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Hernando Today

Adkins: 'Voice For The Taxpayer'

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Published: August 11, 2008

Former Brooksville Fire Chief James Adkins says he is making one more stab at a county commission seat.

"If I lose this primary, you won't see me running again," the Republican candidate vows.

But Adkins, who lost in his bid for the District 5 commission seat in 2004, has every intention of winning it this time around — if he can get past Republican challengers William "Billy" Healis and Michael Robinson.

And he believes he has much to offer the citizens of Hernando County, including restoring responsible leadership.

"My campaign platform is based on my beliefs that Hernando County is best served by a commissioner (who) believes in lower taxes, less government (and) common business sense – which includes responsible spending and accountability," Adkins says.

Adkins, who retired as fire chief in 1998, says he wants to reduce what he sees as frivolous spending by county commissioners.

He cites THE Bus as an example of wasted money.

"THE Bus should never have been started," he says.

He says Hernando County cannot support a mass transit system and the current routes are not designed to maximize ridership because they don't stop at large population centers.

Over the years, commissioners have not been accountable for their spending habits and, as a result, have spent taxpayer money simply because the coffers were full.

The board, he said, did not come down hard enough on department manager budgets and there was little oversight on their spending habits.

"The word 'no' was very seldom used," Adkins said.

To stimulate the economy, the county must do more to attract large, clean industry to the industrial parks and promote more financial incentives to get them here, he said.

Adkins is a member of the Advisory Council Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, the Hernando County Citizens Ordinance Advisory team and is the legislative government affairs liaison for the Farm Bureau State Federation.

He spoke against the "hurricane model" program that insurance companies used to increase rates. He believes the model was inaccurate and contained inaccurate data.

He calls tangible taxes on business illegal.

Adkins lobbied against a sales tax on electric usage for agriculture businesses. The state passed a law that he hopes will help reduce the cost of produce grown and processed in Florida.

Adkins says the county does not need to spend millions on a judicial center. Instead, he is pushing for night court and a rescheduling of hours to make it happen.

Government, he says, must get out of this 9-5 mindset and be accessible to the public at all hours.

"I'll be a voice for the taxpayer," he said. "That's what I ran on the last time and that's what I'm going to run on again."

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

James Adkins

Age: 59

Married

Education: Associate in Science, Pasco-Hernando Community College and St. Petersburg Junior College – majored in administration

Religion: Baptist

Hobbies: fishing, restoring muscle-era cars

Last book read: "Reagan, In His Own Hand," by Ronald Reagan

Most Admired: his family

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