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In preparation for our City Commission Candidates Forum on October 10 and the upcoming City Commission election on November 5, we sent out a questionnaire to all of the candidates for Seat #1. These questionnaires help give the community a better idea of what each of the candidates stand for and what they plan to do if they are elected. All answers are directly copied and pasted from their questionnaires and are not edited in any way.
1. Please summarize your campaign platform in 3-5 key bullet points.Nikki Beckett:
Elizabeth Davis:
Jo Nathan "Joey" Hilliard: In summary format the Hilliard Campaign Platform Vision supports the following areas:
James Hogan:
Tracy Mercer:
William Twyford:
2. What is the number-one opportunity facing Winter Haven and how would you help realize that opportunity? If your plan includes City investment, how would you propose paying for it?Nikki Beckett: The willingness to encourage intelligent growth throughout the city, to take advantage of our increasingly diverse economic potential, while including an ever-expanding population of entrepreneurs and commercial entities that can benefit our city. Elizabeth Davis: Economic growth through tourism, sports tourism, the Integrated Logistics Center and technology. I am eager to see what the new Smart City Advisory Committee comes up with. Joey Hilliard: The number one opportunity facing Winter Haven is growth, both citizen and business growth. I would help the realization of this opportunity by supporting and promoting the efforts of the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, the Winter Haven Economic Development Council, the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to the CRA Board, the Florence Villa Advisory Committee to the CRA Board, the Downtown Committee to the CRA Board, the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Citrus Connection and the Florence Villa CDC in addition to joining forces with many other resource agencies that will assist. As far as city investment, there would be opportunities for funding from the general budget, the Community Redevelopment Agency and local partnerships. James Hogan: To continue the path of promoting Winter Haven as a destination for both sports (field house) as well as (attractions) Lego Land. Continue to partnerships with both local and state tourism agencies. Tracy Mercer: The management of the growth Winter Haven has currently and will experience in the future is the number-one challenge for Winter Haven. Winter Haven is poised for significant growth over the next two decades based on our strategic location, weather and tax structure as baby boomers continue to retire. Planning and construction of the public infrastructure to support this growth will be critical to defining the community that is desired. Growth needs to pay for growth so that our current residents do not pay an unfair share of the costs for new development infrastructure. The use of impact fees on new development, seeking district, state and federal grants when possible and the issuance of low-interest loans to finance long-term projects allows the costs to be allocated in a manner that better matches the costs of projects with the users that receive the benefit of the project. We need to look at both cost of services as well as value of services we provide when making our project decisions. Winter Haven is strategically focusing on sustainable, environmentally sensitive, economically viable, community oriented approach to growth with their One Water Plan to maximize community goals. William Twyford: The number one opportunity facing Winter Haven is to continue the positive business momentum that has been established in the past two years. Our city staff is managing multiple high profile projects with skill and deftness. This coupled with significant private investment has created an expanding business environment. Businesses see what we as a city are doing and the tempo with which it is occurring. We are renovating old assets such as the tennis courts and 7th Street that haven’t been touched in over 30 years and building an iconic recreation/arts facility, while at the same time sharpening the efficiencies of our internal services all in an effort to grow and attract the right types of businesses that can offer our citizens a real opportunity to advance in life. The funding for this in part has already been established with projects such as the Fieldhouse/Arts Center, tennis courts, Lake Maude, the Skate Park, and various other quality of life initiatives. The additional part of this effort is to continue to leverage the Smart City initiative to have in place a city that businesses will want to relocate to now, not in five years when our business infrastructure is appealing. The appealing has to happen now. There is tremendous competition among all municipalities in business relocation. It truly is a foundational ingredient to any thriving city. To fund efforts moving forward I would look to federal and state grant opportunities with the Smart City initiative as well as county and private partnerships. The Fieldhouse/Arts Center is a prime example of partnership funding. Historically we have lagged our neighboring municipalities in this type of county partnership, however I look to this project to be the beginning of additional infrastructure projects that will not only bring in visitors to our city but also increase the quality of life for all of our community. Funding is key to any project however I firmly believe placing all of this funding responsibility on the local taxpayer is not fair, nor is it necessary. 