A host of candidates for several local elections got a chance to make an impression with voters during a candidate forum Friday afternoon.
Hosted by the Federated Republican Women of Nassau (FRWN) and held at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club, the forum drew eight candidates for seats representing Nassau County, including Janet Adkins, Stan Bethea, Kathy Knight Burns, John Drew, Curtis Gaus, Mitchell Keiter, Keving Lilly and Allan Reynolds. In attendance but not participating in the panel were John Ladson, candidate for county commissioner, District 3, and Kristi Simpkins, candidate for school board member, District 4.
In their opening statements, each candidate introduced themselves and told voters why they were running.
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Kathy Knight Burns was born and raised in Nassau County. She graduated from Fernandina Beach High School in 1977. She has earned a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education, a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership and a Doctorate Degree in Education.
Burns is the current Superintendent of Nassau County schools and has held the position for eight years.
In her opening remarks, Burns lauded the Nassau Schools 91% graduation rate and academically high-achieving district with beginning teacher salaries now at $52,000.
“Learning is the number one priority in our school district,” said Burns. “We are launching a new college enrollment program in two of our high schools, we have expanded vocational education opportunities, we added a 911 dispatch program this year and, just last week, we received a half billion dollar grant to launch a building program for our students.”
Burns addressed school safety, emphasizing collaboration with the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the necessity for enhanced behavioral and mental health support within schools, citing a surge in challenges among students and families.
Burns established a land growth committee four years ago to anticipate Nassau County’s expansion, collaborating closely with both county and city authorities as well as various municipalities.
“We have acquired … over 637 acres of land for future school sites,” said Burns. “We need two schools today.”
“We are excited about the work we are doing. I continue to work everyday for the success of our students and improvements in our schools,” concluded Burns.
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Curtis Gaus is a candidate for Superintendent of Schools with 27 years in education, including teacher, junior leadership, assistant principal, coordinator of career and technical education and adult education, principal of West Nassau High School and is a current Nassau County School Board member since 2022.
“First of all, I want to thank Dr. Burns. She has been a great school board member and a good superintendent. Her vision and my vision aren’t a lot different, but I feel I’m positioned to take Nassau County in the direction we need to go in the next four to eight years,” said Gaus in his opening statement.
Gaus wanted the voters to “understand where our tax dollars are going.” He said it was a good thing the budget process for the school board had started earlier this year but was unhappy that the planning came before revenue information from the state.
Gaus expressed gratitude to the voters for approving the 1 mill tax increase in 2022, but emphasized that, in his view, it represents a short-term fix for a long-term issue.
Gaus said increases in career and technical education have been happening over the past 15-20 years, claiming these aren’t new statistics.
“We were growing those programs at the Red Bean Technical Center. Decisions at the district office have made it virtually impossible for students to find time in their schedule to take advantage of,” stated Gaus. “We need programs, advanced level programs, that are centrally located in order to make sure all students, no matter where they live, can take advantage of those programs.”
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Clerk of Court
Allan Reynolds graduated from Fernandina Beach High School in 1995, went on to the University of North Florida and graduated with two finance degrees, one in banking and finance and another in financial services with a concentration in investments. He has worked in Nassau County for many years in a variety of positions focused in the financial services industry. He is currently the chief financial director of financial services for the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office.
“Politics is not a fun thing. I’m not a politician. This is very new to me but I hope everyone that is here that are friends before, we’ll always be friends after,” said Reynolds in his opening remarks.
Reynolds highlighted his substantial background within the Tax Collector’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and the Clerk of Courts, asserting that these experiences have equipped him to proficiently handle every facet of the Clerk of Courts position.
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Mitchell Keiter currently serves in the clerk’s office and has held the position for almost 19 years (hired in September 2005). During his tenure, he has held the positions of Chief Deputy of Information Technology and Chief Deputy of Compliance and Accountability.
“I currently serve as the Chief of Operations, where I help lead an amazing team and organization that is responsible for carrying out and providing critical services to Nassau County,” said Keiter in his opening remarks.
Keiter described and explained the many duties and responsibilities of the current position he is seeking.
