With 2 of the 5 county commissioners up for election, 2014 was bound to be a significant election for the future direction of the county. One incumbent was defeated in the Republican primary while the other incumbent choose not to run.

Winners are Ron Kitchen, a former mayor of Crystal River and Scott Carnahan, a local businessman and newcomer to politics. Kitchen won in the Republican primary and again in the general election faced off against a no-party affiliation candidate. Scott Carnahan won in the Republican primary which, since there were no opposition candidates in the general election, was open to all voters.

Both winning candidates expressed concern over some county expenditures in recent years including large amounts spent on the “Port Citrus” project as well as public funds spent on the “medical corridor” portion of the CR 491 widening project.

The new county commissioners are expected to join current commissioner Scott Adams and review some recently approved actions such as the fire MSBU passed in 2013.

Another big item on the ballot was the proposed 1% sales tax increase to pay for local road repaving. The tax increase was turned down by a large margin. Citrus county currently collects 12 cents per gallon in gasoline taxes for road improvements plus charges an ad valorem tax for transportation. In recent years, these funds have been reprogrammed to cover other government expenses which has left nothing for local road repaving.

The next several months will reveal whether or not the county government will revert to a more conservative fiscal approach.

Statewide, Governor Rick Scott was elected to a second term, defeating former governor Charlie Crist who has switched party affiliation from Republican, first to no party affiliation for a US Senate race and then to Democrat for the recent governor’s race. The governor’s race was relatively close. Republican incumbents more easily won the other statewide offices, Attorney General, Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture.