Local News
For richer, and in 2013, for poorer
Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today
Published: January 8, 2013
SEBRING - Only one of Highlands County's legislators is a millionaire, a contrast from a few years ago when two were Ben Hill Griffin Jr.'s grandchildren.Published: January 8, 2013
According to the 2011 financial disclosure statements required of all candidates, Sen. Denise Grimsley's net worth is $585,023, Sen. Bill Galvano has $1.5 million, and Rep. Cary Pigman reports $529,566.
Last year, the Highlands County delegation had great pull in the Florida Legislature: Grimsley chaired the House budget committee, and her counterpart in the Senate was J.D. Alexander, who also chaired the budget committee.
This year, all three are freshmen.
Two years ago, Alexander's cousin, Baxter Troutman, represented Avon Park. Both are Griffin descendants, and both were owners of the 65,000-acre Blue Head Ranch, south of Lake Placid. Both reported net worths in the tens of millions. In 1990, when Griffin died, he was one of America's wealthiest men.
This year, according to a Florida Trend story, the Legislature welcomed 59 freshmen. Democrats picked up five seats in the House, but the GOP still has a 76-44 edge. The Dems also gained two Senate seats, but the GOP still has a 26-14 majority in the upper chamber. Four of the 15 freshman senators are women; eight of the 44 new reps are female.
The 15 freshmen senators had an average net worth of $3.7 million, but this year, six reported assets minus liabilities of less than $100,000. One, Darren Soto, a 34-year-old Democratic attorney who represents Orange, Osceola and Polk counties, is worth a negative $75,000.
The numbers were skewed by the two richest freshmen: real estate executive Jeff Brandes, a Republican who represents Hillsborough and Pinellas counties; and Wilton Simpson, a Republican egg farmer and president of Simpson Environmental Services, who represents Hernando, Pasco and Sumter counties.
Freshmen representatives were considerably less fortunate: eight showed negative net worths, and the richest is Travis Hutson, 28, who represents Flagler and parts of St. Johns and Volusia counties. His bottom line is $6.7 million.
gpinnell@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5828