3. What is the number-one challenge facing Winter Haven and how would you help address that challenge? If your plan includes City investment, how would you propose paying for it?Nikki Beckett: Properly managing growth in the city in a way that allows for and encourages private investment and expansion, without overloading existing infrastructure and our ability to deliver municipal services. Elizabeth Davis: Affordable housing. I think we need to look at mixed use developments. I agree that the City should be involved in the solution but it should lead through private, charitable, and public partnerships. The City needs to look into what options are available such as additional grants and possible incentives to bring this about. Joey Hilliard: The number one challenge facing Winter Haven is preparing for the future of our city’s growth with our current budget in place. We could hire a team of consultants within our city that are extremely knowledgeable of the issues of growth that we currently face and have them develop a white-paper study on how we can best prepare for changes that are necessary as a result of this growth. From that point we can develop a comprehensive 5 to 7- year strategic plan to help us prepare in the areas identified in the study. Funding can be placed in the general budget in annual increments for preparation of vision implementation. James Hogan: Continue Responsible growth that allows the city to realize the benefit without waiting a decade. Seeking businesses that are willing to make significant investment in our infrastructure when bringing them in. Tracy Mercer: The number one challenge facing Winter Haven and in general all cities in the state of Florida is alternate water supply feasibility and long term availability for the growing population. Winter Haven has a cooperative partnership and has coordinated efforts through the Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC) along with 14 other cities in the area and Polk County to ensure future sustainability of the region’s water supply. While there will be additional cost to install the infrastructure, the benefit if any will be the sharing of those costs with other cities and Polk County. William Twyford: The number one challenge we face to is be fiscally responsible in our growth. I truly felt in this past budget session with 9% increase in property values we could lower the ad volrum tax rate. I understand with adding facilities such as the Fieldhouse/Arts Center will bring a need for additional expense however looking at our overall recurring expenses could have saved the taxpayer money. 4. What areas of the City’s municipal operations do you feel you best understand?Nikki Beckett: Leisure services. Having played softball recreationally and as a member of the Blue Devils, I’ve got extensive first-hand knowledge of the facilities, their strengths, and weaknesses. Elizabeth Davis: Planning and Zoning Joey Hilliard: At the present, I feel that I best understand the city planning and zoning department along with the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency having worked with leaders in those areas as a member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to the CRA Board and the Florence Villa Advisory Committee to the CRA Board. James Hogan: Law enforcement and Recreation Tracy Mercer: The City of Winter Haven’s operations that I best understand and have provided me leadership opportunities are: Utilities (Water, Wastewater Treatment, and Reclaimed Water); Utility Maintenance; Public Works; Public Services (Solid Waste & Recycling, Cemeteries, Fleet Maintenance); Customer Services, Utility Billing; and the merging of the purchase of the Garden Grove Water Company within the corresponding departments of the city. I am familiar with the revenues and budgeting of all the departments that I was involved with. Most of my career has been spent in providing public services in various cities and counties (Clearwater, Port Charlotte-Charlotte Harbor Fire Control District, Charlotte County, Arcadia, etc.). It is also an area that is critical to the health, safety and economic development of communities. William Twyford: I’m very familiar with our utilities department. During my last campaign we talked about the need to eliminate the automatic 2% increase in water rates every year. Thankfully we accomplished this during our first budget session. During this time I realized just how much revenue our utilities department provides our general fund. Our water system is a very valuable source of revenue for our city. Our utilities infrastructure needs constant updating. It is important to me that we use the revenues generated from this department to fund this maintenance and capital improvements. Prior to our increased focus on these funds they were used elsewhere such as pension