Candidate: DAVID S BROWER

I am running for re-election to the Fort Myers Beach Fire Commission. I have been a member of the Commission for almost four years, for three of those years I have been chairperson. Prior to my taking office the Commission adopted a budget of almost eight million dollars and a millage rate of 2.58. For every year I have been in office we have reduced the budget and even more remarkable in the face of declining property values, the millage rate. For the current fiscal year our budget is 7.4 million dollars with a millage rate of 2.51. I am a true fiscal conservative who is committed to maintaining public safety. Anyone can cut a budget if they wish to compromise public safety. Our reduced budgets have not, while other districts have laid off personnel and are subsisting on Federal grants, we hired additional fire fighters and paramedics. To save money it was opined that we cut firefighters and adopt other questionable methods of reducing emergency readiness, I have and will steadfastly oppose these “solutions” and demand that our District cost effectively maintain fire readiness to N.F.P.A. standards and ambulance service that rivals anyone’s. Many people who call themselves fiscal conservatives just pay lip service to the concept by calling for illusory spending cuts. Those cuts are generally in items that make up a minuscule part of the budget, items that have no real effect on the budget and zero effect on your tax bill. I am not afraid of making the hard choices, choices that many times are unpopular with organized labor, management and even my fellow commissioners. My choices are governed by what is best for the people I serve, the Taxpayers; real savings without harming public safety. My wife and I moved to Florida from southern California in 2005. I was admitted to the California Bar in 1988. I concentrated in real estate broker representation and creditor bankruptcy representation especially credit card fraud and real estate lending. Prior to practicing law I successfully owned and operated three separate small businesses, two in retail sales and one in financial services. I bring a unique combination of legal and practical business experience to the Board. If you want to continue on the road to lower taxes without comprising public safety I would appreciate your vote.