Candidate: Bob Russell

I was born in the old Vero Air Base Hospital and am a 4th generation Indian River County resident. I\'m 64 and was raised on a citrus grove. From 1973 to 2005 I owned and operated Treasure Coast Farms, Inc, a citrus handling company. I currently own a citrus grove on the South Prong of the Sebastian River. Susan and I have been married for 31 years. We have two sons, John(30) and Robert(29). My family has been here for generations. I want my sons and their children to be able to live here for generations. In order to ensure this, we cannot have mosquito-transmitted diseases. It\'s that simple. The diseases are viral and we don\'t know how to control them, but we do know how to control the mosquitoes. Historically, there has been a list of mosquito-transmitted diseases. The problem is that the list is getting longer. While the list of diseases grows, the number of dollars does not. The challenge now is how to get more for the same money. Because the Indian River Mosquito Control District is so successful, we don\'t hear much about it. If they were doing a poor job, we\'d read about it. I would be proud to sit on its Board. I am for safe, effective,and efficient mosquito control. I am for mosquito control in an environmentally friendly manner. I am for proactive surveillance for mosquito-transmitted diseases. I am for partnering with other governmental agencies. I am for continued public education about mosquito control. And, I am for supporting mosquito control while respecting property owners\' rights and concerns. Thank you very much, Bob Russell