obligations. This is what leads to increased taxpayer burden. When money earmarked for a specific cause is diverted to cover costs elsewhere. I’m proud this has been curtailed and look forward to the day when the proceeds from the water fund are truly treated as a ‘tax payer dividend’ as it is characterized. When it comes to water I also look to supply as a long-term concern. Our membership in the Polk County Regional Water Cooperative is already paying dividends. We as a group where able to prevent the Manasota Regional Water Authority from receiving a 50 year permit for water from the lower Peace River which would threaten our co-operative’s supply. This would have been difficult for our city individually. Joining together with local municipalities and the county government puts in to place a plan to provide water for our community for several years to come. 5. What areas of the City’s municipal operations do you feel you need to learn more about?Nikki Beckett: Municipal finance. Because municipal finance is so different from personal or business financing, I would make use of existing city staff to bring me up to speed on financing issues and options that might allow us to achieve our goals while keeping a trim, responsible budget now and in the long term. Elizabeth Davis: Water and utilities Joey Hilliard: I feel that I need to learn more about the city’s Public Works Department. James Hogan: Utilities Tracy Mercer: Land Development. I have spent most of my career working in local government, so I understand well the administration, budget and finance, organizational operations, standard operating procedures for public safety, public works, utilities, planning, parks and recreation and public education. Land development is the area where I could learn the most so that our City can derive the greatest benefit from its public-private partnerships. William Twyford: An area of city government I would like to understand better is recreation. We have spent millions of dollars in the past few years on facility upgrades as well as new construction. I’d like learn better about how our different recreational groups use and maintain these facilities. When millions of taxpayer’s money is spent we need to assure that these facilities are functioning at a high level and constantly working to improve the quality of life of our community. The Fieldhouse/Arts Center will also greatly expand both our recreation and arts offerings. It will be interesting to learn about the integration of these high priority projects in to a positive experience for our entire community. 6. What City Commission decision in the last two years do you most agree with and why?Nikki Beckett: The redevelopment of the Southwest Complex to make an underperforming property a more essential part of the city’s economy, while dressing up what had been a fairly unattractive facility that serves as the southern gateway to our city. Elizabeth Davis: No Answer Joey Hilliard: The city’s decision to build the Lake Maude football complex and the new skate park are among the top that I agree with. I agree with them primary because they are putting things in place for the youth and their families. James Hogan: The decision that I agree most with in the last two years is building the Field House. Tracy Mercer: The decision to explore a One-Water Master Plan for Winter Haven, independent of the Polk Regional Water Cooperative (PRWC) Program to meet the future water supply needs of our City. This show that the city team has a plan to forecasting future growth prospects and services. The history of success on regional water supply plans in the state of Florida suggests that it is wise to have options. We cannot afford to start from scratch to solve our water supply challenges if the PRWC is not a multi-jurisdictional success for management of the water resources that defines Winter Haven. I am not opposed to the hope of regional cooperation that PRWC offers to our community, but it must deliver the alternative water economies of scale that it promises for the residents and businesses of Winter Haven. William Twyford: Without a doubt the hiring of Mike Herr as City Manager. He took an organization that was mired in slow moving projects and low employee moral and in two short years has empowered his employees to focus on the mission of enriching lifestyle through exceptional service. Project wise South Central Park is a great example. Prior to Mr. Herr’s arrival that project sat in city hall for 2 years collecting dust entangled in a funding and vision quagmire. Early in Mr. Herr’s tenure he realized the iconic stature this project could have not only on our downtown but also on our community as a whole. In meeting with him he continually expressed the importance of not only doing this project in a timely fashion but the importance of the final product being a differentiating piece of city’s public offerings. Mike was hired in June of 2017 and the grand re-opening of Magnolia Park was October of 2018. On time and on budget. An award winning addition to our downtown. An example of Mike’s knowledge and experience is the improvements to the US 17 and Cypress Gardens Blvd. intersection. We all have experienced the frustration of this intersection. It is