Brett Overgast emphasizes budget experience, says he would recuse on school budget votes

Brett Overgast told the Charlotte County board he has experience in education and local government and asked to be considered for the interim board-supervisor appointment. "I do work for Charlotte County Public Schools and I love Charlotte County Public Schools," he said, disclosing his employment and signaling awareness of potential conflicts of interest.

Overgast said he would recuse himself from votes pertaining to the school budget if required and offered his budget and planning experience as an asset. "I would recluse myself from votes pertaining to the school budget... But it's the right thing to do," he said. Overgast described steps he would take to prepare for unfamiliar topics—researching other counties' approaches and consulting staff—pointing to battery energy storage as an example of an upcoming issue the board will face.

During questioning he also discussed handling public contention, saying his time on the school board trained him to listen and stay composed when constituents are upset. Overgast said he is prepared to commit the time the role requires and cited prior public-service experience and business ownership as reasons he can meet the workload.