MANATEE COUNTY - With its waterfront neighborhoods and proximity to shopping, much of South Manatee used to be a desirable place to invest in a home or business.
Yet as attention focused on newer East Manatee developments, Bayshore Gardens, Whitfield Estates and other South Manatee areas lost some luster.
On Thursday, four candidates vying to replace retiring County Commissioner Ron Getman as the elected representative of District 4, which makes up much of South Manatee, each told the Manatee Tiger Bay Club that he or she should be the voters' choice to restore the area's potential.
Robin DiSabatino
"Our older, beautiful neighborhoods are in dire straits right now," said DiSabatino, a Republican.
The real estate agent said she would first focus on the needs of existing businesses to ensure they stay afloat and then concentrate on attracting new jobs in fields such as manufacturing, medical research and the arts.
She opposes Amendment 4, a measure on the November statewide ballot that would require voter approval of changes to comprehensive land use plans. Voters elect officials to make those decisions, she said.
Roger C. Galle
Galle, a Democrat, wants county-owned Pride Park to be renamed after the late Lari Ann Harris, the county commissioner who got the recreational amenity for the low-income neighborhood that would later take its name.
The owner of a commercial painting business is especially concerned about protecting Trailer Estates, a mobile home community of retirees, from possibly being targeted for redevelopment.
Galle favors Amendment 4, saying "It gives people another voice, and I'm all about giving people a choice."
Norm Luppino
A county planner for 23 years, Luppino, a Republican, lost his job last year because of budget cuts.
Luppino, who helped lead the successful effort to preserve the Crosley Estate, said he has extensive experience in balancing the concerns of developers, neighborhoods and elected officials.
Luppino opposes Amendment 4. "Planning decisions need to be based on policies and sound logic," he said.
Tim Norwood
Describing himself as "a Tea Party Republican," Norwood said his experience as an architect and as a chief engineer for a boat manufacturer qualify him to reach out to potential employers and convince them to relocate in Manatee.
District 4 used to be the "heart and soul of manufacturing" in Manatee, Norwood said. "I intend to rebuild manufacturing in this county. ... I intend to be like a college football coach recruiting a team."
Norwood opposes Amendment 4. "If you don't think I'm going to do the right thing for this county, don't vote for me," Norwood said.
