Kevin Shea

Kevin Shea of Lehigh Acres has thrown his hat into the ring to fill the seat of outgoing Lehigh Acres Fire District Commissioner Joel Guzman who resigned Dec. 1 in a letter to the president of the board, Jeff Berndt.

The matter about Guzman’s resignation will be taken up at the next regular board meeting on Feb. 18 at 4 p.m. at Veterans Park Community Center.

The four remaining members of the board – David Adams, Jeff Berndt, Julie Barrett and Ralph Hemingway will have the opportunity to name a replacement for Guzman’s seat or to put it off and let candidates run for the seat in the general election this year. Without a fifth person on the board, some votes could be split by a 4 to 4 tally, slowing down the action of the fire board.

Shea, no stranger to the fire board, said today he has decided to seek Guzman’s seat. He said if the remaining board members voted him in, he would run in this year’s election. However, Guzman’s seat would not have come up for reelection until 2012.

“If the board selects someone, that person can serve up until the election and must either run for it or step down,” Shea said. “If selected by the board, I will run in the general election in the fall,” he said.

Guzman stepped down on Dec. 1, tending his resignation to Chairman of the Board Jeff Berndt, who said he didn’t know the reason Guzman has resigned. Several calls to Guzman’s home were not returned this week.

Shea is no stranger to the board because he attends most of the fire board meetings and speaks during public comment periods on finances. He had foretold of the problems the department would face by predicting less income from ad valorem taxes a few years ago. Just recently, he told the board that the property values ad valorem tax would take another dip, predicting 15 to 27 percent in future reductions in the ad valorem tax base value this fall.

There is no salary for the position on the fire board because the commissioners last year voted to take no pay due to the economic problems the District was facing. Prior to that decision, board members received $500 a month for serving.

In August, Chief Don Adams laid off around 37 firefighters due the lack of tax revenue coming to the department from Lehigh taxpayers.

Shea has told the fire board that the department is “technically bankrupt” and that the governor’s office may have to take it over.

Shea, is 65 and lives at 407 Bear St. in Lehigh. He said his family has been living in Lehigh for the past 40 years. He was in the U.S. Navy and spent time in Lehigh with his parents.

Shea retired from the Veterans Administration in 1997. He worked in the field of administration and was also a specialist in the federal Social Security program for disabilities, where he was a federal administrative hearing officer.

“I have a strong background in analysis and I’m very familiar with the property tax structure and government budgets of Lee County,” Shea said.

“I belive fire protection is an essential community service. The fire board has been spending more money than the maximum tax rate produces.

“If this continues the District will become technically bankrupt,” Shea said.

He said he has followed the working of the fire board for some time now and had been a critic in spending matters.

“If the overspending continues, the governor may have to put the District into receivership because it may not be able to continue business,” Shea said.

Shea said he will attend an upcoming workshop where experts have been invited to speak about special assessment to raise money for the ailing fire district.

They are planned for Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. at Veterans Park. The public may sit in on the workshop but no public input is allowed at a workshop.

Shea is currently an elected supervisor of the Lee County Soil and Water Conservation District which meets every other month. He is also chairman of the Lower Taxes 4 Now, a PAC.

The group has a website and can be googled. However, Shea said the group focuses on government efficiency and cost effectiveness.

Julie Barrett, another commissioner says she will not run for reelection this fall.

On the ballot will be three seats up for election. Commissioner Ralph Hemingway has not said whether he will seek reelection or not.