Two conservatives debate for District 7 county seat. There’s a difference in experience
Republican candidates for the Board of County Commissioners want to bring two totally different approaches to the countywide seat.
Former County Administrator Ed Hunzeker says he has the experience needed to guide Manatee County. George Kruse, a political newcomer, says his private sector experience makes him the best candidate.
“My understanding of the government far exceeds that, I believe, of my opponent, and I bring those experiences to the forefront on the policy side — not from the operating side,” Hunzeker said during a debate hosted by the Manatee Tiger Bay Club.
“I didn’t get a chance to vote when I sat up on the dais. Now I want to be part of how we use those resources to make sure this community moves forward,” he added, referring to the 12 years he served as county administrator.
Despite Hunzeker being the first to launch attack ads on Facebook, it was Kruse who was on the offensive. He often suggested that Hunzeker’s prior experience would “narrow his view” on the board and argued that he’s the “true conservative” that the board needs.
Kruse positioned his lack of government experience as a positive, noting that he’d rather represent a voice dedicated to private businesses and finance.
“I don’t have the deep government experience, and I’m the first to admit it. I’m almost proud of it,” Kruse responded. “I have the private sector experience. I have a different view. I think we have a lot of people on the board with government experience. We’ve got a county administrator that knows how to do a county administrator’s job and doesn’t need another county administrator helping out.”
The two will face off in the Aug. 18 Republican primary.
Hunzeker, who originally filed to challenge GOP Commissioner Vanessa Baugh in District 5, has taken a commanding lead in fundraising. The $114,000 he has raised so far is more than any other candidate running for office in Manatee County. Kruse has raised about $41,000. The candidates have both received large donations from developers, real estate executives and contractors.
Incumbent Commissioner Betsy Benac in not seeking re-election. She has said she will endorse Hunzeker.
Throughout the debate, both District 7 candidates expressed their ideas for how they would solve traffic issues, attract affordable housing and adjust Manatee’s budget spending.
When asked about their priorities, Hunzeker and Kruse agreed that taking a closer look at the budget would be their main concern if elected. Hunzeker said he supported holding on to reserves for a rainy day.
“As a finance person, it’s to manage the county’s resources,” said Hunzeker, who explained that he wants to keep taxes low.
“I want to do a deep dive and figure out how to efficiently run Manatee County,” said Kruse, who suggested trimming the millage and spending some of the county’s reserves.
That idea prompted a response from Hunzeker, who implied that Kruse didn’t have a full understanding of reserves.
“That’s interesting. I think my opponent needs to understand how reserves work,” Hunzeker said. “It’s 50 different funds that you balance independently. Most of them are funds you can’t touch.”
Both candidates also agreed that Manatee County officials should begin emphasizing “smart growth.”
“Smart growth is about preparing ahead of time, but it’s also about preparing for growth in smart places,” said Kruse, who suggested providing incentives for higher density projects in areas with existing infrastructure as a way to keep traffic off of roads.
Hunzeker also suggested removing some of the restrictions around density and height restrictions in certain areas, which he said would result in neighborhoods that don’t require traveling by car, especially with more people working remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There will be a lot more people working from home in the future and that would be important for them to understand you can live and work and walk in your neighborhood,” Hunzeker said.
The candidates clashed again when Kruse accused Hunzeker of trying to raise taxes in Manatee County with last year’s proposed stormwater fee.
“The stormwater tax made no sense. It was being pushed through as an urgency. This fee was introduced by my opponent and now he’s saying we don’t need a fee,” Kruse said after Hunzeker suggested he had found a way to pay for water quality improvements without charging residents. “Why didn’t we do that two years ago? We’ve got hundreds of millions in the reserves. A very small fraction of that could fix our water today.”
Hunzeker clarified that a stormwater fee study was still underway when he left his position in February 2019. It wasn’t until last fall that county staff came up with a plan that involved charging residents an annual fee based on their property size.
“When I left, they were still doing the study portion of what needs to be done,” Hunzeker responded.
County staff put the stormwater fee on hold to iron out the details of the plan last fall.
Kruse said his water quality improvement plan would include lobbying state and federal officials for funding.
“Water is the lifeblood of Manatee County. Tourists come to manatee because of our beaches. People come to live in Manatee because of the beaches and quality of life,” Kruse explained. “This is a precious resource that we need to take care of.”
The winner of the primary will face qualified write-in candidate Thomas Whitten Dell in the Nov. 3 general election. Dell’s candidacy means only Republicans will be able to vote in the primary.
Visit the Manatee Tiger Bay YouTube page to view the entire debate online.