a tricky project as it includes quite a bit of eminent domain. DOT has had this as a failing intersection for well over 8 years. Still there had been no movement on either DOT or the TPO funding this project. Mike identified this need, assembled his team both internally and externally and met with the DOT and within a month had secured the 4 million dollars needed to improve this critical intersection. It’s been many years since DOT has committed these types of dollars to an intersection upgrade in Winter Haven. Mike Herr led this initiative and our community as well as our bank account is much better off for it. Mike cares deeply about city employees. This past budget session he successfully went to the mat to increase employee pay. Although I disagreed with the final amount I admire him greatly for the weeks of preparation that went in to the budget presentation and the passion he has for his employees. Perhaps his most compelling attribute is communication. Mike and I have a standing Tuesday morning meeting before the Wednesday Agenda Review session. He looks at this as a benefit for all stakeholders. He actively looks for feedback as well as offers his guidance based on his years of experience in navigating the public sector. Just look at Winter Haven’s funding initiatives with other government entities. This has been an overwhelming success since his arrival and is a result of his considerable results based talents. After our conversations I always walk away confident our city is led by the very best. This is easily the best decision the commission has made in the past two years and I am proud to have been part of this process. 7. What City Commission decision in the last two years do you most disagree with and why?Nikki Beckett: While I understand the logic behind asking this question, I would prefer not to second-guess prior commission decisions. Instead, I look forward to the opportunity to work with city staff, residents, and business leaders with a clean slate uncluttered by what could be perceived as unnecessary or unproductive negativity. Elizabeth Davis: No Answer Joey Hilliard: The city’s decision to do away with the automatic 2 and ½ percent increase in the utility rates is one I have come to disagree with the most. Not having those extra funds will cause the city not to have the extra funds available to fix the utilities infrastructure when necessary. James Hogan: Its not a decision, it’s their inability to reach any kind of consensus in their votes. Most of the time 3-2 votes. Tracy Mercer: The commissioners desire to repeal the annual automatic rate of 2.5% in water rates against the raised concerns of the rate study consultant and the bonding agency. While no one likes automatic increase, utility infrastructure is almost all underground, therefore it is difficult to determine the age or condition for replacement. The water mains and valving are in excess of 60 years old and several hundred miles of water and sewer pipelines running throughout our city underground and out of sight. There are lots of unknowns and risks with aging infrastructure therefore repairs and replacements are necessary to lessen current and future threats in water and sewer services. I am glad the city does have a plan to replace some of those threats for the future. William Twyford: I disagreed with the tax hike of 2018 and the failure to reduce the tax rate in 2019. The 2018 tax hike was predicated on the homestead exemption being increased based on a state constitutional amendment. We took for granted the voters would pass the amendment leaving us with less ad valorem tax revenue. I advocated for waiting until after the election to address the millage rate. The majority of the commission disagreed and moved forward with the tax increase. As fate would have it the amendment failed. This coupled with an 8% increase in property value produced a double gut punch to tax payers. Their tax rate went up along with their property value increased. In response to this I motioned the commission to reduce the tax rate. Unfortunately the majority of the commission disagreed. As stated earlier I believe in fiscal responsibility with taxpayer’s money and will continue this fight. 8. How do you define a business-friendly city? How would you make Winter Haven more business-friendly?Nikki Beckett: I see a business-friendly environment as being one that takes the attitude the city will throw up as few roadblocks to business as possible, while simplifying the process of getting new or relocating businesses up and running more quickly and efficiently. I would hope to be a part of creating such an environment by promoting a can-do attitude within city hall, the building department, and throughout the full spectrum of city service providers. If Winter Haven can welcome commercial development with open arms and intelligent planning, I believe we can protect the residents from overbuilding, while expanding our economic potential. Elizabeth Davis: A business-friendly city is one that consistently maintains the best climate for businesses through zoning, permitting and partnerships. Coming from the perspective of a small business owner, it is important to know that the City and its staff will support you in your