ISSUES & PRIORITIES
SLOW THE GROWTH
PUBLIC SAFETY
ACCESS TO YOUR GOVERNMENT
Search a Topic:
SLOW THE GROWTH:
INFRASTRUCTURE-FIRST POLICY
CONSERVATION OF
GREEN SPACE
PROTECT THE RURAL SETTLEMENT
COMMON SENSE TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS
PRO-SMALL BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
CAUSATION-FOCUSED HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION
CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH EARLY INTERVENTION
PRIORITIZE FUNDING FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, INCLUDING COMPETITIVE PAY AND ADEQUATE RESOURCES.
EFFICIENCY THROUGH PRIVATE/PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS
COMMUNITY DRIVEN
To be for the community, we must be of the community and in the community. An active community-minded leader is essential in knowing and understanding the diverse needs of our neighborhoods. Divisive politics has no place in local government; what they do in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C. is very different from what the Orange County Commission does. It’s time we work together and tackle the issues to improve the quality of life for the residents of Orange County and leave the divisive non-local issues in Washington, D.C.
COMMON SENSE
Rooted in our agricultural past, West Orange County has a rich history of self-reliance, hard work, strong families, and caring neighbors. Those are the time-honored common sense values that have served us well for so long. It’s not time to abandon those values, but rather combine those with today’s technology and our West Orange "can-do" attitude to solve problems more efficiently and protect our quality of life.
CONSERVATION OF GREEN SPACE & RURAL SETTLEMENTS
Protecting Orange County Rural Settlements including the Gotha Historic Rural Settlement, Avalon Rural Settlement, and environmentally sensitive wetlands such as the Butler Chain of Lakes, Gotha Basin, and Shingle Creek is critical. These are the headwaters of Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades River of Grass. It’s not enough to be on the right side of preservation, we must be effective in our efforts. To be effective we must build relationships with all stakeholders and be able to articulate the case, this is how we protect the rural settlement and balance growth in District 1.
n the Avalon Rural Settlement my opponent has made it possible for land that was effectively protected at a 1:10 (or 1:9.99) density ratio to be reduced to half that, and is now willing to further decrease it to 3:1 with an RV Park project. Don't be misled by false narratives. I am not the 'development' candidate - I am the honest one... committed to preserving our rural settlements. I refuse to be a shill for developers or Home Owner Associations. My loyalty is to our community and its residents, not fake special interests.
SLOW THE GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE-FIRST POLICY:
- Make development pay its way with strong impact fees and hard negotiations for more land donations for schools, parks, and sensitive green spaces.
- End the current Commissioner’s practice of not meeting with certain stakeholders and landowners.
- Require road and infrastructure improvements before houses are all built out. We can’t keep playing “catch up” on infrastructure.
- Work with Metroplan and Orange County staff to prioritize road improvements (“squeaky wheel” gets the grease).
- Early and regular engagement with residents to identify issues and concerns, not just at election time.
- Negotiate with cellular and wifi companies for better connectivity for safety and quality of life.
- Protect rural settlements in Orange County’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
MORE AFFORDABLE ORANGE COUNTY:
-Oppose tax increases, especially in such inflationary times when families
are having a hard time making ends meet.
-Slow the growth of government with zero-based budgeting practices. A
55% increase ($4.3B to $6.7B) of county government in four years is too
much too fast. No more automatic renewing of the previous year’s budget
and adding to it. Evaluate every expense from the ground up.
-Make housing more affordable by removing unnecessary and burdensome
regulations that are increasing the costs of some housing options by as much
as 40%.
-Prevent more toll roads by building infrastructure faster with already
collected tax dollars.
Multifamily Developments
and the Housing Crisis
The Super Growth of Apartments, Townhomes, and
Other Multiple Family Housing in West Orange
Orange County is facing a housing crisis and the solution is not one answer but one of the biggest answers is supply and demand. When the housing market is pricing generational families out of the communities they helped to build, it is a problem. When a large portion of Orange County’s workforce cannot afford to live in the area they work because it is too expensive, it is a problem. Here in West Orange County, for basic 2 bed 2 bath you can often expect to pay up to $2,500 a month in rent. That is the price of a mortgage! This is a shocking example of a housing crisis.
One of the basic causes of a housing crisis is supply and demand, more units on the market to drive down costs. However, does that mean everywhere, every time? No! Take Horizon West for example, which has been pounded with new apartment buildings in the past several years and many more coming online.
Not Everywhere
Apartment complexes and other multifamily housing must fit the character of the area they are being built. If a re-zoning is required we must ask ourselves why? It should be met with high scrutiny because it changes the character of the neighborhood in which homeowners bought into, often bringing down the home values. Ironically this is frequently done in the name of affordable housing on behalf of what is actually expensive luxury apartments.
Not Every time
The next consideration is infrastructure… this is why we always talk about Infrastructure-First. Because above all things, we must ensure the infrastructure is there before we can even consider new development. We can slow the growth to ensure we have the proper amount of schools coming online, sidewalks, safety lighting, sewage, water mitigation, and roads that are not failing!
That is why I say “Not Everywhere, Not Every time” … we cannot stop the growth in our area. Politicians who tell you that are lying for your votes. What we can do is hold growth to these tests and slow it down while ensuring it is being done in the right places. These are two areas where we see repeated failure in discussion of new development. We must handle the housing crisis and bring online new housing units including affordable, attainable, and workforce housing but that does not mean everywhere and every time. We can't keep losing in West Orange, we have to work in partnership with all stakeholders to ensure we address this issue in a proper manner.
