Race to the finish

Early voting is in full swing and so is the race for Orange County mayor.

Six candidates are vying for the seat, and the Aug. 24 primary will pull out the major contenders for a run-off election on Nov. 2. It's unlikely that a candidate will get more than 50 percent of the vote on Aug. 24 to clinch the seat.

Orange County has a strong mayor system where the mayor is elected by voters and is given total administrative authority. This is the reason many of the candidates want the job — so they can make real decisions for the county.

Orange County District 5 Commissioner Bill Segal, a Winter Park resident, is giving up the last two years of his eight-year term to run for mayor, saying the powerful position is worth the compromise.

But there were things the Orange County native sacrificed for his campaign that he does miss, Orange County District 3 Commissioner and Orange County mayoral candidate Linda Stewart such as staying current with the news and following an exercise regimen. Seven years ago, before he became a commissioner, he owned a chain of restaurants and developed real estate.

"I gave it up for public service," he said, adding that he plans to hit the gym as soon as the campaign trail ends.

Orange County District 3 Commissioner Linda Stewart, also vying for the mayor seat this year, said she found a way to incorporate family into campaigning. Often, the hours she spends knocking on doors she keeps her small grandchildren in tow. Her 7-year-old granddaughter loves accompanying "nana" on the weekends but her 5-year-old grandson is not as thrilled so Stewart often pulls him in a wagon behind her.

"I feel energized by going out and meeting with the public — people know who I am, they trust me, they are somewhat familiar with the issues I've taken on like environmental protection and public safety," said the Boone High graduate.

Tim Adams, who was in the U.S. Air Force, is a University of Central Florida graduate and former social worker, said he may not have the name recognition some of his competitors have but he was elected to the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District board in a 2004 countywide election with 131,000 votes.

"I have been in Orange County longer than most of the other candidates and have worked for several different departments in the county," said the Orange County native. "There's a misconception in our community that if you're good on the commission that you would be a good mayor."

Fellow candidate and former Orange County Commissioner Teresa Jacobs said she never thought she'd serve in government but was pulled into it when the county wanted to build a road through her west Orlando neighborhood in 1995.

"As a resident I felt the county was not listening," said the Florida State grad with a background in finance. "I like public service, and I find that the issues we deal with are so important to developing a community."

Matthew Falconer, a west Orlando resident and a small business owner for 25 years, said his campaign has been all about government spending. He appeared in the news recently when he filed a lawsuit against the county for the SunRail deal.

"I am running a grassroots campaign for taxpayers that are tired of government overspending," said the Jersey native from Windermere."

The issues

Jacobs said she wants to be mayor because this is such a fiscally critical time for the county.

"For years property taxes and property values kept going up and it was easier for Orange County to just keep expanding without being as fiscally accountable as we should be. Orange County should run more like a business," she said.

Falconer agreed that spending is one of the county's biggest issues.

"I'm a small business owner, I know how the economy works, I know what went wrong and how to fix it," he said. "I have a five-point plan to fix the local economy."

Adams said one of his main issues will be to ensure that senior citizens will be better taken care of.

"I am an elderly senior citizen and Orlando is a place where seniors love to live but they are not always given services they deserve for all the taxes they've paid," he said.

Jobs will be Segal's focus as mayor, he said, adding that the county's no vote for Innovation Way East, a proposed development that would have added 6,000 homes to East Orlando with a developer promise of 10,000 jobs, was a big mistake.

"My focus will be to bring new enterprise to this community and keep the jobs we have here. I think IWE was vitally important and the years will prove that."

Stewart voted against IWE because she felt the homes would be built on environmentally sensitive land. She said the environment will continue to be an important driver of her decisions as mayor.

"That vote was the reason I was elected [as commissioner] the first time — they expected me to hold their banner up, to keeping a sensible balance of environmental protection and growth. I lived up to those promises," she said, adding that parks, safety and bringing new industry would be the focus of her administration.