Budget control priority for bug board hopefuls

By Steve Estes

One of the decisions voters will make August 24 are candidates for two Mosquito Control District seats.

In District Two, incumbent Marathon Republican Rick Ruddell is seeking another term and will have to hold off a challenge from Key Colony Beach newcomer Howard Hubbell to get to the general election in November.

On the Democratic side of the ballot, Parmer’s Resort owner, Tourist Development Council member and one-time county commission candidate Jay Marzella of Little Torch Key takes on Boys and Girls Club Executive Director Dan Dombroski of Big Pine.

In the District Five Mosquito Control race, Jack Bridges, Bob Thomas and Anthony Gibbons will meet head on in the Republican primary for the right to challenge Independent Jose Piexoto in November for that seat.

The director’s salary, the highest of any governmental administrator in Monroe County, an ongoing television program and large reserves, coupled with yearly increases in tax rates have become the primary issues in this hotly contested race.

It is the board’s job to oversee operations, make policy for the district and approve financial matters.

The following are questions answered by Mosquito Control candidates in response to questions from News-Barometer:

What programs or processes do you feel need to be reviewed, or revamped in light of the recent budget decisions made by the district?

Democrats in District Two:

Dombroski: There are many. The salary of the Executive Director is one that needs to be reevaluated; it is excessive, and if possible needs to be readjusted by the Board to meet the realities of our community’s economy and tax base.   This should have been addressed by the Board many years ago and not become an issue at this election time. Presently, the Executive Director makes more than the governor of the state of Florida. And, if you coupled that with all the salaries and benefits paid to the 5 Board members, this is quite a large sum needed to manage an organization of about 100 employees. The entire vehicle policy needs to be revisited. From maintenance to assignment.  I can not believe that it is essential for so many employees to have use of a vehicle. In fact it is so prevalent that when I told a neighbor of mine that I was running for the Mosquito Control Board he asked, if I won, would I get a pickup truck to use.  The fact is, there are too many white pickup trucks out there being driven by one driver.  A system of multiple uses and sharing of vehicles has to be implemented. It may not be popular, but it is essential for cost cutting and maximizing the service life of the vehicles.

The television show needs to become cost neutral and serve as a platform for community outreach and education. The TV show, if it remains should be apolitical and function as a public service, not as an opportunity for anyone to air their dirty laundry. The chronic misuse of the television show serves as a prime example of how disconnected, dysfunctional and irresponsible to the taxpayers some of the Board members and administration are. Currently, it is an inappropriate use of the taxpayer’s dollar and the current Board of Directors should have stopped that immediately.

The discussion about a new building or leasing larger space needs to end and be eliminated from the budget. This is not the time to do this with the economy being so flat. What people may be forgetting, it is not just the cost of constructing a larger building, there are additional hidden costs associated, like increase in maintenance, larger utility bills, etc.

I believe these are the main issues that need to be addressed in order to produce a flat budget with no tax increase to the Monroe County tax payers.

Marzella: Vehicles: Who needs one? Are they maintained properly? Can some be refurbished? Does the high school have an Auto Shop Class? Have we looked at Hybrids? Why don’t we have a motor pool?

Travel Expenses: Who needs to travel? Should it be a shared expense? Is there a detailed report by each traveler?

New Building: This simply is not the time. Perhaps we should move HQ to Marathon and lease a smaller building for the Key West’s operations.

Mosquito TV: It needs to be fresh, educational & entertaining…AND…it needs to pay for itself, at a minimum. In fact, sponsorships should be able to net an additional $10,000 a year in ad sales.

Chemicals: We are our vendor’s 2nd largest customer. It’s time we renegotiated pricing.

Please outline your budget priorities for the coming four years, and outline your position on tax rates.

Marzella: First of all, you build the budget from the bottom-up. You start with a dollar amount, that you can defend…it is your “foundation”. Then you build your budget from there, working up from your bottom line. You add what you need. You subtract what you don’t. If there is still room for what you want, maybe you can have it.

I hate taxes, and I hate mosquitoes. In fact mosquitoes are the only things that suck worse than taxes. Nobody chose to live here because it’s the cheapest place to live. We still live here because it’s the best place to live. Look at the millage rate on your tax bill. Right now, it cost less than $43 dollars per $100,000 dollars of your property value, to live in a paradise without mosquitoes. My position on taxes is simple. Pay the least taxes as possible, for the best service available. I realize that sounds obvious, but if you elect someone who is going to make good decisions each time, you will have a government that is working…for you!