endeavors. I hear time and time again as part of the Planning Commission that the city staff has worked with the business owner to help them find a way to bring their vision to life. Joey Hilliard: I define a business-friendly city as one that is free from a lot of red tape, one that has the on-going support of all its officials, and one where all can flourish. I would work to make Winter Haven more business-friendly by supporting these key areas, while protecting business growth, and ensuring sound development which produces an environment of positive competitiveness. James Hogan: A city that is willing to offer incentives in order to attract businesses into the area. But it must be done so in a way that the benefits for the city will be realize sooner than later. Tracy Mercer: A business-friendly city is one that frequently engages its business community in the public planning and decision-making process through advisory boards and implementation of public-private partnership projects that benefit the community as a whole. Very often, the local business community is willing and able to participate. Winter Haven is the envy of other cities their size with the cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Winter Haven, the public-private partnerships, other volunteer groups, and citizens that support and are working together for the advancement of our city. William Twyford: A business friendly city is one that not only creates an advantageous regulatory environment but also provides a high level quality of life for citizen employees. Every successful business owner will tell you they key is employees. Highly motivated, ambitious, visionary, all these describe the employee any success business desires. This type of employee has the same expectations of their life away from work. The city must do our part in establishing the environment and framework necessary to deliver. This is one of the reason I am an advocate for our Smart City Initiative. This process will act as a planning framework to guide us in providing for this much desired way of life. Municipalities across the country and next-door are making policy and infrastructure decisions to establish and implement their own Smart City Initiative. They already see the value from both an economic development and quality of life standpoint. We can’t get left behind and I will continue to advocate for this critical initiative. Of course no business friendly question can be answered without looking at regulation and incentives. We have been able to stream line many of the city’s permitting and inspection processes thru upgrades to software, re-alignment of departments, and added personnel. While every municipality is in constant improvement mode around this area I feel confident our city manager and commission can provide the resources in the near future to make these processes first in class. I will continue to advocate for tax incentives to attract job-creating businesses that look to Winter Haven as a long-term solution to their organizational needs. The Winter Haven Economic Development Council has been instrumental in bringing these opportunities to the commission and is a great example of public/private partnerships leveraging synergy to bring about an impactful result that otherwise had little chance for success. 9. How would you balance a competitive tax rate with the need for investment in the community’s infrastructure and quality of life?Nikki Beckett: I am not in favor of raising tax rates as much as I am hoping to help establish a more beneficial mix of commercial and industrial zones that can offset the relatively low tax rates paid by homesteaded residential properties. Obviously, where those businesses operate, and the type of businesses we attract will be important issues. Commissioners will have to work with staff and business leaders to craft an overall plan that is truly beneficial to the community as a whole. Elizabeth Davis: While none of us want to pay more in taxes, there are looming issues with our community’s infrastructure which cannot be ignored indefinitely. The City should investigate any opportunities for grants and means to offset costs. Any increases to tax rates that may come in the future should be considered cautiously. Our leadership cannot ignore the fact that a large portion of our community already has difficulty making ends meet. Joey Hiliard: Just a while ago, the city increased its millage from 5.79 mills to 6.79 mills. This increase allowed the city to move forward with a lot of new projects and thereby positioned the commission to improve the community’s infrastructure and quality of life for all. This is an example of a move I would support to help balance a competitive tax rate with the need for investment into the community. James Hogan: We must do a better job of communicating to the citizenry about how the tax rate effects our ability to maintain or enhance our standard of living. For this to happen we must show that the monies collected are not being wasted. Tracy Mercer: First, we begin by benchmarking our tax rates with surrounding communities of comparable size and economic condition. Then, we benchmark ourselves against communities that are closest to the community we aspire to