Candidate: Patricia Duffy

Tricia Duffy and her husband, Barney moved to Charlotte County in 1979. She has had a successful career in healthcare management, marketing and advertising. In September, 2006 she learned that an opening for Charlotte County Commissioner existed. Because she was very frustrated with all the problems going on with Charlotte County government she applied and was selected by Governor Bush. In the very short time she has been a commissioner Tricia has been very vocal about lowering taxes and expenses. She was not a commissioner when Murdock Village was conceived but is now working on solutions to that problem. Here are a few questions she has answered for the Charlotte County Chamber of Commerce that provide additional information on her views. If you would like additional information please visit her website at Voteforduffy.com. Why are you the right choice for the position of County Commissioner? There are a number of reasons why I am the right choice . First and foremost, Charlotte County has been my home for 29 years. It is where my parents retired and where our children grew up. During that time, my husband, Barney and I become a part of the fabric of our community. On a number of different levels; as a parent, businesswoman, community leader and concerned citizen I know this community inside and out. As a citizen concerned about the direction our county was heading, I decided to apply for an open county commission seat and was selected by Governor Bush out of a field of 12 applicants less than two years ago. I felt that Charlotte County needed the kind of leadership that I could provide. My background includes a B.A. in Communications from Seton Hall University and an M.S. in Healthcare Administration from College of St. Francis. Most of my career has been in healthcare management, including communications, marketing and medical care of the elderly. In addition, I served as an Account Executive with Comcast for 6 years and handled TV advertising. I have worked with our local businesses and helped them to grow their business. What I bring to the table is a common sense approach to tackling problems. I scrutinize every issue and seek solutions with the interests of the citizens in mind. I do my homework and go beyond reading. I go out into the community, ask residents for feedback and read my email every night to receive input from our citizens. I have lived here so long that I know many citizens and business owners and I am fortunate to have good relationships them. I know who to call for ideas, suggestions and solutions. At what point would you raise the millage rate in order to maintain necessary services? During this budget season we were able to cut $33 million out of next year’s budget and not cut essential services. We didn’t close parks or libraries, or cut Firefighters, EMS or Sheriff’s deputies. We still have more than $12 million in reserves planned. Some of the $33million in cuts were one time cuts. I realize these are drastic reductions but it is the will of the people and it is our obligation to increase efficiency and productivity in order to lower costs and taxes. Unfortunately, the millage rate was tentatively raised. I voted against it. They call it a roll up. I call it a tax increase. We are being warned that keeping the millage rate the same would cause a $37.8 million shortfall in the 2010 budget. I believe that next year there will be options that may not be so obvious now. We will find a way to continue to fund county services and programs in a reasonable and fiscally responsible way. The spending spree is over! Do you support the Sales Tax renewal? This is a tax that has been in existence for years and we would be merely extending it. Most services provided by our county are funded by taxpayers. In this case, visitors or other who spend money in Charlotte County are helping to fund our projects by paying this one-cent sales tax. I believe it is best to continue this tax or we won\'t have an way to fund road improvement projects. What steps would you take on the Murdock Village project? Murdock Village is a very complex project that was initiated long before I was appointed as a commissioner. Just about everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. The first thing that needs to happen is for the debt to be lowered. A plan was presented to the commission that will reduce the debt to $53 million by using prior years rollover balances from the general fund. I support this plan. Next, we should split the roughly 1,000 acres into smaller parcels, possibly 6 to 10. An important element of Murdock Village should be some type of economic engine such as a large medical complex, a pharmaceutical company or a technology related endeavor. Please visit voteforduffy.com for more information. If you feel I have done a good job I would appreciate your vote! Thank You! Tricia Duffy