33 pm
Actually David Maynard believes in communism. That’s why making an informed vote is important. M G Krebbs would’ve loved communism until they destroyed our free republic.
Jennifer Miller
October 29, 2018 at 1:11 am
Thanks…Im voting for David Maynard now! He’s a Socialist… that’s awesome! Lol
https://www.facebook.com/david.maynard.127
Jim Simms
October 25, 2018 at 12:51 pm
Love your reasoning!
Leslie Wallace
October 31, 2018 at 10:28 am
😂 love the rationalization! I agree with the first two, so I guess Waterman it is!
Shirley Bishop
October 22, 2018 at 1:57 pm
Francisco Pierre-Louis has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pierrelouis4conservation/) on which he wrote:
Francisco Pierre-Louis for Soil and Water Conservation
June 23 ·
This is why I am running for Soil and Water Conservation – District 3. Not only am I running to encourage more people to run for office but because we are facing a behemoth. That behemoth is Mosaic. We shouldn’t forget that Mosaic is the same company that dumped 215 million gallons of radioactive waste down the Florida Aquifer. This is unacceptable. I am one of the few people currently running that is willing to work with local and statewide organizations to push Mosaic out of Hillsborough County because at the end of the day, water is life.
Andrew Brooks
October 22, 2018 at 3:22 pm
Andrew Brooks here to tell you why I am a qualified candidate for Soil and Water Conservation District 5 in the 2018 primary election. I regret not finding this post sooner. I have had the privilege of responding to emails of your emails already. I agree that there should be a more user friendly centralized place to find information about local political candidates.
I was born right here in Tampa and raised in the northwest corner of Hillsborough county. I graduated from Sickles high school in 2004 and went on to graduate from the University of South Florida in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in criminology.
I grew up on enjoying our county parks and waterways. Any day I have off it is likely that you can find me out in my kayak on the flats of Tampa Bay or on the Hillsborough river.
Throughout my college years and continuing through today I’ve helped to manage a 1000 acre property up in Levy County, Florida. This included managing the pine forest as well as ensuring habitat growth for Florida native wildlife. I have personally worked with the Florida Department of Forestry, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (both biologists and law enforcement,) US department of agriculture, and the university of Florida agriculture department on projects ranging from soil samples, grant fulfillment with neighboring property owners, and prescribed burns.
I have several great friends in the local farming community right here in Hillsborough county in the Ruskin area.
I believe education about conservation will ensure that future generations can enjoy the same quality environment and natural treasures we all enjoy today.
I appreciate people who are active and engaged in their learning about their local political environment. Please reach out to me anytime with questions and or concerns.
It is also my hope that you will spread the word about my campaign to your friends, family, and neighbors.
Thank you sincerely,
Andrew Brooks
Stephanie Marshall
October 25, 2018 at 10:44 am
Thank you sir, you have me and my family’s vote
Elaine
October 27, 2018 at 10:28 am
Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself. With so much on the line I am taking the time to learn as much as I can about each candidate.
Kat
October 30, 2018 at 10:20 pm
Thank you for your info!
Laura
October 23, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Thank you Sir.
I’ve yet to look at your running mates but right now you have my vote: caring about the environment without a pushy agenda.
Pete
October 23, 2018 at 5:40 pm
Literally no help whatsoever. This is not the place to go to learn what this board does or who is or is not qualified to serve as a member.
James Royal
October 23, 2018 at 6:14 pm
Glad I voted for him. Are U one of those uneducated people who don’t know the difference between communism and socialism? The Republicans are doing a pretty good job of destroying our free republic, with Putin’s help.
Fuji Jujitsu
October 23, 2018 at 10:34 pm
If some whacko is calling a candidate a communist, that’s good enough for me. I’m very anti-whacko right now. So I will vote for the alleged commie. 🙂 Conserve on noble comrade!
Ashley
October 25, 2018 at 7:46 pm
Exactly why I vote for him, too.
Andy Marusyk
October 28, 2018 at 9:44 am
This was my initial reaction as well, until I checked David Maynard Facebook – please do the same before making your choice. David is a communist supporter, posting quotes by Lenin. This makes him whacko on my account. It is a shame there is not enough info on the other candidates.
James Royal
October 26, 2018 at 10:58 am
Right on, Fuji
Just acitizen
October 28, 2018 at 11:23 pm
Extremely smart to vote for somebody you don’t know just to irk somebody you don’t know either… not!. Incredible! For those that love socialism so much, I will give you a one-way ticket to my home country, Venezuela. You would not need a ticket back, I promise. You would either die of hunger or end up killed by the widespread violence of criminals that run rampant on the streets of every city. Oh… and before you ask…I am an American citizen, not only entitled to opine, but also to vote…only that I do my homework before I use my privilege because I understand it is going to have an impact on me, and my family (for good or for bad). It should not be about politics, but about what is best for our county/state/nation.
Bob Flair
October 29, 2018 at 9:48 pm
My votes go to:
Kathy Eckdahl is a science teacher, John Waterman (got to vote for a person with water in their name) and Matt Gozdor has a good facebook page and is a scientist.
S Beecher
October 30, 2018 at 8:16 pm
Thanks Andrew Brooks! Finally some information from a candidate running for the SWCD. Got my vote!
Comments are closed.