Five candidates, including Mayor Bob Benton, citrus grower Philip “Flip” Gates Jr., retired flight attendant Chris Dzadovsky, businessman Harold “Buzz” Smyth and political activist Rick Reed, have jumped into a heated race for mayor. Who are these guys?

Our local paper, TCPalm.com recently had an interesting feature that among other things gave an unbiased run down on the mayoral candidates, as well as the other city commision candidates up for election next month.

The orginial article is here:

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2007/oct/14/30five-are-in-the-hunt-for-mayor-of-fort-pierce/

It’s important for EVERYONE to learn who says what, who the candidates are, and to vote for the people that share your views and values!

Here’s a short excerpt and the rundown on the Mayoral Candidates:

MAYORAL CANDIDATES

MAYOR BOB BENTON

Age: 50

Occupation: Lawn service owner

Affiliations: Fort Pierce Utilities Authority board; Florida Atlantic University Advisory board; Treasure Coast Council of Local Governments; Surf Rider Foundation; St. Lucie County Education Foundation

Issues: Reduce property taxes; lure in more industry and businesses; establish a youth council and provide more activities for children; create community policing in neighborhoods; redevelop the waterfront to draw in more tourism dollars; keep court system in downtown Fort Pierce; move forward with building of the federal courthouse; work with the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority to keep rates down; relocate the Hutchinson Island wastewater treatment plant

Campaign contributions: $4,975

Expenditures: $665

Contributions of $250 and up from July 1 to Sept. 30:

$500: Thomas and Barbara Pentz, administrator
$500: Bruce and Bridget Abernathy, attorney and housewife
$250: Harold Melville, attorney
$250: Erik Melville, stock broker
$250: Daniel & Janice Douglas, sales
$250: Paul and Joann Berg, attorney
$250: Robert Bruhn, pool contractor
$250 inkind: Bottoms Up Beverages, server
$250 inkind: Susan Dannahower, caterer
PHILIP “FLIP” GATES JR.

Age: 57

Occupation: Citrus grower

Affiliations: Vice president of Kanawha Groves, president of Visions of Fort Pierce, vice president of the Treasure Coast Resource Conservation and Development Council and vice president of the Lincoln Park Business Association

Issues: Lower taxes by eliminating pet projects, wasteful spending and providing more services in more effective and creative ways; reduce the size of City Hall; provide leadership to the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency by ending subsidies without accountability and supporting investment in neighborhoods; creating a commission for public ethics that oversees transactions of business with City Hall by staff and elected officials, travel procedures, voting conflicts, gifts and related activities.

Campaign contributions: $6,000

Expenditures: $1,907

Contributions of $250 and up from July 1 to Sept. 30:

$500: Leatha Mullins, attorney
$500: Philip C. Gates Sr., father
$500: Barbara Gates, mother
$500: Paul Neff, architect
$500: Jack Connolly, retired
$500: Ramon Trias, architect
$450: Frank H. Fee III, attorney
$300: Jack Wilson, businessman
$250: Frank H. Fee IV, attorney
$250: Sarah Richeson, homemaker
$250: Mike Brown Sr., banker
$250: Mike Brown Jr., banker
CHRIS DZADOVSKY

Age: 46

Occupation: Retired flight attendant for US Airways

Affiliations: Interim director of the Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society, member of Fort Pierce Exchange Club, vice president of the Mariner Bay Homeowners Association, member of the Fort Pierce Code Enforcement Board, member of the Fort Pierce South Beach Association and the Fort Pierce Beach Association

Issues: Control spending by consolidating government departments and making salaries commensurate with the private sector; regionalize government services, such as the purchases of vehicles and equipment to cut down on costs; lower taxes by cutting city budget; develop additional community policing initiatives through education and participation in crime watch programs; move Coffee with the Mayor to neighborhoods and put the people first on meeting agendas.

Campaign contributions: $3,525

Expenditures: $427

Contributions of $250 and up from July 1 to Sept. 30:

$500: Marie Dzadovsky, sister
$500: Kevin OMalley, attorney
$250: Betty Palumbo, retired
$500: Ron Betters, drywall contractor
$300: Betty Yates, retired
HAROLD “BUZZ” SMYTH

Age: 52

Occupation: Owns Als Bait & Tackle and Mother Tuckers Sand Bar & Grill, Realtor with Hoyt C. Murphy and general contractor

Affiliations: Member of St. Lucie Association and a volunteer for Association for Retarded Citizens

Issues: Establish a business-friendly community with a push toward tourism; create better uses of the waterfront, such as building more docks and piers, watercraft rentals, concessions and conducting island festivals; lowering taxes by cutting the citys budget

Campaign contributions: $400

Expenditures: $123

Contributions of $250 and up from July 1 to Sept. 30: None
RICK REED

Age: 48

Occupation: Retired Buick dealer

Affilations: Assistant secretary on NAACP board of directors; member of Concerned Citizens Committee of St. Lucie County

Issues: Trim the fat in the citys budget; take a strong look at how the Fort Pierce Redevelopment Agency is run; addressing how money is allocated; lower property taxes by cutting the budget; working toward moving the publicly-owned Sunrise Theatre into private ownership; build a hotel on the city golf course and have the hotel lease the golf course to generate more money by putting property on the tax roll; replace city attorney with in-house attorney to save on costs; move city elections to coincide with general elections.

Campaign contributions of $250 and up from July 1 to Sept. 30: Not applicable. Filed for mayor after the first deadline to submit campaign contributions.