Florida Keys Mosquito Control District board members are puzzled -- and rightly so -- as to why Executive Director Ed Fussell recently signed an annual contract for its cable access television show's host when they are considering canceling the broadcast for lack of viewers. Fussell executed the contract five months before its expiration in what appears to be a clear end run around the board's annual budget approval process.

We find Fussell's actions surrounding this TV show troubling. Not only did Fussell pre-empt the current board members by his actions, he also pre-empted the input of potential new board members currently engaged in the political campaigns that will be decided in November.

Candidates vying for the two open board seats have called the TV show's effectiveness into question. Adding to this debate is the allegation that Fussell used the TV show to criticize board members, one of whom, Dick Rudell, is up for re-election.

Fussell's questionable use of the show is at the heart of an ongoing power struggle between Fussell and board members Rudell and Bill Shaw. The balance of the board, Joan Lord-Papy, Steve Smith and Charles Langstaff, often voting in a bloc, supported increasing the annual budget. Rudell and Shaw found themselves, once again, on the losing end when they attempted to reduce the annual budget.

Voters could philosophically change the board -- specifically its fiscal policies -- as Langstaff has chosen not to run for re-election and three candidates, Jack Bridges, Jose Peixoto and Bob Thomas, are vying for the District 5 seat. Rudell is facing challenger Dan Dombroski for the District 2 seat. It could ultimately pay voters -- in reduced taxes -- to understand the fiscal positions of all candidates and to vote wisely.

Obviously the cost of the show, a mere fraction of a fraction of the Mosquito District's annual budget of nearly $10 million, is not the pivotal issue. It's what it has become to symbolize: excessive spending and inefficiency.

The TV show contract symbolizes a budget that's bloated and continues to grow, as reflected in the salary of the highest paid public agency administrator in the Florida Keys -- Ed Fussell's $184,600 salary -- along with mosquito control being the only local agency still paying health benefits for its retired employees. Last month, the board voted on a preliminary annual operating budget that raised spending from $9.4 million this year to $11.1 million for the 2010-11 budget -- an 18 percent increase.

What was the voting bloc of three's primary justification of this increase? Dengue fever. We're scratching our heads because we thought the justification of the first nearly $10 million -- 71 full-time and 26 part-time employees, complete with an array of equipment including an air, land and sea task force -- was to prevent an outbreak of mosquito-related diseases such as dengue.

This proposed increase -- and Fussell's commitment to the TV show -- continues to bring into question whether the current budget is being wisely spent and begs the question: Will any additional funds be wisely spent?

In the past, we have advocated for all county agencies to identify cost and service overlap, increase efficiency and share resources. We have also suggested, and now we renew our call, to reconsider the concept of transferring the responsibility for mosquito control to county government.

The county, under the leadership of County Administrator Roman Gastesi, is demonstrating a long-needed willingness to efficiently manage services and has made tremendous strides in reducing the size of the county government largely through staff reductions and the departmental consolidations.

We encourage the mosquito control board to keep all options on the table, take all steps necessary -- no matter how difficult -- to reduce costs and, most importantly, stop swatting at taxpayers in these difficult economic times.

-- The Citizen