Dombroski: The most pressing one is that the culture of the Mosquito Control District has to be changed from one of financial entitlement to one of effective fiscal management. While the department has been diligent in the efforts at controlling the mosquito population, their spending policies have been excessive with little internal controls.  There needs to be a comparative study of other Mosquito Districts operations and policies. The Board needs to obtain efficient personnel policies, management policies, compensation policies and vehicle policies from comparative Mosquito Districts.  This then will be used as a comparative tool to reevaluate present policies and procedures bringing them in line with our tax base and community needs.  I believe if these controls and policies are revisited and modfied, there will be enough fat cut from the budget to continue to successfully control the mosquito population without tax increases and cuts to service and operations.  The tax rate and budget should remain flat which reflects our economy.

There should be options to collaborate with other county/state organizations to reduce costs. Vehicle and Building maintenance might be areas where collaboration and sharing of resources with the County might reduce costs.  Dialogue must be set in motion to start these collaborative efforts to reduce the costs to the taxpayers while continuing to meet the needs of all Monroe County citizens

Please explain your views on adultacide versus larvacide treatments?

Dombroski: Mosquito control can be divided into two areas of responsibilities, individual and public.  A policy of an Integrated Mosquito Management control is the most cost effective and most effective at controlling and eliminating the mosquito population.  An integrated Mosquito Management program incorporates ecological, economic and social criteria in an integrated strategy of pest management. The treatment should be practical and effective at protecting the public’s health, the environment and improving the quality of life for all residents in Monroe County.

There are four basic approaches to controlling mosquitoes: prevention, source reduction, larviciding and adulticiding. Preventing mosquitoes from breeding is the most desirable solution. Prevention is the most desirable and effective method of controlling the mosquito population.

Source reduction is the second most effective method for controlling mosquitoes. Methods of source reduction involve eliminating containers that hold water and sources in our homes and environment that are inviting for mosquito egg laying and larval development.

Larviciding is the use of materials, either biological or chemical pesticides, to exterminate immature stages of mosquitoes or to prevent development of larvae from becoming adult mosquitoes. Larvicides are applied to waters that contain larvae and or pupae. Larvicides are effective in low concentrations and generally do not impact other organisms in the water or habitat. Every acre that is larvicided to prevent adult mosquitoes from emerging reduces the number of acres that must be treated with spray trucks or aircraft.

Adulticiding is the last effort to control mosquitoes, although the most visible. Applied as directed, adulticide treatments have minimal effects on other insects.  Adulticiding is usually done at night when adult mosquitoes are most active, which is also when most non-target insects like bees, dragonflies and butterflies are not as active. It is also the most expensive method of controlling the mosquito population and least effective.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has written that “adulticiding, application of chemicals to kill adult mosquitoes by ground or aerial applications, is usually the least efficient mosquito control technique.”

Marzella: Adulticides, are used to kill mosquitoes in the adult stage, and is the option of  last resort                          because it is not target specific. There are two main chemicals that are used.

Pyrethrum, is sprayed from fog trucks, and is made from plants in the chrysanthemum family. Naled, is sprayed from airplanes, and is a toxin that poisons the adult mosquito’s stomach.

Larvicides, are used to kill mosquitoes in the larval stage, and are the    preferred treatment because it is target specific. There are about a half a dozen products    that are used, my favorite being the Gambusia fish. Bti and Bs are bacteria that occur    naturally in soil, and destroy the stomach walls. Both can be spread by helicopter or by hand. Methoprene is a growth inhibitor, and is spread by hand. Each of the other products, also have specific applications.

What changes to the treatment regimen(s) would you implement?

Marzella: Kill as many as possible, as safely as possible, as cheaply as possible.

Dombroski: I would increase efforts at prevention and of source reduction. They have been proven to the most efficient and cost effective ways at controlling the mosquito population. This can be successfully accomplished by increasing the public awareness and education of various mosquito prevention methods, including landscaping, home maintaince, and additional educational programs for our school age children.  There still would be a commitment to spraying, but if these preventive techniques are implemented, I feel there will be an over all reduction in the need for, and the amount of, spraying in many areas of our county. Of course, there are some areas which are not accessible and aerial spraying is the only real option to control the mosquito population.  The Department’s efforts should be focused on prevention, source reduction and larviciding to control the mosquito population, with the last option being that of adulticiding with the use of spray pesticides, either aerial or by truck.

Would you be in favor of term limits on locally elected officials and why or why not?

Dombroski: I would be in favor of term limits for all elected officials. Term limitation will accomplish a number of positive things, but one stands out: it will improve the quality of leadership of all of our elected public servants by replacing careerists whose primary motives are reelection to their office. I believe an elected official’s term should be limited to no more then two consecutive elected terms in their respective offices.

Marzella: Locally speaking, I feel that a fair and honest election process, serves as a term limiter. I would not want to lose an excellent leader, simply because his time is up…especially when you consider the depth of our candidate pool.

