Manatee school board race heats up with attack mailer and a mysterious website

A political action committee took aim at Dave Miner, attempting to undermine his re-election to the School Board of Manatee County on Nov. 3. A response website soon questioned the PAC and Miner’s opponent, Mary Foreman, but the webpage has since disappeared and Miner has denied any involvement with its creation.

Citizens Alliance for Florida’s Economy sent out the attack mailer and dubbed Miner “the architect of a $74 million tax hike on Manatee County residents.”

“Dave Miner is just another tax and spend politician watching out for himself,” the mailer stated.

A response website — www.foremanisnotforyou.com — soon appeared online, evoking the name of Miner’s opponent. The website said Miner was, indeed, “the proud architect of the school millage referendum,” a one-mill increase on property taxes that was approved by voters in March 2018.

While the referendum was expected to garner about $37 million per year, or $74 million over the last two years, it resulted in millions of dollars more than anticipated. The added tax revenue was a benefit to students, teachers and academic programs, the website argued.

“If you own a home or business in Manatee County, it is worth more today because this millage referendum passed. Quality schools are required for a quality community,” the website said, going on to question Foreman and the attack mailer.

“Our inadequate PAC laws do not require ‘dark money’ PAC’s like this one to reveal on whose behalf they spend money. Clearly, they have spent money on behalf of Mary Foreman. Does she know about this ‘dark money’ support? Will she repudiate it and operate her campaign in the sunshine?”

According to its organizing documents, the PAC aims to promote “economic growth via sound government policies,” and it does so by supporting state and local candidates who align with that goal.

While her priorities may be similar, Foreman said she had no affiliation with the PAC or the mailers, a comment that was echoed by Anthony Pedicini, the PAC’s chairman.

“I’ve never met Mary Foreman,” he said. “I’ve never been in a room with her. I’ve never had a conversation with her. I couldn’t tell you what she looked like. By the way, I’ve not talked to anybody else who knows Mary Foreman. This is all David Miner’s problem.”

The website, which claimed to be “Paid for by the Dave ‘Watchdog’ Miner” campaign, then disappeared. In an interview on Monday afternoon, Miner said the website was made without his permission or knowledge.

“I’m not going to throw anybody under the bus, but I think it was all well motivated,” he said, declining to name the website’s creator.

“I have arranged to ask the website managers to remove it,” he continued. “I wish my campaign to remain focused on my experience and credibility and service to my community and country.”

The attack mailer raised brief questions about both candidates, but the topic of property taxes is sure to remain in the coming months. The district’s one-mill tax referendum expires on June 30, 2022, and residents may be asked to renew the tax hike by this time next year.

Miner has advocated for a special election in March 2022, pointing to the successful referendum in March 2018. A special election previously cost the district about $270,000, but that was a small price to pay for more than $100 million in added tax revenue, he said at a recent workshop.

Three of his fellow board members preferred to hold the renewal vote in November 2021, citing potential savings. Foreman, however, preferred a different solution all together.

Miner’s opponent said she would rather implement fixed, long-lasting salary increases to recruit and retain district employees. It was unwise, Foreman said, to rely on a tax increase that expires every four years.

Miner secured 20,398 votes in the August primary, or 28.5 percent of the ballots cast. Foreman trailed behind the incumbent with 18,946 votes, or 26.5 percent. The remaining votes were spread among three other candidates.

Since neither won a majority of the vote, Miner and Foreman will compete for the District 3 seat during a runoff on Nov. 3.

To learn more about the candidates’ priorities and endorsements, visit davewatchdogminer.com and mary-foreman.com.

This story was originally published October 26, 2020 at 3:49 PM.