Clay Politicians Rolling In Dough

Five Local Politicians Have A Net Worth Of Over A Million Dollars

Photo courtesy of Giorgio Trovato via Unsplash

Florida politicians must disclose their income, wealth, and liabilities annually in ‘Form 6'. Politicians across Florida detail their net worth, and the filings are available to the public via the Florida Commission on Ethics website.

The Median income for a household in Clay County is $76,679. Elected officials in Clay County have an average income of $134,648 and a combined net worth of $15,021,715. Here are the incomes and net worth of local officials per their most recent Form 6 filing:

Million Dollar Club

1. James Reninger may very well be the wealthiest politician in the county. According to his filings, he is worth over $3.2 million and has a lengthy and substantial investment portfolio. Renninger also ranks second in income, boasting a haul of $195,321 in 2023.

2. Betsy Condon comes in number two, with a net worth of $1.6 million, which stems mainly from the values of the two homes she owns. The income rankings were not as kind to Condon, as she came in second to last at $49,500, with only School Board member Erin Skipper earning less.

3. Diane Hutchings is number three on our list of wealthiest politicians, with a net worth of over $1.5 million. Another member of the Million Dollar Club, Tax Collector Hutchings's net worth, has more than doubled since she was first elected, as her first Form 6 filing in 2013 showed a net worth of $633,942. Hutchings's mixture of property and investments has catapulted her into the seven-figure net worth she currently boasts. She ranks middle of the pack in the income rankings, reaching $148,000.

4. Supervisor of Elections Chris Chambless is the next-to-last member of the Million Dollar Club, with a nearly $1.3 million net worth. Chambless is tied for third in income with Property Appraiser Tracy Drake and Clerk of the Court Tara Green, who all boast the state-mandated salary of $165,302 for their positions. Chambless’s net worth is mainly comprised of property and vehicles.

5. Last but not least, we have outgoing School Board member Mary Bolla, who clocks in with a net worth of $1.1 million. Bolla earned her spot in the Million Dollar Club via a home in Florida and Wisconsin coupled with a sizeable retirement fund. Bolla wasn’t as high up on the income list, coming in at number 13 with a 2023 income of $80,495

The Rest Of The Bunch

Sheriff Michelle Cook tops the income rankings, earning $321,000 between her salary as Sheriff and what appears to be a retirement salary from her law enforcement career. Cook also boasts an impressive net worth of $750k.

The politician with the least net worth was county commissioner Alexandra Compere, coming in at an austere $67,460. Still, she catapulted up the income rankings to take the number three spot with an income of $173,500.

While net worth and income aren’t foolproof measures of a politician's competency, Clay politicians earn more than double the average citizen, which is something to consider when judging their actions, especially regarding taxes. The burden of tax increases falls disproportionately more on the average citizen than the politicians listed here.