Campaign issue left unanswered

Does this pass the smell test?

About a month ago, Carlton Fletcher wrote an article about elected officials possibly using their office to profit off the tax payers. One of the questions was how to identify when that line had been crossed. A local state representative stated in that article that a good way to identify if that line had been crossed was “the smell test.”

Well, that brings me to the Lee County sheriff’s race. One of the accusations made by Mr. Cheshire is that Sheriff Rachals awarded a $20,000-plus fence project at the Lee County Jail to his wife’s mother and father’s fence business not long after he was elected. Now, I know politics is politics, but usually when an accusation like that is made, the accused usually gives a direct answer to why he has done what he did.

I still have not heard an answer to this accusation and Sheriff Rachals could remove all doubt by answering the accusation. Maybe Sheriff Rachals has an answer and maybe it’s a legitimate one. I was hoping Sheriff Rachals would at least publish all the fence companies that “did” bid on the project and put the issue to bed. He doesn’t have to publish their bids just their names.

Mr. Cheshire stated the only fence company in Lee County was not even given a chance to bid. I don’t know if they did or didn’t but the whole idea of his family getting the fence project doesn’t pass “the smell test.” Sheriff Rachals, would you please clear the air and remove the odor?

JACK DAVIS

Leesburg