Hernando County Commission | District 5, Republican primary

Winner: James Adkins

Three Republicans are vying to take on Democratic incumbent Commissioner Chris Kingsley in the November general election. The field includes former Brooksville fire Chief James Adkins, Wal-Mart Distribution Center training and development manager William “Billy” Healis and former investigator Michael J. Robinson.

	James Adkins, 59	William “Billy’’ Healis, 35	Michael J. Robinson, 66
Experience	A ranch manager for the past 10 years, Adkins spent 25 years with the Brooksville Fire Department, leaving as chief in 1998. He was born in West Hamlin, W.Va., and has been a resident of Hernando County for 49 years. A graduate of Hernando High School, Adkins earned an associate’s degree in administration at Pasco-Hernando Community College. He has been active in a variety of civic groups, including the Farm Bureau, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program and the Republican Executive Committee.	Healis has been with the Wal-Mart Distribution Center since 1994 and is currently a training and development manager for the center’s human resources department. He was born in Miami and came to the area 21 years ago. A 1992 graduate of Hernando High School, Healis has been active in a number of local civic groups, including the Rotary Club, Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club.	Robinson has 35 years of law enforcement experience, including 10 years as an investigator for the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs and 23 years as an officer with the Philadelphia Police Department. A 21-year resident of the county, he attended Temple University and a variety of law enforcement-related training academies. An unsuccessful candidate for sheriff in 2000, Robinson has been a member of several organizations including the Irish-American Club, the Elks Club, the Eagles, AmVets, the Knights of Columbus and the Fraternal Order of Police.
Platform	“I feel that the citizens are overtaxed and regulated,’’ Adkins stated in his platform. “This has a direct effect on the quality of life for many citizens in Hernando County. I will bring accountability to the commission seat when spending taxpayers’ funds by identifying the difference between wants and needs.’’ He cited his extensive knowledge of government operations and his business experience running an agricultural operation as strong points in his favor.	“I believe that the commission seat should be a voice of the people you represent,’’ Healis stated in his platform. He said he is running on the need for responsible growth, using common sense and business sense in deciding how to spend taxpayer money and making sure that the county has policies in place that make county workers accountable for their actions. He cites his 12 years in management and his business background as important qualifications for the job. “I can make the right decisions,’’ he stated.	The focus of Robinson’s platform is the creation of a charter government for Hernando County. That way, he says, citizens could better choose what they want from their government. For example, he would favor having a “strong mayor’’ form of government in which one person was in charge of keeping government accountable, rather than five county commissioners each going in a different direction. That way, he said, “you have somebody to point a finger at’’ and someone to recall if recall is also in the charter.
Do you support the public transit system known as THE Bus?	“THE Bus as it is today is not rider-friendly,’’ Adkins stated. “If the routes were expanded into communities like Clover Leaf, Brookridge, High Point, Timber Pines and Wellington, to name a few, it would be easier for potential riders to use the service.’’ He said those changes should be tried before any effort is made to shut down the service.	While Healis believes a hard look needs to be taken at THE Bus during budget discussions, he also thinks that there can be changes made in the service to make it more successful. “I feel the idea of public transportation for Hernando County was premature; however, now that we have it, I feel we should do whatever we can to make it successful before we cut it,’’ he stated.	Robinson said he would park THE Bus, even though his own family has used the service. He would support trying to find some other service to help those in need. He believes that current transit system would succeed only in a more urban setting.
What are your ideas for stimulating job growth and diversifying the tax base?	Adkins points to incentive packages like the one that was created to lure the Wal-Mart Distribution Center to the county as one answer to building the county’s industrial and manufacturing base. “Hernando County needs large industry that is environmentally friendly that would employ hundreds of workers with a decent salary,’’ he stated.	“We cannot survive on retail jobs alone,’’ Healis has stated. He believes that the county needs to recruit targeted industries that offer high-paying jobs. He stated that incentives are needed. While he believes impact fees are needed to pay for new growth, he suggested that a new business or resident might be offered extensions in the time they need to pay the fees.	To improve the economic situation, Robinson suggests a better mix of commercial vs. residential in the community. While many people don’t want commercial development in their back yard, the county might be able to identify a new commercial area, possibly off U.S. 19 north of State Road 50. ”You need commercial. Commercial is taxes. Commercial is jobs,’’ he said.
Assets	Home, property, collection of muscle cars, ranch agriculture equipment and cattle.	Home, household goods, boat and checking account.	House, property, vehicles and savings accounts.
Liabilities	Car payment and loan.	Mortgage and auto loan.	Mortgage, loans and credit cards.
Source of income	Pension, ranch income, veterans benefits and bank income.	Wal-Mart salary.	Pensions, Social Security and income from home care business.
Personal	His wife is Clara, and he has three children.	Healis and his wife, Danielle, have two young children	His wife is former county Commissioner Nancy Robinson, and he has three children.
Web site	Yes	No	No
E-mail	Yes	Yes	No
Net worth	$460,845	$329,322	$255,424

About the job: Hernando County commissioners are elected countywide but must live in the district for the seat they are seeking. District 5 encompasses the northeast quadrant of Hernando County. Commissioners run for four-year terms. Their job is to set policy and budget for county government operations. The annual salary for a commissioner is currently $59,552.