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Newcomer challenges longtime incumbent in Lealman fire race

 
Jorge Mercado
Jorge Mercado
Published Oct. 22, 2014

LEALMAN — A political newcomer wants to bring a fresh, reasoned viewpoint to the Lealman fire board.

Jorge Mercado, 38, is facing longtime incumbent Rebecca Harriman, 57, in the Nov. 4 non-partisan race for Seat 4. Harriman is running on her experience.

"The commission has done an okay job," Mercado said. But some decisions, he said, seem based more on emotion rather than what's best for taxpayers.

One example was a 2010 commission vote to cancel a contract with Kenneth City. The commission canceled it after Kenneth City annexed several properties out of the district. The projected tax loss to Lealman at the time was about $7,200 a year. The income from the Kenneth City contract was a bit more than $200,000 a year. Pinellas Park has since picked up the contract.

That vote, Mercado said, made "no sense whatsoever."

Mercado said he's also concerned about recurring issues of funding for emergency medical services. The county, which provides the funding through a countywide property tax, fails to take into account the different needs of the city-backed departments, like St. Petersburg, and the independent fire districts, like Lealman.

"It's time to get a new thought process on how things should be done," Mercado said.

Mercado said he favors fire transport of patients to hospitals and opposes consolidation.

Mercado is a native of Weehawken, N.J., who moved to Florida about 30 years ago. He has lived in the Lealman area for about 24 years. He's a master scheduler for DRS Technologies, a defense contractor in Largo. He is married and has one child.

Harriman has served on the board since being appointed in 2001. Harriman said the tax rate is lower now than when she first came on the board and she wants to see it go even lower.

"There's still a lot to do," Harriman said.

She sees two major issues that face the district — annexation and the reduction in property values caused by the recession. Harriman was on the commission that successfully convinced legislators to place limitations on annexations out of the Lealman area to lessen the impact on the budget. And, she said, property values are rebounding.

Like Mercado, she favors fire transport.

"I believe in a true, countywide fire service and fire transport," Harriman said

Harriman is a native of Pinellas County. She serves on the Lealman Community Response Team and is a former member of the Lealman Community Association board and the Lealman Revitalization team. She received a leadership award from the Pinellas County sheriff and an Outstanding Citizen Award from the LCA. She is married, has two daughters and three grandchildren.

Commissioners serve four-year terms and are paid $500 a month.