Multimodal Transportation and
Road Improvements
Cannot widen our way out of the problem,
but we must stop the bleeding.
I am a staunch advocate for multimodal transportation systems. I envision an Orange County where diverse transportation options are readily available and effectively utilized. While I recognize the current scarcity of funding, I believe it is imperative to pursue this goal responsibly.
Public-private partnerships offer a promising avenue to offset costs and expedite project timelines. The Sunshine Corridor initiative, with Universal’s significant land and financial contributions, exemplifies the potential of such collaborations.
By diverting traffic from congested roadways and securing private investment, we can build a sustainable transportation network.
Recognizing that transforming Orange County’s infrastructure is a long-term endeavor, I am committed to initiating progress now. While implementing multimodal solutions, we must concurrently address the critical issue of road improvements.
The lack of urgency in addressing our deteriorating road conditions over the past four years is unacceptable. As our community continues to grow, our infrastructure must evolve accordingly.
Video from Matthew's Hope Podcast Series
HOMELESSNESS CRISIS
Holistic Approach – Partnership Mentality
We have a homeless crisis in West Orange County and in the entire state of Florida. To address the crisis we must understand the causes of those living in a state of homelessness and how we can help.
It is commonly identified that those struggling with drug addiction, alcohol abuse, and mental health are among those who find themselves in a state of homelessness. However, there is a growing population of residents and even young families that simply cannot afford the rent. They are down on their luck and things spiraled to the point where they are without a proper place to live.
It is critical we identify and prioritize such cases early before they fall into the cycle that perpetuates their struggle. With new state laws requiring local governments to ban people living with homelessness to be be on public properties, we must join together with neighboring jurisdictions to work toward shelters that will offer assistance and treatments.
We must partner together with organizations that are subject matter experts in our area such as Matthews Hope, United Against Poverty, Habitat for Humanity, and Health Care Center for the Homeless. Only uniting together in coalitions of not-for-profits and other municipalities, the state government, and federal agencies can we make the powerful impact needed in our community on this critical issue.
DISABILITY COMMUNITY
Our Disability community means a lot to me. For nearly 10 years our gymnastics center has allowed for our local Special Olympics chapter to utilize our facility free of charge for their practices. I am a proud board member of Lift Disability Network and feel strongly that we must do more for our families living with disability.
I believe it is time for Orange County to perform a Disability Financial Impact Survey to determine both the costs of Disability improvement projects to the County, and the potential funds that said projects could GENERATE for the County through tourism and taxes.
We are the tourism capital of North America, our nations Disability Community should know that this is the best place to travel for their vacations. I support earmarking dollars from the Tourist Development Tax dollars for Disability Improvement projects aimed at promoting and improving the experience for Disabled guests visiting our County.
I also support the strengthening of the Office on Disability for Orange County so that it can have true influence over Disability improvement projects that are currently overlooked by existing departments.
Finally, I plan to appoint more People living with Disabilities into leadership positions to allow for more participation and to help determine what improvements can be made for People living with Disabilities.
Residents Calling for
Expansion of TDT Dollars:
TOURIST DEVELOPMENT TAX (TDT)
Residents have expressed concern over the need to expand the use of Tourist Development Tax (TDT) dollars, while county politicians have increasingly deceived residents on this issue.
They do this to gain votes, pretending that they can allocate funds to more favorable places. Such allocations would violate state law, as TDT dollar usage is strictly regulated.
I do not engage in political games and do not lie to people for votes.
When the state addresses this issue (likely in the next session), I will lead the way as Commissioner of West Orange County, representing the residents' voices in discussions with all stakeholders.
It's time for effective leadership, not political activism that deceives residents and ultimately fails them.
Many Cultures. Many Faiths. One District.
District 1 Orange County is vast and is home to many different residents representing several different cultures and beliefs. Through my personal Christian faith, I have become a better person and have overcome mistakes of my past and improved myself through reflection and charity.
As Orange County Commissioner, I seek to represent all people equally, whether they share my faith, hold another faith, or do not have a faith at all.
I have been active in community outreach to a diverse network of people and have learned many important things. Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with some Jewish community leaders and learned of real hate and antisemitism which has occurred right here in our district. As a local leader, I will never tolerate or turn the cheek to such hate. I plan to be a champion for those who are persecuted and a defender of those who are attacked. Not only is there no place for that sort of hate in West Orange, but there is no place for it in the world and we all play a role in stopping it.
I look forward to working with all of our faith groups and groups of residents with no faith at all. We will make a better West Orange unified together.
ANIMAL ADVOCACY
I am deeply committed to enhancing the well-being of Orange County’s animal population and supporting the dedicated work of our rescue partners and volunteers.
Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) faces significant challenges, including limited resources, an outdated facility, and an overwhelming intake of animals. The current shelter is understaffed and struggling to meet the needs of our community.
In 2016, Orange County approved plans for a new, modern shelter facility. Unfortunately, progress on this critical project has been stalled. I am determined to accelerate this process and ensure that our animals have the safe and humane environment they deserve.
I am also committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to transform OCAS into a true no-kill shelter. This means finding loving homes for every adoptable animal and providing care for those with special needs. Euthanasia should be a last resort, used only in cases of severe illness or aggression that cannot be safely managed.
I believe that by working together, we can create a brighter future for the animals of Orange County.