“I was asked ‘Why are you running for Clerk of Court?’” said Keiter. “I believe this is a question every candidate should be asked. For me it was easy. I love what I do. I love who I work with each and every day. It is an amazing team. I love our mission. Our mission is simply this: We are public servants.”
Keiter described himself as being “the watchdog for the taxpayers.”
Property Appraiser
Kevin Lilly is the Chief Deputy at the Nassau County Property Appraiser's Office and has held the position for 12 years. Lilly is running unopposed for the position of Property Appraiser.
During his opening statement, Lilly detailed his experience in various roles within the state of Florida over the years, elaborating on his current duties, which involve collaborating with the eight taxing authorities in Nassau County.
Mike Hickox, current property appraiser, is planning to retire, and Lilly has stepped up to run for the office.
“I am hoping that I have your support and we have a smooth transition,” said Lilly. “Mike Hickox has been a great leader, great property appraiser and has kept the office running smoothly.”
Supervisor of Elections
Stan Bethea is from Callahan and has served as Director of Information Services for the Duval County Supervisor of Elections office. He holds a B.S. degree from University of North Florida in Computer and Information Systems. Bethea sought the position of Supervisor of Elections for Nassau County in 2020 but suffered a loss to incumbent Janet Adkins.
Bethea discussed transparency and openness of the current leadership in his opening remarks and stated he didn’t trust the election budget process.
“I heard there was $666,000 returned to the county. That’s kind of an odd number. With a number like that, I’m not sure I can trust the process.”
Bethea said Nassau County deserves better. He would like to include folks in the counting of the ballots, not the community advisory groups.”
“I’m ready to lead Nassau County into the future. The current administration shouldn’t even mention voter security and election integrity. That should be taken for granted. They should be the bedrocks, not the hallmarks, of an election office.”
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Janet H. Adkins won the race of Supervisor of Elections to replace retiring Vicki P. Cannon in 2020. Adkins previously served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives as the first elected woman from Nassau County in the Florida House of Representatives, where she served as chair of the K-12 Education Committee, Rules Committee, Redistricting Committee, Joint Administrative Procedures Committee, Appropriations, K-12 Appropriations, Select Committee on Government Reorganization, Finance and Tax Committee, Full Education Committee.
“I want to thank you for your trust and I am humbled by the great responsibility that is within this office,” said Adkins. “If you don’t trust your elections, what do you have in this country? I take this responsibility very seriously.”
Adkins commended not only her staff but also the more than 400 election workers she and her staff have trained in preparation for the 2024 election season. She said her team is focused and ready for the election.
“We spent all of last year preparing for 2024 (elections) and I want you to know that your team is ready in Nassau County,” said Adkins.
She emphasized election security as a central initiative undertaken by her team to ensure that only eligible voters can exercise their right to vote. Detailing a verification process for 13,000 candidate petitions, she stated that her office is currently auditing them to ensure accuracy.
“Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Supervisor of Elections. We are transparent and we are collaborative,” said Adkins. “We created the advisory council so we have the opportunity to create transparency and two-way communication.”
Tax Collector
John Drew is a lifelong resident of Nassau County, and he earned his MBA and Bachelor’s degrees from Jacksonville University.
Drew was first appointed to the position of Tax Collector by former Gov. Jeb Bush in May of 2006. By popular acclamation, Drew was unopposed in the 2008, 2012 and 2020 election cycles. He is unopposed in the current election.
“I can say that I truly am humbled to be your tax collector,” said Drew as he opened his remarks. “I have been your tax collector for the past 18 years and have audits with zero findings during that time. This means I knew where your money was and it showed up at the right places.”
Drew said he is the president of the Florida Tax Collector’s Association and beginning this year, the Legislative Chairman of the National Association of County Treasurers, Collectors and Finance Officers.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you for having the trust in me to do the job,” said Drew.
While the format of the forum did not allow for debate between candidates, the FWRN called the event “a testament to the candidates’ dedication to our community and should inspire us all.”
The primary election will take place on Aug. 20. The general election will be Nov. 5.
tdishman@fbnewsleader.com