Edward Viltz, Dave Miner best candidates for Manatee County school board
The Manatee County School Board, beset by controversy for years, could use help, and we get to give it.
Seven candidates are running for two seats. I’ve read all about them and seen them in a forum. Two stand out — one for who he is and one for who he isn’t.
Edward Viltz in District 1 has the best resume of any candidate and leadership skills to match. He has 25 years of executive experience — at IBM, an international non-profit and several technology companies. Since retiring, he’s become a classroom teacher and consultant, helping guide a Title 1 school from “F” to “A” in three years.
He also inspires confidence. At the forum, when asked if a school district should run like a business, Viltz, who understands that schools are a public trust, said no. Business skills are useful on a school board, he said, but schools are not a business “because we can’t choose our customers.” And when asked what he would do if developers threatened suit over impact fees, he said, “Bring it on.”
Dave “Watchdog” Miner, the District 3 incumbent, though not always articulate, has his heart in the right place. On his watch the district has stabilized. To his credit he pushed the ordinance to repeal the notorious “developer discount,” which would have given builders 50 percent off their impact fees if we extend the school sales tax in November. His competitors laud their business credentials. But …
Charles Conoley led Horizon Bank to failure in the great recession. Now he wants to manage my tax dollars. No thanks.
Misty Servia, a planner for King Engineering, works for developers just like outgoing member Bob Gause, who came up with the developer discount. Any whiff of developer influence is the last thing this board needs.
Stuart Smith
Bradenton
This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 12:48 PM with the headline "Edward Viltz, Dave Miner best candidates for Manatee County school board."