Page 18 LEVY COUNTY JOURNAL a Vote Continued from front make their choices.” He added that he “made tremendous friends in this campaign,’ ” referring to other candidates running for local office. Other election results wait on results from other counties and general elections in November. Stan Griffis, Levy County resident, received 2,901 votes to Stephen Pennypacker’s 2,268 to carry the county in the circuit court judge race. Lorraine Sherman got 1,037 votes. Republican candidate Katherine Harris placed first in her bid for U.S. Senate with 1,019 votes against nearest competitor William McBride, with 463. LeRoy Collins Jr. received 211 votes and Peter Monroe, 112. Democrat John Russell carried Levy County in his primary for U.S. Representative by garnering 1,418 votes while opponent Rick Penberty received 945. David Werner earned 449 votes. Rod Smith carried ‘the county’s votes as Democratic candidate for governor with 2,693 votes. Jim Davis earned 1,172; Carol Castagnero 138; Glenn Burkett 116; and John Crotty 67. Republicans vying for governor included Charlie Crist, who received 970 votes; Tom Gallagher with 787; Vernon Palmer with 37 and Michael St. Jean with 24 votes. Democrat Walter Campbell carried the county’s vote for attorney general, earning 2,446 to Merrilee Ehrlich’s 1,117: Perry McGriff narrowly carried the Levy County vote for Democratic state senate, District 14, with 1,324 votes spamet Ed Jennings’ count of 1,202. ’ Steve Oelrich, fighting for the Republican slot of state senate, District 14, received 686 votes to Travis Horn’s 461. | ~ All election results are pending until final certification by Supervisor of Elections Connie Asbell. ' ‘ if j | j 7 3 | ie AROUND LEVY COUNTY @ Budget some of the request increase. Nate Ingram, representative from the Police Benevolent Society, endorsed Smith’s request telling the commissioners that Levy County is one of the lowest paying agencies in the area. “Bottom of the barrel pay is bottom of the barrel employ- ees,” Ingram said. The commissioners were concerned because Smith’s bud- get increase was so much. “Anytime a budget increases over 10 percent any given year,” Chairwoman Nancy Bell said, “it needs to be looked at.” ; The commissioners also noted that the board will help de- fray the tab for the communications network needed for the sheriff, and it will come from the general fund, rather than his budget. The commissioners asked the sheriff to considerably pare his budget. “We’re not crippling him by asking him to cut his budget $500,000,” Commissioner Lilly Rooks said. The commissioners did approve Supervisor of Elections Connie Asbell’s request for a vehicle for her office. Commis- sioner Sammy Yearty did not see a need for the vehicle and voted against the measure. The board will consider the sheriff’s request and others at the TRIM hearing next Monday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Continued from front THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 Church Continued from front sion does not enforce such restrictions or covenants. Those are placed on deeds by developers and any enforcement must be done in civil court by the property owners. David Fields, the pastor who is developing the property, told the commissioners the church is a mission of a church af- filiated with the South Baptist Convention in South Florida. “We’ve not been secretive about who we are,” he defend- ed. : : The possibility of having access to the property off High- way 121 instead of throughout the development was recom- mended. '“Are you willing to try to lessen the impact on the Prop erty?” Yearty asked Fields. After a long pause, the pastor said, “I guess the answer is yes ... although multiple access is ideal.” Chairwoman Nancy Bell encouraged Fields to work with his neighbors, telling him that “conflict is not spiritually blessed.” Bell said if he could work with his neighbors, they may rally behind him and therefore grow his church. As long as a church is a permitted use, the commissioners stressed there is nothing in their power that can be done. County Coordinator Fred Moody and Corbett were advised to work with Fields and the disgruntled neighbors to see if another solution is possible.