At the end of last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis named two prominent Central East Florida political leaders to the Local Government Efficiency Task Force.
DeSantis tapped Lake County Property Appraiser Carey Baker to the task force. Now 57, Baker, whose father Leighton Baker served in the Florida House, is from Eustis and has held his current post since 2012. Baker’s family owns the A.W. Peterson Gun Shop. A veteran who served in Iraq, Baker was elected to the Florida House in 2000 and was elected to the Florida Senate in 2004. He served in the Senate until 2010.
Back in the 2010 election cycle, Baker ran for state agriculture commissioner but bowed out of the race before he could face Adam Putnam in the Republican primary. Baker was also a staffer for Senate President Mike Haridopolos following the 2010 elections.
DeSantis also named outgoing Volusia County Chairman Ed Kelley to the task force. A longtime executive with Hawaiian Tropic, Kelley served on the Ormond Beach City Commission and as mayor of that city. Kelley had been gearing up to run again but opted not to seek another term.
The task force was added by voters to the Florida Constitution in 2006 and is required to meet every four years for “the purpose of developing recommendations to improve governmental operations and reduce costs.”
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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