Among Florida House Members Reporting, 1 in 4 Is a Millionaire

Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 2:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 at 3:48 a.m.

Of newly filed financial disclosure forms that have been made public, the average Republican House member is worth $1.19 million, while Democratic House members average $835,666.

Combined, the average net worth of a state House member is $1.06 million, but the figures will change, as a number of annual disclosure forms have yet to be released by the state Commission on Ethics.

The forms released show that nearly one-fourth of the 120 House members ? 19 Republicans and 10 Democrats ? reported net worths above $1 million. Seven more ? all Republicans ? whose financial disclosure forms have yet to be submitted or posted were in the millionaire class a year ago.

The Polk County delegation has at least one millionaire, Rep John Wood, R-Winter Haven.

Wood listed his net worth as $4,714,201. Among the larger portions of his net worth are $864,500 in a UBS Security Account and $682,126 in John Wood Realty.

Other disclosure forms from Polk delegation members include Rep. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, at $811,589; Rep. Seth McKeel, R-Lakeland, with a net worth of $729,118; and Rep. Mike LaRosa, R-St. Cloud, at $413,470.

Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, failed to turn in his financial disclosure form on time.

Combee said Monday evening he would turn in the form before the end of a grace period for submitting the documents.

"I tend to procrastinate," he joked.

Overall, despite 28 state House members reportedly losing money over the past year and 11 showing a negative net worth, the average net worth of Florida representatives is up nearly $140,000 in the past year.

For members of the GOP, the average is up $193,141, while Democrats on average saw their net worths grow by $49,905.

On the other side of the Capitol, the average net worth of senators whose paperwork had been posted as of Monday is $3.9 million, with the average increase at $315,040.

Among House members, Rep. Patrick Rooney, a West Palm Beach Republican who runs family businesses in Palm Beach County, including the Palm Beach Kennel Club, is currently atop the fiscal class at $7.9 million.

But that is expected to change once Rep. Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, submits his paperwork. The chief executive officer of Oliva Cigar Co., Oliva reported his net worth at $9.7 million a year ago.

Oliva is in line to be House speaker in 2018.

House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, reported his net worth at $288,075, up $20,132.

Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, who is next in line to be speaker, posted that his net worth dropped $47,652 to $375,127. Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Land O' Lakes, expected to become speaker in 2016, is now worth $392,016, up from $341,625 in the past year.

Oliva is one of 26 representatives whose forms had yet to be posted by the commission as of Monday after?noon.

Most have been filed but await redaction of information such as Social Security numbers.

Representatives were required to submit their disclosure forms by July 1. However, fines don't begin for late filing until Sept. 1.

As of Monday afternoon, the commission reported it had yet to receive paperwork from Combee and Oliva and Reps. Michael Bileca, R-Miami, Matt Caldwell, R-Lehigh Acres, Reggie Fullwood, D-Jacksonville, Eduardo Gonzalez, R-Hialeah, Jared Moskowitz, D-Coral Springs, Betty Reed, D-Tampa, and Robert Schenck, R-Spring Hill.

Rep. Cary Pigman, R-Avon Park, a U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel, has been given until Oct. 18 to file, as he was deployed after session to Kuwait to serve as an emergency medicine physician.

Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton, is the wealthiest member of the minority party at $6.99 million, up from $6.75 million a year earlier. Slosberg is president of Slosberg Report from Israel, a newsmagazine show on the Internet and on public television stations.

At the other end of the fiscal spectrum is attorney David Hood, R-Daytona Beach Shores, who reported owing $170,000. Hood, who owns a $900,000 home in Daytona Beach and a $660,000 home in Daytona Beach Shores, has four separate loans out worth a combined $1.428 million.

Source: http://www.theledger.com/article/20130715/news/130719499

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