Commissioner Bradford was a fine man
What the county recorded
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The source document
The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Apr 23, 2024
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The county’s minutes for Board of County Commissioners, Apr 23, 2024
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What was said
Machine transcription of 8m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 88% of 24 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Mr. Chairman Mariano.
Yeah.
Commissioner Bradford's family is still here and we did have some others here. I think it's appropriate for us to say something.
Okay.
I I just I just want to say that um It's just tragic that Commissioner Bradford um passed away before he really got to fulfill his dream. of of serving the people of Pasco County. And um I know that he was
So so happy to be sitting over here. And um ready and willing to work hard with us to make this community a better place and um I just I'm just gonna miss him very much and he was a fine man and He w he left us way too young, so
Okay.
Thank you, Chairman Mariano. Chair very same sentiments as Commissioner Starkey. It's We're on a campaign trail. you build a rapport with someone hitting going to a lot of the same events and Seeing folks everywhere you go and When you go through a a campaign before coming to elected office, you build some of a somewhat of a special bond taking taking the lumps, good and bad. uh along the way and To be Sworn in
in the same year as Vice Chair Bafford was was pretty special. Um you know, we get to see our families out there on the campaign trail and family interactions and Mrs. Bradford and the whole the the the Bradford team and You know it's a It's uh uh uh kind of like a brotherly bond, if you will. uh once you win and to be to be sworn in together and see how happy Vice Chair and his family were for earning the post and your
family are in that post. Um it's pretty special and something I'll I'll never forget and I hope you guys won't either and looking back through pictures Um Just just quite special. So y'all keep hanging tough. You've hung tough through this whole thing and anything that we can do as a board and colleagues, please don't hesitate. To holler at us. God bless you.
Mr. Mariano. Yeah, I'd like to say Gary was a great man. Um I remember sitting with Mr. and Mrs. Bradford a bit ago when he was thinking about contemplating his run this time and He just had that passion. He wanted to do it, wanted to serve, and uh he felt he do a good would do a good job. The joy that he had after winning um was was phenomenal. Just to see everybody just so happy and um so proud that he was gonna get to serve the citizens of Pasco and and the way he did it from the get-go. I mean he elevated all
our staff people um with his passion about how we wanted to have the right people working for him and how they need to be taken care of and Um that passion just didn't wane and he just wanted to make a difference and he did make a difference every step of the way and we're We're fortunate to have served with him, very fortunate to know him and we know he's in heaven, he's in a better place and um I I I wish the Bradford family all the best as as they carry on because they do have Uh a great family. Um you
know, one of the best things about Gary is well as all the things he did polit politically and and his and career, he was a great family man and and and led his wife li life in a great way. So we'll miss him.
Thank you. Mr. Carbala wants to say something. Wow.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just just to add on to that from an administrator's perspective and from the team, Gary was always just so vibrant and and upbeat and and genuinely curious, you know, especially as a as a new commissioner, about what what the team did and and why and that and that positive disposition. was just was just contagious. I just recall several times, even when he was undergoing treatments, he would pop into the office. He would make it a point to to make rounds and and still see folks. And and that gives you know I I think that still still holds true with us here. uh you
know today. Uh I'd also just, if I could, and Commissioner Mariano to kind of vault off of yours to really thank Todd and and Paula too for for really working a lot of the District 4 issues, you know, through this and supporting Gary through all that. So I think they deserve some special recognition as well. But uh thank you. Okay. Anyone else?
I wouldn't. Um so Clerk Nikki's not able to be here today, but she did ask me to pass this on to um a few notes to her family. Um so she said, you know, Commissioner Bradford cared about Pasco County citizens and um he focused on public safety and first responders and he knew that to have a Premier County uh you must first take care of the men and women who keep us safe. And um he c courageously fought his health battles
with his wife, Debbie, um, by his side the whole time. And um he will be missed and our thoughts and prayers really go out to your family. Um and I will add that he was such a kind man. He came and Um even after he was diagnosed, he came over to our office and really wanted to learn what the clerk's office did. And I know I I heard that here already today. Um and we he just will be missed. I want you to know that.
Thank you.
Echoing some of the other sentiments, um I can recall the first meeting that we had with Commissioner Bradford, Dave and I, even before he was sworn in. his attitude was he wanted to do a good job. He wanted to know what it ne what he needed to do to be effective and be legal. Um and we spent
uh you know, a a good bit of time discussing the you know, the the operations of the county and What's the right-of-way? uh his goals were for being a commissioner. Um and he'll be missed. Yeah.
I um I know I've had his his support from myself. Um I know twelve years. I ran the first time I ran I I lost, but I had his sport. And it meant the world to me. and I knew how he felt about serving as a commissioner and how he how much he really wanted to be a commissioner. Um it's just dear to my heart that his struggle he went through and Finally got to be a commissioner and then No
no one can judge or tell you know, what we're dealt, the cards we're dealt, we have to deal with And he did it very well. He he worked very hard with the struggles he had with taking his treatments and being at meetings and and it hadn't been that long ago. We were in Atlanta Lakes and Uh cut the ribbon on the the new fire station there that went in between a couple of other stations that did so much and He just did so much and w wanted to do so much. for the citizens
of Pasco County and public safety. Um And our firefighters heat He really wanted to serve and do all of these things and Again we're not going to be able to do that. We're not giving her tomorrow, so We've got to remember that every day we need to tell our loved ones that we love 'em. And continue to do that because there's no promise for tomorrow. Over that we'll Uh okay, thank you. Um At