Attorney Rulon Munns says he’s left the local political sidelines and signed on to help lead the last big fundraising event of the year for Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs.

Munns has a long legal and spiritual tie to the Mormon church, which owns the nearly 295,000-acre Deseret Ranches in Central Florida.

Though it’s often kept a low local political profile, the church’s Deseret Ranches will have a sizable say on some of the region’s future water, road, rail and development issues. Its representatives regularly meet on these issues with Orange County officials, including Jacobs, records show.

“I want there to be a cordial and effective working relationship between the county and all things related to Deseret, to the extent we can accomplish things,” said Munns, who lobbies for two church-tied entities. “What kind of originated it was my desire to be more involved in local and county issues, and my increasing admiration and respect for the mayor.”

Munns agreed to help raise $25,000 for Jacobs. So did fellow event chair Rusty Roberts, former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, and now an executive at Florida East Coast Industries, the company behind a proposed passenger-rail line from South Florida to Orlando.

Click here for the story in Orlando Sentinel

Jacobs’ re-election team lands big new business donors – Orlando Sentinel
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