110 W. New York Ave., DeLand, FL
386-734-4622
posted Oct 7, 2008 - 1:59:08pm
The Volusia Soil and Water Conservation District was established by state statute. The agency's mission is to oversee the spending of state and federal money for soil and water conservation, and to promote conservation activities.
The supervisors' job has changed drastically over the past year, after Volusia County cut off its annual contribution of about $150,000 to allow the Soil and Water Conservation District to have an office, a manager, a secretary and a part-time agriculturalist.
The district had to give up an office it shared with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and supervisors work from home outside of their regular meetings.
The county said its tax dollars could be better used by county-government programs that have the same goals as the Soil and Water Conservation District.
District commissioners are elected for two-year terms. They are not paid. The races are nonpartisan, and all Volusia County voters are eligible to cast ballots.
This year, there are two seats up for election, Group 1 and Group 4. According to the Volusia County Department of Elections Web site, none of the four candidates has raised any money for his or her campaign.
Group 1
In Group 1, incumbent Mary Prevatte, who lives in Seville, is running against Ormond Beach challenger Gordon Currie.
A resident of Volusia County for more than 62 years, Currie works as a sales representative for Consolidated Electrical District in Daytona Beach.
He has been married for more than 54 years.
Currie feels his experience gives him an advantage over his opponent.
"I've got seven years' experience on the board. I've been chairman twice," he said. "If you look at my record, I've taken leadership roles in other cities I've lived in. I feel I'm most qualified."
Currie retired as a sergeant major from the U.S. Army Florida National Guard after 38 years.
A farmer and a rancher, Prevatte lives in Seville, and is a widow.
She is involved in the citrus and fern industries, and is a Seville historian.
Prevatte has received the Century Pioneer Farm Family Award and the Young Farmer and Rancher award.
Prevatte thinks her experience as a farmer and rancher will benefit the Soil and Water Conservation District, because she understands the challenges agriculturalists face.
"As a farmer/rancher, I would protect and preserve our natural resources: soil and water," she said.
Group 4
This election pits challenger Alan Burton of Ormond Beach and incumbent Commissioner Donald Kanfer of DeLand.
Burton lives in Ormond Beach with his wife, Lynn.
He works for Allegro Appraisal Group LLC. He worked in recreation and parks for the cities of Ormond Beach and Orlando, and also worked for two special park-and-recreation districts in Illinois.
Burton received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Western Illinois University, and attended the University of Illinois Chicago Circle's Master of Administrative Science graduate program.
He said he has decided to dedicate his life to support wise use of natural resources.
"Thirty years of best practices of natural resources and enriching human activity sets me apart from
Kanfer lives in the unincorporated area of DeLand with his wife of 22 years, Claudia.
Kanfer is a practicing large-animal veterinarian. He received a bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Nevada, and a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Parma in Italy.
Kanfer said his nine months on the Soil and Water District board, and his background, give him a good perspective.
"I've been on the Soil and Water board for not quite a year, now; I was nominated to fill a vacancy in January, so I have nine months' experience with the board," Kanfer said. "Also, I'm a farm-animal veterinarian, so I have an agricultural background, and I appreciate the agriculture industry."
More information
Read more about these candidates and all of the candidates in your area in our online voter's guide, VOTE 2008, at www.beacononlinenews.com/elections.
And, be sure to watch for our print-edition West Volusia Voter's Guide, which will be included with the Oct. 16-19 edition of the newspaper.
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