Incumbent Russell Burland and challenger Lou Tinel are candidates for the Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD) Board this year. All residents of the District may vote in the nonpartisan race.
This year, two of the five seats are up for election. For Seat 4, Reg Buxton was unopposed and will be automatically elected to serve a four-year term. For Seat 5, incumbent Russell Burland is challenged by Lou Tinel.
In this post, I review what voters should know about the District and what I learned about each candidate.
The Collier Mosquito Control District
The Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD) serves 401 square miles in Collier County from its primary location at the Naples Municipal Airport and substation at the Immokalee Airport.
To confirm your property is within District borders, refer to your annual property tax bill. Only those who live in the District are assessed a CMCD tax.
The CMCD’s mission is “to provide valuable service to the community through suppression of both disease-carrying and nuisance mosquito populations by and through the safest and most economical means available. The District utilizes a variety of methods (Integrated Mosquito Management) in a manner consistent with the highest level of safety and minimal adverse impact on humans, wildlife, the environment, and non-target organisms.”
To learn how the District controls mosquitos, see Surveillance & Treatment on the District’s website.
The CMCD is governed by Florida law and is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It must also comply with federal regulations established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The District’s total budgeted fiscal 2023-24 funding was $45.0 million. About $18.9 million was provided by ad valorem tax of 0.1443 mils or $14.43 per $100,000 of taxable property value of residents living in the District. Contractual treatment revenue, grants, insurance proceeds, and cash carry-over provided the remaining funding. The District’s budgets, financial reports, and strategic plan can be seen here.
Governance
The District is governed by a five-member, at-large Board of Commissioners who are elected in nonpartisan elections to four-year staggered terms and receive a salary of $400/month.
The Board’s role is to represent the interests of the community and provide appropriate oversight by reviewing the District’s mission periodically, ensuring that the Executive Director and staff are fulfilling that mission, setting the millage rate, approving the budget, and overseeing the expenditure of taxpayer money.
A science or aviation background or expertise is not necessary.
Russell Burland
Russell Burland, 64, has been a Collier County resident for 52 years and attended the University of South Florida. Professionally, he was most recently Business Development/Sales Manager for Hilton Naples, Senior Vice President of the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Director and Franchise Manager for Unishippers Freight Logistics, and Regional Director of TicketSearch NA.
Burland was unopposed in a run for the position in 2020. He lists a number of accomplishments of his first term on his website, including:
- district boundary expansion referendum recently approved by Collier citizens and signed by Governor DeSantis,
- operational budget oversight with rolled back millage rate for the last three years,
- supportive of science-based lab research for safe and effective treatment applications.
Questionnaire Responses
Read Burland’s responses to my Sparker’s Soapbox Candidate Questionnaire. Excerpts edited for brevity and clarity are:
Why are you running for this position?
To continue to work towards the correct balance of current citizens’ health needs while planning for future residents’ well-being. The Collier Mosquito Control District is looked upon by mosquito control agencies statewide as a leader in the field of mosquito control. I want to maintain this status. My three pillars of interest in this position are Public Health, Citizen’s Comfort, and Community Service.
What are three things you want to accomplish if you are elected?
- Continue to lower the millage rate.
- Harden and upgrade the facility at Naples Airport while adding aero fleet storm ready aero fleet storage at Immokalee Airport.
- Increase technological initiatives in treatment applications, science-based lab research, and safe organic chemical development.
- Overseeing the new treatment areas voted for by referendum with 71% of the citizens living in the expanded boundary.
Name one past policy decision of the board you are running for that you disagree with and that you would like to change if elected. Why?
The immediate past and current boards are functional bodies that work for the safety and comfort of the citizens within the CMCD. Residents can be assured all policies governed by the local board are fully vetted from science, technology, and business points of view. Any disagreements are typically about the approach of any one issue, not the end goal.
What is the most important thing voters should know about the issues at stake in this election before making their decision about who to vote for?
The Mosquito Control Board of Commissioners is a deliberative and functional body that has the responsibility on behalf of district residents to review existing policy, create policy to address new needs, review current budgetary items, and most importantly, monitor the treatments to protect citizens’ health from mosquito-borne illnesses.
Websites, Social Media, Other Resources
In The News
- Opinion: Expanding Collier Mosquito Control District boundaries will benefit public health, comfort, by Russell Burland, The News-Press, 12/17/23
- Burland Appointed to FGCU Vester Marien Field Station Community Advisory Board, Florida Weekly, 9/7/23
Endorsements
Burland has been endorsed by State Rep. Bob Rommel, Collier County Commissioners Chris Hall, Daniel Kowal, and Rick LoCastro and former commissioner Donna Fiala, Collier School Board member Erick Carter, Naples City Councilor Terry Hutchison, Everglades City Councilor Michael McComas, and more.
An Endorsements page on his website also includes a growing list of dozens of community supporters.
Lou Tinel
Lou Tinel, 77, has been a Collier County resident for ten years. After graduating from college, he worked at the United Nations (1974-1979) and then as a builder (1980-2020). No candidate photo could be found online.
Questionnaire Responses
Read Tinel’s responses to my Sparker’s Soapbox Candidate Questionnaire. Excerpts edited for brevity and clarity are:
Why are you running for this position?
To push for holistic solutions to mosquito control instead of using toxic chemicals.
What are the three things you want to accomplish if you are elected?
- Protect the health of the citizens.
- Protect the environment.
- Stop wasting tax dollars unnecessarily.
Name one past policy decision of the board you are running for that you disagree with and you would like to change if elected.
I am against building a new facility in Immokalee that will cost millions of dollars of tax money.
What is the most important thing voters should know about the issues at stake in this election before making their decision about who to vote for?
The harm of toxins used for mosquito control to our health.
Websites, Social Media, Other Resources
- Citizens Against Aerial Spraying – Website
- Citizens Against Aerial Spraying – Facebook
In the News
None found
Endorsements
None found
Campaign Finance
Here is a summary of the candidates’ campaign treasurer reports filed through Oct. 5, 2024:
Of note:
- Burland’s monetary contributions include $500 from the Marine Industries Association of Collier County and web design valued at $1,000 from Social-Impact LLC. All other contributions were from individuals.
- Tinel’s single expenditure was a payment to Office Depot for printing flyers.
Next Steps
If you are a voter with residence in the CMCD, it’s time to review the available information and make your decision on which candidate to vote for. I hope this research has been helpful. Thanks for wanting to be a more informed voter!