Four Candidates Battle Over Marion County's Future | Gainesville News

Gainesville News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 3, 2026 · 2m

Four Republican candidates are battling for Marion County Commission District Four, a seat vacated after 16 years by Carl Zalak. All agree rapid growth is the biggest challenge—but they diverge on solutions: Alvord pushes infrastructure and criticizes state developer-friendly rules; Bairstow insists roads must come before housing, likening current efforts to forcing a basketball through a garden hose; Lasher wants to protect rural character and block agricultural land rezoning; Meadows advocates directing growth to areas that can handle strain while upgrading rural roads too. With no general…