LEE COUNTY COMMISSION

Transcription

1 LEE COUNTY COMMISSION Brian Bigelow, Lee County commissioner, on NewsMakers Brian Bigelow Total worth: $95,087 Income: $84,012 for commissioner salary Assets: $13,000 in household goods and personal effects; $125,410 for a home; $88,453 for a home; $85,272 in mutual funds with American Century; $4,880 for Vanguard mutual funds Liabilities: $73,978 to First Community Bank of Southwest Florida; and $143,558 to HFC "My 'feelings' about the filing requirement are mixed. I support the intent of the forms to disclose the information the public may not otherwise know or be able to find out about the people that serve them,. However, I question whether or not the information currently required for the disclosure is of any help to the public's pursuit of transparency because the

2 disclosure requirements do little to inform the public about the candidate's or official's qualifications to serve." Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann on NewsMakers Frank Mann Total worth: $2,216,490 Income: $46,957 in rental income; $86,209 in salary as commissioner; $6,935 for dividend and interest income; and $18,933 in Social Security benefits Assets: $951,444 for a home; $383,270 for a building at 2101 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; $330,221 for a building at 2900 Michigan Ave., Fort Myers; $48,500 for a lot at 2116 Tournament St., Fort Myers; and $333,055 for accounts and certificates of deposit at Edison National Bank, UBS Financial and Fifth Third Bank Liabilities: None "I was in the Florida Legislature when all of this was put into statute. I am very supportive of (financial disclosure) and even

3 initiated some of it... I'm in favor of it. I can't imagine most people today would tell you they don't like it. If they don't like it, they don't have to run for office." Ray Judah, Lee County Commissioner, on NewsMakers Ray Judah Total worth: $685, Income: $96,413 Assets: $50,000 in household goods and personal effects; $250,593 for his home; $59,890 for a piece of land in Deschutes County, Ore.; $80,000 in a limited partnership Justice Investors Ltd.; $48, in a Charles Schwab brokerage account and money market fund; $2, in bank accounts; $6, in a Roth IRA; and $193, for the Lee County deferred compensation program Liabilities: $4, for a Frontier account and $2, to American Express "I am a strong advocate of open and transparent government. The public has a right to know the information we are required to post... We are representing the public interest and the public has a right to know what their officials are doing."

4 Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall on NewsMakers Tammy Hall Total worth: $102,655 Income: $84,156 for commission salary Assets: $189,183 for residence in Cape Coral; $103,000 for commercial property at 2278 First St., Fort Myers; $5,200 in city of Fort Myers retirement funds Liabilities: $257,150 to Bank of America; and $53,270 to Helfferich Corp. "When you elect someone to office, you want to know where they are deriving their income from. The public has a right to know. It's about transparency."

5 Lee County Commissioner John Manning on NewsMakers John Manning Total worth: $744,000 Income: $50,000 from Malcolm Pirnie Inc. Assets: $210,000 for home in Cape Coral; $450,000 for home in Cape Cod, Mass.; $84,000 in savings at Bank of America; $285,000 in a rollover account Liabilities: $300,000 in a mortgage at Bank of America; and $85,000 in an equity line of credit at Fifth Third Bank "It's state statute. I am complying with the law." LEE COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

6 Jeanne Dozier Jeanne Dozier Total worth: $713,000 Income: $30, in Lee County School Board salary; $12,000 in rental income for a Fort Myers home; $12,000 in rental income for a home in West Jefferson, N.C. Assets: $525,000 for a Fort Myers home; $225,000 for a Fort Myers home; $80,000 in household goods and personal effects; $2,000 in a SunTrust Bank account; $35,000 in a Morgan Stanley account; $420,000 for a home in Medeira Beach; and $335,000 for a home in West Jefferson, N.C. Liabilities:$400,000 to Fifth Third Bank; $180,000 to Fifth Third Bank; and $149,000 to Wells Fargo Bank On why her salary was listed as $8,000 less than her fellow board members: "I actually have filed an abbreviated form. That was a typo. "I gave all figures except my salary (to someone who filled the form out for her). She got that number. I have to take

7 responsibility for it because I just looked at it and signed it. I filed an abbreviated form (which corrects it)." Jane Kuckel Jane Kuckel Total worth: $174,000 Income: $38,000 in Lee County School Board salary; $36,000 from the Michigan school retirement fund; $30,000 from Nova Southeastern University; $21,000 in Social Security benefits; and $20,000 in rental property income for a home in Estero Assets:$25,000 for a 2007 Mercedes-Benz automobile; $280,000 for a home in Bonita Springs; $107,000 for a Great American TSA; $50,000 in miscellaneous household items; and $17,000 in a Capital One account Liabilities: $280,000 for a mortgage on the Bonita Springs home; and $15,000 for a Wyndham time share "I think it prevents some good candidates from running for office.. I think we have had some very good, very qualified

8 people who have backed away from running for office because they don't want their business public... I do it because I have to, but I do it with some hesitation." Tom Scott; Lee Co. School Board Chair on Newsmakers Tom Scott Total worth: $321,000 Income: $79,000 in salary as director of the Southwest Florida Enterprise Center; $38,500 in Lee County School Board salary; consulting income for North River Ranch LLC total income not disclosed. Scott owns 50 percent of the ranch, which is located in Alva, where he is a managing member. Assets: $30,000 in cash; $42,000 in household goods and personal effects; and $10,000 in an IRA Liabilities: $230,000 for a mortgage for his home; $15,000 for a Lexus automobile loan; and $7,500 for a Chase Visa "Voters have an interest in knowing what could potentially influence decisions by their elected officials. Therefore, the information should be made available and I would not suggest

9 any change in the current process. I did understand the legal requirement to make a financial disclosure prior to running and it did not cause me to consider not running." Don Armstrong Don Armstrong Total worth: $0 Income: $4,495 in Lee County School Board salary Assets: 2001 Ford truck no dollar value listed Liabilities: $8,000 to Westlake Financial On why his salary was listed as less than fellow board members: "I do make the same as everyone else. Point blank, I screwed up," he said. "I have nothing to hide. You run for this job to represent the people and you have to realize your life is going to become a little fish bowl. If you didn't want this part of the job, you shouldn't have run for the position."

10 Mary Fischer Candidate Lee County School Board District 1 Submitted Mary Fischer Total worth: $74,500 Income: $38,000 in salary for the Lee County School Board; $18,500 in Social Security benefits; and $17,000 from the Florida Retirement System Assets:$20,000 in household goods and personal items; $185,000 for a home in Cape Coral; $7,000 for a vacant lot in Cape Coral; $15,500 in Security Service Federal Credit Union accounts; $25,000 in the Florida Retirement System plan; and $14,000 for a 2006 Toyota Solara Liabilities: $143,000 for the mortgage to her Cape Coral home; $41,000 for an equity line of credit for the home; $8,000 for a Capital One Mastercard "I understand that it is currently the requirement to fill out the forms. When one runs for public office, the right to privacy is waived. However, I do not think that one's net worth should make a difference to the public being served."

11