Florida Keys Mosquito Control District Commissioner Dick Rudell has not been shy about criticizing his own agency and its executive director, who Rudell says he wants fired.

Rudell, a Republican who sees himself as a financial watchdog, said he wants another term representing the Middle Keys to get spending under control.

Executive Director Ed Fussell proposed a nearly $12 million budget for the 2009-10 fiscal year, but Rudell and fellow board member Bill Shaw managed to shrink that figure to $9.4 million. Raises, new vehicles and equipment, and $1 million for a new building were among the cuts.

"I am all for killing bugs," said Rudell, 71. "I am not for the fluff that has been proposed. There are a lot of things that we just don't need. ... I don't see a need for a new building. I am a stickler for this kind of thing."

The Marathon-based cabinetmaker has served on the board since 1998. In recent years, Rudell has been a vocal critic of the agency. His stance on budget issues put him at odds with Fussell. Rudell recently said he would propose firing Fussell, but he did not believe he had the votes on the board to carry it out.

He did call for the board to cap Fussell's salary. Fussell, at $186,000, is the highest paid administrator in the county. Rudell and Shaw voted in favor of the cap, but the remaining three board members -- Joan Lord-Papy, Steve Smith and Charles Langstaff -- voted against it.

Rudell's challenger, Howard Hubbard, supports Fussell and recently told The Citizen he would not support capping his salary. Hubbard, a Republican, called the cap an "artificial constraint" and said "people should be compensated according to their value to the organization."

The two will square off in the Aug. 24 primary election.

The board's terms run for four years, and board members are paid $19,080 a year.

tohara@keysnews.com