Beverley Billiris and Carl Folkman are challenging Susan Latvala in the Republican primary race for Pinellas County Commissioner, district 4.
Registered Republicans have until 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24, to cast their ballot by sending in a mail ballot, voting early at a Supervisor of Elections’ office or at the polls on Election Day.
Florida has a closed primary system, meaning people can only vote for candidates of their party affiliation in primary elections. During the general election on Nov. 2, registered voters can select any candidate regardless of party affiliation.
The winner of the primary election will run against Democrat Bob Hackworth of Dunedin in the Nov. 2 election.
Beverley Billiris of Tarpon Springs says she decided to run for a seat on the county commission after seeing articles in the media that show county government has been living beyond its means and current commissioners have not had the “willingness to set aside reserves for this kind of economic decline.
“That is why I have decided to run for district 4 Pinellas County Commission, so that we might improve the quality and direction of our county,” she said on her website votebillirisforcountycommission.com.
She points to her service as commissioner and mayor of Tarpon Springs and the work done to lower taxes while improving services and building a financial reserve for economic emergencies.
She promises to “provide strong oversight to county spending, vigorous leadership to program to protect land preservation and set a new tone and temperament.”
She is an educator with 20-plus years of accounting and business experience. She owns the Sponge Merchant International.
She is a graduate of the University of South Florida and received her master’s from Nova University. She attended the Florida League of Cities Institute for Elected Municipal officials and International Relations Academy; National League of Cities Leadership Program; Pinellas County Sheriff’s Community Policing Program and the USF Institute of Government Water Leadership Program.
She has served or is currently serving on a number of committees including the county’s Homeless Initiative Policy Task Force, Planning Council and U.S. 19 Pedestrian Safety Task Force Initiative. She also lists several Florida League of Cities committees, including executive board of directors; National League of Cities committees; Pinellas County Mayors Council, Suncoast League of Cities; Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council; GFWC Club of Tarpon Springs; and board of directors for Leepa Rattner, Pace for Girls and Friends of Brooker Creek.
Carl Folkman
Carl Folkman of Crystal Beach says he’s a common sense conservative.
“If elected, I will stand tall and work to reverse the cost and cut big government and Pinellas County Utilities back to where they should be,” he said on his website www.votefolkman.com.
Folkman moved to Florida in 1984 from Pennsylvania to attend the College of Boca Raton and graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
In 1987, he started work at the Gallo Winery. He has been owner and president of Florida Wine & Spirits Inc., a spirit and wine brokerage firm, since 1998. He moved to Pinellas County from Jacksonville in 1993.
He lists several areas of community involvement, including Leadership Pinellas, class of 2008; former board member of Clearwater Marine Aquarium; former honorary mayor of Crystal Beach; former board member of Crystal Beach Community Association; and a volunteer at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and Humane Society of Pinellas County.
He is a member of the Republican Party of Pinellas County, Chairman’s Circle, Ivory Club; Crystal Beach Community Association; North Pinellas Republican Club; 9/12 Group; Patriot’s Link; and participates in Keep Pinellas Beautiful annual beach cleanup.
He served as assistant media director of the Donald Ross Congressional Campaign in 1987; was an intern for the Republican Party of Florida in 1987; and a volunteer for the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush campaign in 1983.
Susan Latvala
Incumbent Susan Latvala of Palm Harbor currently is the vice chair of the board of Pinellas County Commissioners and has served as county commissioner since 2000. Prior to being elected to the commission, she served on the Pinellas County School Board in 1992 and was re-elected in 1996.
On her website, www.susanlatvala.org, she says she will “continue to be committed to doing the ‘right thing’ for the citizens, the environment and for future generations. We’ve accomplished a lot together over the years for the better of our community and I look forward to continuing to make Pinellas County a better place for everyone who lives and works here. Being your county commissioner is my full time job and a commitment I take very seriously.”
Latvala attended Western Kentucky University, Spencerian Business College and New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. She is a graduate of Leadership Florida, class of XV.
Latvala lists a number of of accomplishments, including past chairman and current board member of Tampa Bay Water; chairman of Public Safety Coordinating Council; chairman of MPO School Transportation Safety Committee; chair of Pinellas County Value Adjustment Board; vice-chair of Pinellas County Business Technology Services; vice chair of the Health and Human Services Policy Board; past chair of the Tourist Development Council; and past chair of the Economic Development Council and others.
She is past president and current board member of the Florida Association of Counties; member of the Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee, former chair of the Water Policy Working Group and Statewide Policy Water Policy Working Group for the National Association of Counties. She has served on the White House Conference on Youth Drug Use and Violence; Florida Charter School Review Panel; State Advisory Committee for Exceptional Student Education, among others.
Her civic accomplishments include a special recognition award from PACE in 2002, volunteer of the year award from Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association in 2000 and Palm Harbor Woman of the Year in 2005.
