Striking out on two previous attempts to win a seat on the Eustis city commission, Smith hopes voters will elect him to the seat vacated earlier this year by retired commissioner Homer Royals.

If Smith wins, he will get to sit next to his wife, Evelyn, a four-times-elected commissioner and former mayor of Eustis, a northwest Lake County city of 15,000 residents, 32 miles northwest of Downtown Orlando.

But the contractor's opponent, Frank Royce, a chief deputy in the Lake County Property Appraiser's office, argues if Johnny Smith is elected, the Smiths will be violating Florida's Government in the Sunshine law which bans discussions of government business by commissioners outside the public meeting chambers.

Royce maintains married couples unintentionally will discuss government business in their home, breaking the law. Smith, whose company has completed numerous projects at Walt Disney World valued at over $100 million, dismisses Royce's fears as meritless.

Smith couldn't be reached for comment at GlobeSt.com's publication deadline but a campaign worker tells GlobeSt.com the contractor and longtime resident wants to win the seat so that the local business community would be represented at city hall by a business owner.

"He would work to lower property taxes and cut back on water and sewer charges," the campaign worker says.

Royce, too, was away from his office when GlobeSt.com tried to reach him. But a representative in the property appraiser's office tells GlobeSt.com Royce feels he is the better candidate because of his experience in working closing with other county and city agencies.

"He would hit the deck running where Smith would have to learn the ropes and corridors," Royce's representative says.