The son of a former commissioner has been tapped to represent The Villages on the Marion County Commission.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed Matthew McClain to serve in District 3 on the Marion County Commission. He is the son of state Rep. Stan McClain, who previously served as a Marion County commissioner from 2004 to 2016.
After he won election to the statehouse, Stan McClain was succeeded on the Marion County Commission by Jeff Gold, who abruptly announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down. Gold has since joined The Villages Public Safety Department as a division chief of administration.
Matt McClain has been serving as chief legislative aide for state Sen. Dennis Baxley. Matt McClain earned his associate degree and bachelor’s degree in business from the College of Central Florida.
After Gold announced his intention to step down from the Marion County Commission, Villager Don Deakin, who serves on the Community Development District 4 Board of Supervisors and on the Amenity Authority Committee, explored the idea of applying for the appointment to the county commission. He contacted The Villages Vice President of Community Relations Gary Lester to inquire about securing the backing of the Developer, who would have obvious influence with the governor, regarding the appointment. Lester told Deakin the Developer would not endorse him for the position.
“I thanked him for his honesty,” Deakin said.
There are about 10,000 Villagers living in the Marion County section of The Villages, which includes Briar Meadow, Calumet Grove, Chatham, Springdale, Piedmont and Woodbury.
