County Commission District 1 – Aug. 20 Primary
This is a Universal Primary Contest, so the candidates will appear on all Primary ballots. The winner of this election will be determined on Aug. 20. Candidates must reside in the area of the county they are running to represent. All voters in the county vote for candidates from a single district.
Each candidate was given the opportunity to provide a 150-word bio and respond to our questions within 700 words.
ELIZABETH NARVERUD (REP)
BIO:
Elizabeth Kirshy-Narverud started visiting Hernando County in 1970 when her Great Uncle, Fred Kirshy, opened Luigi’s Pizza in Brooksville. Beth has owned and operated a small business in Hernando County since 1987, when she and her dad opened Kirshy’s New York Deli in Spring Hill. In 1990, Beth met Marty Narverud. They married in 1994 and are the proud parents of three grown children. For more than 30 years, Beth & Marty owned and operated a multi-store Domino’s Pizza Franchise serving the greater Hernando County area. Beth was elected and served on the Hernando County School Board from 2014-2018. In 2020, she was elected to the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners and is currently serving as Chairwoman. Beth also serves on three County, five Regional, two State, and one Federal Committee representing Hernando County. Today, Commissioner Narverud remains active in our community as a Realtor® and Business Owner.
What inspired you to run for county commissioner? Or why are you seeking re-election?
I have been a resident and business owner in this wonderful county for over 35 years. I served on our School board from 2014-2018. It’s a privilege to serve you as a County Commissioner since 2020. I’m here today because I still believe in the potential of our community. Moving forward, I have the experience and dedication to help us thrive.
Please describe up to three county projects that are most important to the county and why.
1. Infrastructure Development: Our county is growing, and with that growth comes the need for effective infrastructure planning. We must ensure our roads, schools, and public services keep pace with our expanding population. By planning strategically, we can build a foundation that supports our growth sustainably.
2. Economic Development Initiatives: By diversifying our economic base, we can create better job opportunities and increase median income levels. This means attracting new industries, supporting small businesses, and investing in workforce development. A thriving economy benefits everyone.
3. Community Services: I’m committed to improving community services, from parks and recreation to healthcare and public safety. Our residents deserve a community that supports their well-being and fosters a sense of pride and connection.
Do you see any areas where the county needs to increase funding? How could this be paid for?
Yes, I see a need for increased funding in education, public safety, and roads. This can be paid for through a combination of reallocating existing resources, applying for state and federal grants, raising impact fees, and exploring new revenue sources such as the one-cent sales tax.
Do you see any areas where funding/the budget can be cut?
Yes, we can look into streamlining administrative costs by improving efficiency, utilizing artificial intelligence, and reducing overhead. Create public/private partnerships to assist with and or replace labor intensive county services. Additionally, we should evaluate non-essential programs to identify and cut those that have low impact or duplicate services, ensuring that funds are directed to more critical areas.
In hindsight, is there anything you would change about how the county handled the recent ransomware attack? What measures would you like to see enacted to help prevent future attacks?
In hindsight, we could have improved our response by enhancing our cybersecurity measures and having more robust backup systems in place. For the future, I would like to see stronger IT infrastructure, updated security protocols, regular cybersecurity training for staff, and partnerships with cybersecurity experts to prevent such attacks.
Describe your position on the county’s efforts to increase revenues through the one-cent sales tax. Do you feel future boards will respect the promise to rely less on property taxes if the one-cent sales tax is passed?
I support the one-cent sales tax as a means to diversify our revenue sources and reduce reliance on property taxes. It is crucial for funding important county projects. Yes, I believe that with proper accountability, transparent budgeting, and community involvement, future boards will respect the promise to rely less on property taxes if the one-cent sales tax is passed.
RYAN AMSLER (REP)
BIO:
From graduating Springstead High School as a Bright Future Scholar and spending 16 years in restaurants operating multi-million-dollar budgets, I got to understand people and what’s important to them at their work and at their dinner table. I have spent the last 7 years in the finance field. This year I opened my own finance brand with Amsler Funding, which has already become an award-winning brand, being awarded Best Mortgage Company 2024. I currently sit on the Simpson Tech College Cybersecurity Advisory Board and have previously served as an officer of the court as a Guardian Ad Litem, which is an independent voice for children. Through these experiences, I have learned I must always remain humble and I must always stand up for others, for me to feel fulfilled. I am grateful to have the amazing family, friends, and Lord above me. It’s my commitment to pay that forward.
What inspired you to run for county commissioner? Or why are you seeking re-election?
The course of a human life and also an entire county, often only requires someone strong enough to genuinely care for their fellow neighbor.
Please describe up to three county projects that are most important to the county and why.
(Example: Additional recreation, Airport development, etc… )
The County has the money, if spent wisely, (1) to help our struggling seniors and working class cut expenses, advocate on insurance and lower taxes while also (2) promoting economic development done smartly with demanding more from developers to (3) pave our roads, improve our infrastructure, parks, conserve our natural environment and utilize local labor and resources.
Do you see any areas where the county needs to increase funding? How could this be paid for?
We have almost a BILLION dollar budget proposed currently ($889,053,402.37) with approximately 218,679 residents. We already have the money to make this county beautiful if we actually manage it appropriately. Instead we give the Sheriff 65% of the budget (~$570M) and ask the residents for more. The Sheriff claims crime is down… yet asks for another 12% increase in his budget this year. I believe “Fuzzy Math” would actually be the appropriate term. We have the funds and we need to utilize them appropriately to support our residents.
(Correction: The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office portion of the county’s general fund in 2024 is only 35 percent, down from 45 percent in 2014. – This information was provided by the HCSO’s Chief Administrative Officer Terri Staff.)
Do you see any areas where funding/the budget can be cut?
The elephant in the room is the HCSO’s budget. I love our LEO’s and their leadership needs to answer the hard questions about the budget. I’m not opposed to the sheriff asking the people directly if he wants more money, via a Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU) where he can make his argument directly with the citizens and not the county.
In hindsight, is there anything you would change about how the county handled the recent ransomware attack? What measures would you like to see enacted to help prevent future attacks?
The county should have made an immediate announcement appropriately warning residents of the potential threat to their information. They should still update the public appropriately, as even several news outlets have reported. It’s a total and complete embarrassment to our county and disrespectful to the residents. I would hire a vetted in-house cybersecurity team, which is different from an IT department and conduct routine Red Team/Blue Team Exercises with internal and external audits.
Describe your position on the county’s efforts to increase revenues through the one-cent sales tax. Do you feel future boards will respect the promise to rely less on property taxes if the one-cent sales tax is passed?
Once the government has your dollar… you are never getting it back. The community is not naive and should be treated with the respect they deserve.