become. This will give us a good idea of our value proposition for the businesses we wish to attract and the level of investment that we should be willing to make in the public infrastructure needed to support our growth plan. We must synchronize our investments with our growth, making sustained and strategic investments, always seek public funding when available, partnering with private investment to balance cost and benefits while investing in what gives us the best return on investment in the form of economic growth, quality of life and affordability for our residents. William Twyford: From October 2017 to September 2018 we experienced a 35% dollar volume increase in building permits issued and our 2018 populating grew to over 42,000 with our 2019 population estimated to be over 44,000. With this strong growth comes demand for services. I feel our city has to respond by delivering not just everyday services but strive to provide a differentiating level of service and lifestyle that our citizens deserve and businesses will want for their employees. To do this we must bring creative ways of financing. I strongly oppose the notion that all of these services are funded solely by the tax rate. In fact, with our current leadership in place, we have seen were effectively maneuvering co-funding opportunities at the state and federal level can greatly reduce this burden. I look to the Fieldhouse/Art Center, Hwy 17/Cypress Gardens Blvd. intersection upgrades, and our airport as prime examples. This takes leadership, creativity, and commitment. As I emphatically stated earlier our city manager has a long track record finding funding opportunities and our commission needs to continue to support his and his team’s efforts. 10. In your opinion, what does the City of Winter Haven look like in 10 years?Nikki Beckett: I tend to agree with the 6/10 Corporation. If we play our cards right there’s no reason we couldn’t fulfill the goal of being the coolest small city in Florida. Elizabeth Davis: I see Winter Haven becoming a more walkable city with complete streets, multi-modal transportation and more public transportation. I hope to see an increase in the inventory of affordable housing and perhaps more mixed-use developments. The City will continue to capitalize on tourism. Winter Haven in ten years will be leading the way as a smart city. Joey Hilliard: In my opinion, 10 years from now the City of Winter Haven looks like a model city for Smart Growth Initiatives such as STEM focused partnerships with Polk State College and Polytech University to produce trends and changes in our infrastructure, workforce, and technology. Also, the addition of Smart City Centers such as the one at Black Oak Creative downtown. I see more of these centers transforming the work force and business sector of our city. In the near future, I see a Florence Villa Round Table for Businesses, open to all and set in place to move the NE section of our city into a dialogue concerning long and overdue changes to produce new jobs and commercial business expansion into the region to strengthen the tax base and produce larger and new CRA projects before the close of the national CRA funding. I also see new partnerships with the Department of Transportation to assist our city with combating traffic problems and producing a new and innovative flow to our highways and boulevards as we see the rise of autos that utilize smart initiatives and lead the way into a new age of technology. We are currently developing corporate incubators which will give rise to new companies and those that plan to move into our area (such as Amazon and CSX). Our soil is fertile and as we continue to build a strong foundation there is no telling where future generations will lead us. James Hogan: Winter Haven takes its place as the premier destination in Polk County and Central Florida. Considerable improvements have been made in Florence Villa Corridor that attracts new businesses and housing. Tracy Mercer: I believe Winter Haven will see significant growth over the next ten years regardless of what we do. Therefore, we must act responsibly now to direct growth in a manner that allows us to retain the current charm of Winter Haven with continued residential and commercial development; Chain of Lakes and outdoors enthusiasts, collaborative business community, capital projects to improve enriching the quality of life for our citizens, neighborhood planning while reaping the economic benefits that our distinctive breathtaking views have laid at our doorstep. William Twyford: In 10 years I see Winter Haven as a community where people live, work and play while embracing the many opportunities our country offers. I see a city that has fully integrated our Smart City Initiative goals established ten years prior. I see a city government that operates efficiently while providing high-level services that ensure a safe and productive way of life. All of this starts now. While we are seeing much of the fruition of private investment in our city we are also seeing the first real wave of government infrastructure investment now. Updated tennis courts, Lake Maude Recreation facility, 7th Street update, the Fieldhouse/Arts Center are all projects that have been on the drawing