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Candidates file to oust Jim Smith
Pinellas County Property Appraiser Jim Smith hasn’t faced a challenger in 15 years, but now the days of easily cinching another term are over for the unrepentant incumbent. Republican Tom Minkoff and Democrat Ben Friedlander have filed paperwork allowing them to begin campaigning for the seat Smith has held since 1988.
Minkoff, attorney for the local GOP until recently, and Friedlander, a veteran Realtor, both are seeking office for the first time. Both say the recent debacle surrounding Smith’s sale of his private land to the county - a deal that sparked a grand jury probe - prompted them to run.
“I certainly see some problems with ethical issues,” said Friedlander, 56. “The property he sold was a multiple of what he was appraising it at.”
To read more, see tomorrow's Times.
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