Nye, Bolin draw cash, comments in Brevard County commission race

Next week's Republican primary pits the Brevard County Commission chairwoman against the Space Coast top "tea party" organizer in the race for the District 4 seat.The contest has local talk radio buzzing; both candidates and supporters trading barbs and pointed questions in public; and donors opening their checkbooks to the tune of more than $80,000, with most of the money going to incumbent Commissioner Mary Bolin.

Bolin, 60, is running for a second consecutive term. The Satellite Beach resident served as outreach coordinator for county emergency management services before winning election in 2006. She said she reduced the county budget by $80 million, championed a "buy-local" resolution and supported a moratorium on Transportation impact fees. But some opponents criticize her tie-breaking vote this month to increase the tentative aggregate tax rate.

Matt Nye, 38, works as regional director for Verteks Consulting, a computer technology firm. Since spring 2009, he has organized Tea Party political rallies attended by thousands of people in Melbourne and Viera. Nye pledges to limit taxes and spending, reduce county employee payroll costs, and host town halls with small business owners to remove regulatory red tape. But some opponents criticize his personal fiscal history, which includes bankruptcy, foreclosures and IRS tax liens. 

District 4 encompasses north Melbourne, Rockledge, Viera, Suntree, Palm Shores, Satellite Beach and South Patrick Shores. In sum, 39,865 registered Republican voters live in District 4, supervisor of elections records show. Bolin said her top priority is creating jobs, particularly in light of the pending space shuttle retirement. A major accomplishment: last week's announcement of the potential Sematech solar energy center in Palm Bay. 

"Everything hinges on getting people to work. If people get jobs, their lives get stable again, which makes the entire economic cycle more fluid," she said.Nye said his top priority is "to put an end to the waste and the absolute wasteful spending" in Viera.