CRAWFORDVILLE, Fla. (WTXL) — Two candidates are running for Wakulla County Property Appraiser right now. Ed Brimner is the incumbent. Donnie Sparkman is his opponent.
I’m Kenzie Krueger in Crawfordville. I'm asking them both why they believe they should be elected. Watch my report by clicking play in the video above.
Brimner has been the Property Appraiser since 2021. Tuesday, I asked him why he's running for another term. "Well, I'm running again because I enjoy serving," Brimner said. "The office, bluntly was poorly ran prior to getting here and there's still some things that need to be completed."
WATCH BRIMNER'S EXTENDED INTERVIEW IN THE VIDEO BELOW:
His opponent, Donnie Sparkman, is no stranger to the office. Sparkman served as property appraiser for 10 years until 2017. When I asked why he's running, Sparkman told me, "There was over 80 years of experience runoff in that office that had all the knowledge in the world to produce good tax rolls and help the citizens now you don't have any of that here I feel the people of Wakulla County deserve better."
WATCH SPARKMAN'S EXTENDED INTERVIEW IN THE VIDEO BELOW:
It's an office that made headlines in the fall of 2023. Brimner apologized to the community following an error on the 2023 tax roll that resulted in a $2.4 million shortfall in the Wakulla County budget. I asked Brimner how he can ensure, if he's re-elected, that this won't happen again.
"We have implemented checks and double checks and changes. Any mapping changes that happen we actually have a series of three people who look at that the map and makes the change makes the change and then it comes to our chief appraiser, he looks at it and says yeah it's good and then I actually look at every single change on the map prior to it going into the system so there's multiple changes," Brimner said.
While Brimner tells me he plans to move the county forward from that experience, Sparkman tells me he would work to make other changes moving forward.
"The number one thing will be get the row back like it should be. Mapping has been outsourced that's a valuable resource for for citizens coming in and it helped the office. I back in the office and I need qualified people to produce a mass appraisal row not a selective appraisal row," Sparkman added.
Florida's primary election is August 20th. Be sure to find out your precinct before going to the polls.
