City Council Candidate Helped Develop Community College System

A retired professional consultant is seeking a seat on the New Port Richey city council.

Eric Rhodes, 85, filed earlier this month his paperwork to qualify as a candidate for the elected position.

Rhodes, born in Luray, Virginia and raised in Washington, D.C., was a professional consultant for decades, and he has assisted colleges, school systems, cities and states. In his retirement, he spends time writing fiction stories.

Rhodes said he believes in contributing to “good“ if he can. He has experience looking at how governments are run and how they can do better.

He thinks his experience can prove helpful on the council.

“I don’t want to just waste it when I could contribute something valuable to the city,” he said

In 1966, Rhodes prepared the original state master plan for development of the Virginia Community College System, according to a review of the system. He was a consultant at the time.

The plan laid the groundwork for development of 22 colleges and 34 campuses; some of them new, some already in existence. The plan was crafted the same year the Virginia Community College System was established.

Rhodes, who holds four degrees from George Washington University, was vice chancellor of the Virginia Community College System from 1968-1970, he said.

Rhodes ran a consulting business called Educational Service Bureau and then founded Employee Futures Research in 1980.

He also served as director of employee relations for the city of Orlando at some point.  

Rhodes moved to New Port Richey in 1979 but work kept him from living here full-time until last decade, when he retired, he said.  He writes fiction mystery stories and self-publishes them as Eric Foster Rhodes under the publishing name Cotee River Books.  He also continues to write nonfiction. He lives with his wife, Barbara.

For the past six years, he has served on the Land Development Review Board for the city of New Port Richey.

Rhodes is applying for council position in a challenging time for the city. The New Port Richey government is in dire financial straits. Its community redevelopment fund is plagued by debt and its general fund is strained.

Rhodes doesn’t see the city not having to deal with deficits as it moves into the budgeting process, and he has experience with budgets. The city has “burdensome” properties that it bought with community redevelopment funds and needs to unload them. It also has a declining population.

“I think we can turn it around,” he said. “It’s just a matter of everybody working together to do that.”

The city also has some advantages. The New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center is a “good thing if it can break even," Rhodes said. ” Morton Plant North Bay Hospital is talking about expanding its services in the city. Richey Elementary School is in the midst of getting a new campus.

“We ought to be able to build on those and encourage citizens to come here and businesses to come here,” he said.

Council candidates run with no-party affiliation. Rhodes, who declined to disclose his personal political affiliation, says he hopes to bring a breath of fresh air to the council.

“I’m going to be able to contribute my ideas,” he said. “I don’t want to force anything down anybody’s throat. I want to be part of the team.”

There are  two city council seats up for grabs this election season. The deadline for candidates to turn in qualifying paperwork is noon on Feb. 21.

Judy DeBella Thomas and Ginny Miller are the two incumbent city council members for the seats.

Thomas said weeks ago that she plans on running to stay on the council, which she has sat on since 2008.

Miller, a long-time council member, said weeks ago she has not decided whether she will run for another term.

Rhodes was the only candidate listed on the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections' website as filing paperwork to run for a city council seat as of Feb. 20. He prefiled his paperwork Feb. 6.

If there are elections, they will be held April 10.