board for years just waiting for the right leadership from city hall and the commission to bring it to life. In order to realize a dream ten years from now we must take definitive action today in terms of planning, secure funding, and ensure the right type of leadership is leading the way. 11. Can you speak to significant accomplishments in your past that might be especially relevant in achieving your vision for Winter Haven?Nikki Beckett: In 2011 I played for the Junior National USA softball team. I was a pitcher. When our schedule paired us up with a team from Bavaria, the opposing team only had eight players. Without an additional player they would have been forced to forfeit. Rather than letting that happen, I offered to suit up and pitch for the Bavarian team. I was on my own. My parents were not in Germany with me. I put myself in the position of playing for a team where only one member spoke any significant amount of English, but I was able to fill the vacancy so the game could be played. Bavaria lost to USA, but I made wonderful friends with those girls and without causing any disturbance among my fellow American players. My achievement was the ability to work with others productively and with respect. I continue to communicate with some of those girls today, via social media. One player in particular, Regina Guth, has visited the US and stayed with my family for as much as a month at a time. She rode out Hurricane Irma with us right here in Winter Haven. My younger sister has been to Germany to visit with her family as well. I can think of no more important achievement that to successfully and productively work with others, even if the face of significant language and cultural differences. I think that talent will serve me well as a commissioner for the City of Winter Haven. Elizabeth Davis: I’ve managed to maintain a small business, be a hands-on mom and volunteer in the community for nearly a decade. I have used all of my skills as a litigator, advocate, mediator and collaborator to find balance and look out for everyone. Joey Hilliard:
James Hogan: As a Winter Haven Housing Authority board member, we were able to bring the agency from designation of Troubled Agency by HUD, to a high performer. During this time the agency also build Lakeside Terrace (senior living facility) as well as took back control of Palm Place apartments. I believe that the oversight given by my fellow board members and myself allowed the Staff to accomplish these goals. My working with city recreation staff on bringing the construction of the Lake Maude Recreation Football Complex to reality was a significant accomplishment because the process was so long that many lost faith that it would be built. Tracy Mercer: I have devoted my career to directing and managing public service projects and programs. Some of the most significant projects I am most proud to have been involved with include:
However, I emphasize the words “involved with” because great teamwork is the key to significant accomplishment in life and especially in local government. I have been blessed to have worked with many hard-working and dedicated local government staff, private sector consultants, businesses, and construction contractors. I really enjoy the synergy that comes from working in a team environment with bright, creative and dedicated people. William Twyford: During my time as commissioner I served as a voting member of the Polk Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). As we all now traffic is becoming more and more of an issue throughout Winter Haven. We have made strides in obtaining support for a traffic study of the US 17 corridor as well as DOT support for addressing the US17 and Cypress Gardens Blvd. intersection. This is only the tip of the iceberg in alleviating traffic issues in our city. We will need TPO support like we haven’t seen in years. Our traffic situation will need long-term financial commitments and it begins with the TPO. My experience here has helped me to realize how critical relationships in Bartow, Tallahassee, and Washington DC are when it comes to roads. Our city manager is quite adept at navigating this funding maze. His leadership along with commission support leveraging the TPO is needed for the type of growth we want in our city. Over the past 3 years I have been able to establish a productive working relationship with Congressman Darren Soto. He sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the subcommittee on Communications and Commerce. He is at the heart of the federal government’s involvement and funding around implementing the Smart City Initiative. He is one of our very important allies in Washington DC. I look forward to continuing our talks with Congressman Soto about the Smart City efforts we are planning for and what role he can play in achieving these goals. All six candidates attended the Chamber's Candidate Forum on October 10. You can view the forum below.
2 Comments
Robert Griffith
11/5/2019 05:05:12 am
Would love to seen and would have thought have all candidates Political affiliation would be listed.
Katie Worthington
11/5/2019 06:09:57 am
Robert, Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
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