Four candidates vie for District 4 seat on Pasco County Commission - Tampa Bay Times

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NEW PORT RICHEY — With Mike Wells winning the Pasco County Property Appraiser job without election opposition in June, he departs his Commission District 4 seat and four candidates are vying to finish the last two years of his term.

Like Wells, each is a Republican so the race will be a universal election. All voters regardless of party will be able to cast a ballot in the Aug. 18 primary election and the race will be decided.

Each candidate brings something different to the table. One is retired law enforcement, another retired from years inside county government. A third has extensive experience with nonprofits and the last is a general contractor.

Gary Bradford, 61, is retired after 25 years with the Tampa Police Department, now working as a lobbyist for the Police Benevolent Association. His campaign fundraising is more than double all his opponents’ combined and political heavy-hitters Sheriff Chris Nocco and Tax Collector Mike Fasano endorsed him.

More than $65,000 of Bradford’s $114,000 in contributions come from outside Pasco County, many from Tampa. More than $30,000 come from construction, real estate and development interests and another $10,000 from law enforcement advocates. There are numerous political action committees peppered among contributors.

Bradford’s website talks about the need to increase public safety, growth management, fiscal conservatism and a more effective storm-management program. But specific details are unknown. He did not respond to a list of questions submitted to all candidates for office by the Tampa Bay Times and did not respond to multiple phone messages and emails seeking information about this candidacy over the past two weeks.

During a forum with the Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce several weeks ago, he spoke about the need for transparency and accountability by the County Commission, quickly adding that he wasn’t throwing stones at the current commission. But, he said, like in each person’s own business, “you always look at what you can do better with the resources you have.”

Bradford also advocated a better customer service attitude “not by beating them over the head but by using a learning approach.”

Gary Bradford, candidate for Pasco County Commission District 4 [ Pasco County ]

The other three candidates have each been the primary contributor to their campaigns. Christina Fitzpatrick has given $9,000 of the $9,161 in monetary contributions. Jeff Miller has taken $5,400 out of his pocket and has a total of $7,846. And Gabriel “Gabe” Papadopoulos had a total of $22,392 with $13,000 of his money.

Fitzpatrick is a tax preparer, marketing executive and chief administrative officer and principal of Miracles Schools. The private school is one of a number of nonprofit organizations she has founded or worked with in Pasco County. A New York native who came to Florida 33 years ago, Fitzpatrick, 36, says her background and focus on family values and a long list of involvement in civic and nonprofit organizations makes her the best choice for the commission seat.

“I’m dedicated to work hard, respond efficiently, improve quality of life, and I have lived, worked and started my businesses and nonprofits. I founded Guardian Angels, Inc. in 2012 and Miracles Schools, a private school for special needs children, in 2018,” she said. “I am committed to continue to make Pasco County great.”

Christina Fitzpatrick, candidate for Pasco County Commission District 4 [ THOMAS SBANI | Christina Fitzpatrick ]

Growing up in Pasco County, she participated and competed in gymnastics for 12 years and coached for 10 years. She started volunteering in elementary school and never stopped. In recent years Fitzpatrick’s community involvement has including work with the Guardian Ad Litem program, participation in the New Port Richey Elks Club, the Trinity Positive Business Network, the West Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Trinity and Women Helping Women.

Fitzpatrick identified her budget priorities as Pasco County’s mental health and homelessness issues with special emphasis on getting the homeless back on their feet. Business development and keeping public safety budgets intact are also priorities, she said in a recent political forum.

Miller, 51, is a general contractor. An Indiana native, he came to the county when his family moved to Aripeka when he was 4.

A 1987 graduate of Hudson High School, he attended Pasco Hernando Community College for a year before deciding to study real estate. Miller, 51, then found that he enjoyed and could make a better living in construction so he studied various aspects of the trade ultimately earning his general contractor’s license. His business focuses on remodeling and he has come to know Pasco County as a customer of county services.

He hopes that the Pasco permitting system can be made more business-friendly as he has seen the frustration and delays that rules can cause for some projects. The county, he said, needs “to treat our business community as a priority, because small business is the heart of every community.”

Beyond his own experience, Miller said the county needs to be flexible in these difficult times challenged by COVID-19. He said that there should be special considerations for people who can do their work from home and that some special provisions should be made such as allowing some street parking so residents can still earn a living from their homes.

Miller also wants to make changes to the county’s transportation access. “I would also like to take a less costly approach to improving traffic conditions, through connecting our communities that are blocked off from each other, technology, and applying for additional exits off and on to the expressway to aid in the dispersing of the traffic on State Road 52 and State Road 54.”

Jeff Miller, candidate for Pasco County Commission District 4 [ Jeff Miller ]

Papadopoulos, 58, already has an insider’s view of Pasco County government with 31 years as a county employee. He retired as community services director, where he oversaw human services, veterans services and senior services. Now a pastor with the New Horizons Church which he founded, Papadopoulos also established Empowering Pasco Veterans, Feeding Pasco’s Elderly and Uplifting Neighbors and has been involved with many other social service organizations.

He said he is the right pick for the job because “people are tired of politicians. They need public servants.‘'

A native of Cyprus, he came to the United States in 1982. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Lee University and his master’s in business administration from Saint Leo University.

Having seen first hand the needs of Pasco’s most vulnerable populations, Papadopoulos has focused his campaign on providing services for the county’s veterans and senior citizens while addressing the issues of human trafficking and drug addiction.

In addition, he wants to see more trade schools. The county also needs to make the creation of new, well-paying jobs a priority.

With Pasco’s rapid growth, he said there also needs to be a focus on providing infrastructure including increasing road capacity. “We don’t want to repeat the same mistakes our friends from the south have,” he said. “Pasco County has great potential.”

Gabriel Papadopoulos, candidate for Pasco County Commission District 4 [ Gabriel Papadopoulos ]

Commissioners are elected countywide but the candidates must each live in the district for the seat they are seeking. District 4 encompasses a portion of West Pasco. While commission terms are for four years, the winner in this race will complete the final two years of Well’s term. The annual salary is $90,122.

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