Republicans District Two:

What programs or processes do you feel need to be reviewed, or revamped in light of the recent budget decisions made by the district?

Hubbard: Until such time as a comprehensive review of labor costs is made there will be only limited success in controlling the budget.  This review should include, among other things, an independent salary survey, well-written job descriptions, periodic performance reviews, and clearly laid out policies and procedures.  The second major area involves the purchasing policies and procedures.  Every purchase needs to be fully documented, periodically reviewed, and bids obtained where the agreement exceeds or may exceed a certain level.

Rudell: Not all budget decisions have been made yet. Thia usually takes until September.

All board members seem to agree that the truck replacement program needs to be revamped. We have found the current system to be inefficient. Too many trucks have been getting auctioned out long before necessary. This is a big waste.

Other expenditures that two of us believe should be changed are; $1 million for the purchase of land, reduction in the director’s pay, reduction of professional fees and field and grant studies which now total $195,000. Put a freeze on pay raises, reduce travel expenses by $50,000 and eliminate the TV show at $30,000 per year.

More reductions will be forthcoming as the budget cycle progresses.

Please outline your budget priorities for the coming four years, and outline your position on tax rates.

Rudell: Budget priorities should be for what keeps mosquito control at full efficiency and eliminate unnecessary luxuries. Tax rates should be kept at a minimum. This year I see no reason we cannot maintain rollback.

Hubbard: Budget priorities include controlling labor costs and ensuring that the District procures only needed equipment, materials, and services at the most possible best prices.

Tax rates have to be sufficient for the District to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and safety, and promote the enjoyment of the Keys by residents and visitors alike.  This has to be accomplished in a manner that does not cause damage to our environment.  I believe these goals can be achieved at or below the current cost.

Please explain your views on adultacide versus larvacide treatments?

Hubbard: It is not a question of one or the other, it is a question of which is the most effective and efficient treatment for the problem at hand.  The two treatments are complimentary.  Where appropriate mosquito breeding areas are eliminated.  Where this is not possible, biological agent and/or monomolecular film larvaciding is used. These methods reduce the need to use adulticides.  Adulticides are employed to decrease a breeding population to limit the need to use larvacides.

Rudell: Larvacide is always the most efficient and cost-effective way to treat mosquitos. We try to get them before they spawn, which allows us to treat a smaller area. Once they take flight we have to adultacide a larger area.

What changes to the treatment regimen(s) would you implement?

Rudell: The treatment regimen appears to be working very well. The low number of telephone complaints tells us that. Meanwhile, we are always looking for advanced ways of treatment.

Hubbard: I favor the use of target-specific biological agents.  The use of naturally occurring biological agents to control mosquitoes lessens the impact on people and the environment.  Continued use toxic chemicals increases the mosquito resistance.  This requires heavier concentrations causing more harm to both the environment and people to achieve the same level of control.  It also means more cost.

Would you be in favor of term limits on locally elected officials and why or why not?

Hubbard: I favor term limitations.  Public office should not be a career but a citizen’s opportunity to give back to the community.  By having a term limitation, citizens are encouraged to seek office and bring out new ideas.

Rudell: I favor term limits at the state and federal level. The longer a Senator or Representative stays in office the more powerful they become, especially when that power is gained in committee. They stay in office by bringing home the bacon, sometimes to the detriment of the rest of the state or nation. Locally elected officials do not gain that type of power. They have to produce for the whole of the electorate or they get replaced.

An experienced (multiple term) elected official, who has integrity, can be a valuable asset to the community.

District Five Republicans:

The only candidate who answered the questionnaire by presstime last week was Tony Gibbons. Here are his views.

What programs or processes do you feel need to be reviewed, or revamped in light of the recent budget decisions made by the district?

A) The truck policy needs to be reviewed. An inspection check list should be established allowing the employees to determine if and when a vehicle is to be sold not on a fixed time or mileage.

B) The travel to educational meetings; limiting the number of employees being sent to seminars.

C) Personal vehicle policy; limit the number of employees having a car or truck provided by Mosquito Control.

Please outline your budget priorities for the coming four years, and outline your position on tax rates.

My budget priorities are basic; protect the citizens of Monroe County from mosquitoes and wasteful spending which would increase taxes needlessly.

Please explain your views on adultacide versus larvacide treatments?

Both are needed in an intergrated pesticide program.

What changes to the treatment regimen(s) would you implement?

As member of the board it would not be my job to implement any change. The Mosquito Control Board duties are to establish  the budget, set policy, and oversee the operations making sure these items are followed.

Would you be in favor of term limits on locally elected officials and why or why not?

I am for term limits and always have been. Two terms is plenty for government service.

Why?  Just look at Congress.

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