GOP candidates for Manatee County School Board speak

Seven candidates running for seats on the Manatee County School Board spoke about some of the top issues facing the school district during a luncheon Friday.

Sponsored by the Women of Manatee County Republican Club, the lnch featured District 1 candidates Xtavia Bailey, Gina Messenger and Linda Schaich; District 3 candidates Charlie Conoley, incumbent Dave Miner and Misty Servia; and District 5 candidate John Colon, who is running unopposed.

While the school board is a nonpartisan race, only Republican candidates were invited to speak.

During the hour-long luncheon, each candidate spoke for two minutes, introducing themselves, followed by responses to questions on a series of issues.

Removal of the caveat linking the sales tax to impact fees

Bailey: “They should have got it right the first time. The first time they should have made the best decision.”

Messenger: “I think we made the right decision with reversing it. It tells you that it took them a little while, but at least they listened to the community.”

Schaich: “I’ve been fighting for this for six months.”

Conoley: “I have to support sales tax, but I cannot support the impact fees because that is a negative tax.”

Miner: “We are behind meeting the capital needs of our school district.”

Servia: “We need to get it right the first time. We look at needs of overall community. We develop a plan of action and analyze how we do it.”

Colon: “It is important to remember that you listen, you analyze, you make decisions. If you make the wrong decision, be big enough to change it.”

Challenges facing the school district

Bailey: “We need to make sure we are retaining these teachers. We also have to make sure our students are reading on grade level. Our students are behind.”

Messenger: “Education, to me, is the biggest issue in this county.”

Schaich: “That’s where we need to be working on getting the finances right so we can actually get the money to the district.”

Conoley: “We have to be responsible managers of our money. There are a lot of issues but it all comes back to the money.”

Miner: “I have always felt that trust is fundamental in an organization. We are on a road of building trust.”

Servia: “The biggest challenge that our community has is the shattered trust of our school board. It has been shattered. It has been shattered for years.”

Colon: “We are refinancing the bonds we have, and that will save us millions of dollars.”

This story was originally published June 3, 2016 at 3:44 PM with the headline "GOP candidates for Manatee County School Board speak."