Candidate: Daniel D. Balys

Thank you for visiting my candidacy page. I am running for Marion County Commissioner District 3 and hope that you will support me in my campaign.

I was born and raised in Niagara Falls, NY which, dating back to 1880 and for many decades following, was known as the Honeymoon Capital of the World based on its natural beauty. However, in the early 1950s, areas were zoned in order to support industry that not only did not fit with the adjoining family neighborhoods of single-family homes, but quickly brought with it pollution and other negative effects that did not exist prior to such zoning. Soon the chemical industry was buying up vacant land (which sometimes required rezoning of the land) and using it as dumping grounds for its chemicals. The Niagara River, which flows over the Niagara Falls, and many creeks became so polluted that they could no longer be fished. This all led to the infamous Love Canal disaster in 1977 that resulted in the CERCLA Superfund being established and it took 21 years to clean up the environmental wasteland of the Love Canal area so that it was inhabitable again. I lived through all of this, and this was part of the reason that I decided to pursue my education and law career focusing on my practice area of real estate and finance.

Fast forward to 1999 when I made my first visit to Ocala to visit friends who were in the horse industry. These were and are friends that I have known since the late 1970s. We were all involved with horses and most of us showed 4-H in Niagara County, NY. More than a dozen of these friends had moved over the years to Marion County and were/are still involved in the horse industry. They moved here for the same reason that I moved here -- Horse Capital of the World! The farms, open spaces, lush green grass, crystal-clear springs, and all that Ocala is known for, and Marion County offers are what drew us all here.

I would like to ensure that Ocala remains the Horse Capital of the World and is a place that people want to live and work. I have over 25 years of experience in all aspects of development BUT I am NOT a developer. I do not invest in my client's projects, nor do I invest in real estate other than for my own personal home and farm. Why? Because I never want there to be a conflict between my moral beliefs as to what is "Responsible" development and what is simply development for profit.

I want to help guide Marion County in its growth and development for today, tomorrow and into the future so that we do not have what I call "spot zoning" where an area is rezoned from Agricultural to a higher zoning use. Both zoning and rezoning should take into account what is needed, how the proposed development benefits and burdens the area, for traffic, schools, and other infrastructure and improvements that will be required in order to support the residents and new use of the area. Zoning or rezoning without a plan or restrictions can result in more burdens than benefits or can result in taxpayers carrying the burden of paying for the infrastructure and improvements that should have been included in the cost of the original development.

If you have read this far, you will know learn a little more about me and who I am. I received my undergraduate education and BBA in Accounting from Niagara University in Lewiston, NY. I continued with my law school education and graduated from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, IL. After law school graduation I was in-house counsel for Equity Office Properties Trust, the largest REIT in the US in the early 2000s. I then went on to work at Sidley Austin LLP, which was a Top 10 US/International Law Firm and still is today. In 2006 I took time away from practicing law to raise my 2 children; a decision that I am glad I made and for which I have no regrets. 

I returned to the practice of law in 2011 and have practiced in the areas of real estate and finance in many various aspects, from residential development to industrial parks to hotels/resorts to office buildings to casinos to renewable energy projects to data centers. If it involves "dirt", I have probably done it. Real estate and finance have been not only my career, but they are also my passion.

            I am an openly gay parent and partner. My partner works for USIC, so when you dial 811, he is one of the individuals who will come to your property to locate (spray paint on the ground) where the underground utilities are installed. We absolutely love Marion County and all that it has to offer. We both show horses and enjoy watching others ride and show as well. My partner shows in the AQHA/APHA western disciplines, and I show in the Hackney Pony driving discipline. We have 3 dogs and hope to again care for and provide forever homes to other pets that are placed for adoption.

My mother and sister also live here in Marion County. We all attend St Theresa Catholic Church in Bellview, FL. Feel free to say “Hello” if you see us sitting or kneeling in the pew next to you.