A Villager has rejected the idea of seeking a county post after he learned he would not receive the backing of the Developer.
Supervisor Don Deakin made the revelation on Friday during the Community Development District 4 board meeting at Savannah Center.
Deakin, a resident of the Village of Chatham who also serves on the Amenity Authority Committee, said he was interested in exploring an appointment to the Marion County Commission, in the wake of District 3 Commissioner Jeff Gold’s abrupt resignation.
Gov. Ron DeSantis will appoint Gold’s successor.
“Given the reality of what I have observed in neighboring counties, I knew I would not get the appointment without the backing of the Developer,” Deakin said.
He added that when applying for another office, in order to qualify, the applicant would have to resign from current elected seats. For Deakin, that would mean resigning from the CDD 4 Board of supervisors as well as the AAC.
The quandary prompted Deakin to place a call to Gary Lester, The Villages vice president of community relations, to inquire about the possibility of securing the Developer’s backing for the appointment. However, Lester told Deakin the Developer “would not be interested” in forwarding Deakin’s name to the governor’s office.
“I thanked him for his honesty,” Deakin said.