Three of the four Republicans seeking an open Manatee County Commission seat pitched themselves to voters at a June 23 candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters.
Tony Barrett, Edward J. Ference and Tara Poulton took part in the forum for the District 6 at-large seat. The fourth candidate, John Calovich, did not attend.
All four qualified to run for the seat held by Jason Bearden, who is not seeking reelection. They will appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot; the deadline to register to vote is July 20.
The primary winner will face Democrat Reggie J. Bellamy, who is unopposed in his primary, in the Nov. 3 general election.
Barrett
Barrett, a commissioner with East Manatee Fire Rescue, said he decided to run after attending county commission meetings where “it appeared that some of the commissioners were checked out.”
Barrett is facing a misdemeanor domestic battery charge involving a former girlfriend.
He said his work with the fire district — including attending budget and comprehensive plan meetings — gave him “a good inside look into how the county works” and prepared him for a commission seat.
Barrett called public safety an essential service. “If we build a library, we should build an EMS station too,” he said, arguing the county should spend less on items such as smart trash cans and more on emergency services. “The chance of you calling an ambulance is pretty significant.”
“I can understand why Tallahassee is looking at some counties for overspending,” he said.
Barrett said he opposes the proposed homestead property tax measure on the November ballot, calling it “excessive,” but would back tax relief paired with a plan to fund essential services. He said he worried the county could see a significant drop in revenue if the measure passes.
He said he is endorsed by the International Firefighter Association and the Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee, and accepts no money from PACs, developers or builders.
His priorities include controlled development and environmental protection. “We need to thoroughly think things through before adding a bunch of houses to the community,” he said, adding that building relationships with developers to plan growth would help protect clean waterways and wetlands.
“A lot of things get approved very quickly by the commission,” he said, calling for a slower process that weighs the consequences. “We need to protect our water.” He said he opposed a recent cruise ship terminal proposal.
Barrett also cited affordable and workforce housing and homelessness as priorities. The county’s median home price of $459,000 is out of reach for many residents, he said, and the county should partner with builders to provide affordable homes and shelter for homeless people.
He said the parties responsible for the former Piney Point phosphate plant should be held accountable, and that taxpayers “shouldn’t have to clean up somebody else’s mess.”
Ference
Ference, who said he was born and raised in Manatee County, worked as a civil servant for more than 30 years, including as the county’s utilities manager. He said that experience made him familiar with the county’s infrastructure, compliance rules and the environmental effects of sewer spills.
He said he decided to run after watching the 2020 and 2022 elections, when commissioners seemed to serve special interests and the county “wasn’t listening to the people.”
Ference said he is also concerned about overdevelopment and urban sprawl, and that the county needs to lower density, provide adequate roads and ensure water and sewer systems keep pace with growth.
Having managed a $25 million county budget, he stressed “managing our budget and reducing it” and said the county should “stop buying $60,000 four-door trucks.” “We need to do better business and not wasteful business,” he said. The county could also save millions by running its Piney Point disposal well in-house rather than contracting it out, he said.
Ference said he favors home rule and the proposed property tax measure, and that his priorities include protecting water resources, bays, estuaries, wetland buffers and mangroves through smart growth.
He said his knowledge of the county and of how to cut a budget and find waste set him apart, and he promised transparency and accountability. Commissioners, he said, must work within their means and reduce government costs wherever possible.
Ference said he accepts no contributions from special interests, developers or PACs, and that he is endorsed by the America First Party. “I won’t be owned,” he said. “The Lord Jesus Christ carries the most weight on this earth with me, and my family. That’s who guides me. I’m not going to sway my vote. I’m going to do what’s right for the people.”
Poulton
Poulton, the district chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, said she is especially qualified for the seat because she already works with Manatee County constituents and has experience at all three levels of government. A wife and mother, she said her work, education and demeanor have prepared her to succeed.
She supports the property tax measure but said that if it passes, the county will have to find ways to do more with less. The most urgent challenges over the next four years, she said, are affordability, slowing growth and “keeping the quality of life that we all know and love here in this community.”
Poulton said her priorities include funding public safety and exploring buying water from the Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority to supplement Lake Manatee and the aquifer. The county has done a good job protecting its waterways and drinking water, she said, and must continue to protect Lake Manatee.
“We really need to hit the brakes on growth and slow it down” — but not stop it — to protect the environment, she said, while holding developers accountable. She said she supports enforcing current environmental standards, strengthening them where they fall short, and maintaining wetland buffers and flood protection.
Poulton said she has been endorsed by Buchanan and Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown, and that her donations come from friends, family, colleagues, one PAC, former state Sen. Bill Galvano, Fawley Bryant Architecture and The Southern Group. She said she has taken no money from developers and that it is important to elect honest people who are not beholden to special interests.
She also supports home rule and said she is concerned the state is taking control from counties and municipalities. Having worked with United Way of Manatee County for seven months, she favors bringing nonprofits together to address homelessness and affordable housing.
Poulton said she supports letting the phosphate company Mosaic continue — but not expand — its mining in Manatee County. “Let’s let them finish the job they’ve started,” she said.
She said she favors holding listening sessions across the county’s districts, which vary widely in their needs, from rural areas to resort islands. She said she would be a servant leader with an open-door policy.
Calovich
Calovich did not attend the forum. His campaign website outlines a “business-sense” approach to local government that treats voters as customers, listing conservation of resources, government efficiency, lower taxes, affordable housing and home rule among his priorities. He owns America’s Swimming Pool Co. of Manatee County, is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus and describes himself as a family man.
Bellamy
Bellamy, the lone Democrat in the race, did not take part in the Republican forum. A Manatee High School graduate and a veteran, he is a former high school and college athletic coach and serves as executive director of the Palmetto Youth Center. He was the District 2 commissioner from 2018 to 2022. His campaign website highlights smart growth, environmental stewardship, accountability and transparency.