VOLUME 4 ISSUE 16
International Jazz, Art & Blues Festival APRIL 21 - APRIL 27, 2023
Special election update
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Roberts family to develop on Lake Weir
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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s the May 16 special general election to fill House Seat 24 inches closer, voters are left to decide between two candidates, both of whom are Republican. One is Ryan Chamberlin, a conservative political activist and multilevel sales marketing expert, and the other is write-in candidate Robert “Foxy” Fox, a bail bondsman. There are no Democrats in the race to fill the seat vacated in December when incumbent Joe Harding, an Ocala Republican, resigned after being indicted on multiple federal fraud charges. With less than a month to go before election day, here is an update on the race:
Fox is not backing down
As previously reported by the “Gazette,” Fox, said he was tricked into becoming a write-in candidate in the March 7 primary election by Chamberlin’s campaign manager Bret Doster, whom Fox said masqueraded as a representative of the state Republican Party. Since only Republicans filed to fill the seat vacated by Harding, all registered voters in House District 24, regardless of party, would have been eligible to vote. However, when Fox filed as a write-in candidate, it triggered a stipulation that closed the primary to other party voters when only one party offers candidates and a write-in candidate also files to run. Other party voters get their say in the general election. Upon learning that Doster represented Chamberlin’s campaign, Fox said he decided to run a campaign as a write-in candidate against Chamberlin seeking not only Republican voters but also the independent and Democrat voters who were blocked out of the primary. Fox told the “Gazette” he has put out at least 1,000 campaign signs around the district and said he’s working full time to reach out to voters. Fox’s signs give instructions for how to place a vote for him, which includes filling in the bubble for the write-in candidate and writing his name. A spokesperson for the Marion County Supervisor of Elections office told the “Gazette” their office would accept any of the following variations of Fox’s name written on the ballot: Robert Fox Rob Fox Robert Foxy Fox Foxy Fox Foxy Fox Of note, at least three of the four unsuccessful Republican candidates in the primary—Charlie Stone, Jose Juarez and Dr. Stephen Pyles—have placed signs on their home or business properties encouraging voters to choose Fox. All three have indicated to the “Gazette” that they feel Chamberlin’s team acted unethically during the primary campaign.
The private road in the middle of the grove has been proposed to be removed once Golden Ocala Equestrian Land completed the purchase at Carney Island Recreation and Conservation Area in Ocklawaha, as seen on Friday, March 24, 2023. [Alan Youngblood/Special to the Ocala Gazette]
By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
O
ne of the largest landowners in Marion County, the Roberts family, has acquired 85.79 acres on Lake Weir for just over $3.5 million.
Roberts’ behalf in September 2022 to discuss abandoning the roads. Minter said the Roberts’ group provided the county with a “very preliminary and highly conceptual,” rendering of what they proposed for the property, which included a package plant, See Lake Weir, page A2
CITY COUNCIL ELECTION COVERAGE Bringing business to West Ocala ‘is key’ to Reginald Landers
Ire Bethea stresses a cooperative approach to city government
The lifelong educator and civic leader is vying for the Ocala City Council District 2 seat.
The incumbent Ocala City Council member is running for re-election on Sept. 19.
By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com
By Julie Garisto julie@magnoliamediaco.com
R
eginald Landers doesn’t consider himself a politician. The 53-year-old Ocala native has been a physical education teacher and coach for nearly three decades, the past six years at College Park Elementary School. He also is active in his church and in the West Ocala community. Landers made his first bid for Ocala City Council District 2 in a special election in March 2020. He is on the ballot again for the same seat in a rematch with incumbent Ire Bethea. The non-partisan city election is scheduled for Sept. 19. (Voter registration deadline
Defamation lawsuit emerges from the primary
As the primary campaign got under way, Chamberlin proposed a “clean campaign pledge” to his opponents. The timing was suspect because just then political attack ads linked to Chamberlin’s campaign began arriving in local mailboxes. In particular, the inflammatory mailers crafted by political action committees See Special, page A3
Before buying the property, which is adjacent to the county’s Carney Island Recreation & Conservation Area, the Roberts family asked Marion County to terminate its interest in dirt roads that run through the site. The county’s attorney, Guy Minter, said an engineer reached out on the
Reginald Landers [Supplied]
is Aug. 21; mail-in ballot requests are due by Sept. 9, by 5 p.m.) A Forest High School graduate, Landers has bachelor’s degrees in psychology and political science from Florida A&M University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from National Louis University. He is engaged to Sandra Weaver, who spends downtime with him enjoying live music and relaxing to smooth jazz. Landers is also big into golf. When asked if teaches golf, he self-deprecatingly jokes that the school would be better off calling in a pro to teach his students to score a hole-in-one. Business development has been a central focus of Landers’ platform. He’s been active in civic organizations such as the West Ocala CRA, the Ocala/Marion Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership and the Greater Ocala Community Development Corporation to attract commerce to West Ocala. “We have to be mindful of our comprehensive plan so See Landers, page A4
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ollaboration and community are priorities for Councilmember Ire J. Bethea Sr., who was elected to represent District 2 on the Ocala City Council in 2020. His district encompasses the city’s northwest/west neighborhoods. “My major reason for running, period, is to bring people together,” he said. “I try to make our city a better place to live, work, and prosper. Now, I know that’s a slogan used by cities, but communication is key, and, you know, a lot of times it’s how you communicate,” A lifelong resident of Ocala, Bethea, 70, hasn’t been a dissenting voice or lone wolf on issues. He has often voted with the council on ordinances and other measures. He’s running for re-election in the nonpartisan election scheduled for Sept. 19. Bethea graduated from Ocala High School and has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Leo University. He retired after a
combined 30 years of service with the city of Ocala and the Boys & Girls Club of Marion County. Bethea has continued to stay active in West Ocala over the years. He is a graduate of Leadership Ocala/Marion Alumni, Class XVII, and he served on the Marion County Sheriff ’s Office Advisory Committee. “Let me say this,” Bethea explained in a fatherly tone. “During your first few years on the city council, you are learning the ropes, what needs to be done. You’re learning policy, ordinances and you learn who’s who in Ocala, and things of that nature.” Bethea says his proudest See Bethea, page A4
Ire Bethea [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette]
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