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Growth
-We presently have over 100,000 buildable lots that could
have houses placed on them today. We should not add to our roof top
inventory until we have resolved our most pressing issues. Marion County
has been marketed to retirees from our northern states for many years.
Now we see People from South Florida fleeing unaffordable real estate
prices, high taxes, diminished water supplies and traffic congestion.
Marion County is headed for the same fate if we continue the path we
are on. We need leadership that will honestly and objectively address
the following issues.
Water
quality and quantity - That sucking sound is growth drinking
from our water supply. The impact regional growth has had on our water
is clear and unquestionable. Our own water use must be addressed here
in Marion to guarantee supplies, keep cost affordable for utility customers
and protect our unique systems of springs, lakes and rivers. We need
aggressive educational and conservation programs both in urban and agriculture.
We must stand firm against water districts issuing water bottling permits,
bad water management policy coming from the water management districts
must be confronted, no wimping out.
Transportation
infrastructure continues to deteriorate, congestion from
over capacity roads are creating unsafe conditions. Reportedly we see
less than 60 cents of every dollar collected in gasoline taxes coming
back to Marion County from the state. It is also reported that we face
a shortfall of local overlay dollars of around $800 million dollars.
Impact fees have failed to supply the necessary improvements to our
system. We continue to fall further behind on maintaining our roads
and right of ways. Congested and unsafe highways are the result of poor
planning and growth not paying for itself.
Solid
Waste system has sucked away over $30 million dollars from
the solid waste reserve fund. Those funds were designated to fund long
term solutions to our waste stream problems. Instead it was used to
keep tipping fees low for haulers and subsidize moving trash to Georgia.
Facing huge deficits the county has hired a consultant to look for options.
Just looking at surrounding counties you will find a mix of technology,
recycling and reclamation with backup local land fill capacity. What
we have been missing is leadership that will press for solutions.
Law
enforcement is facing insufficient operational dollars; the
Sheriff's office is facing reductions in its present budget and has
been told to reduce its 2008-09 budgets by millions of dollars. We have
a department that does more with less (compared with other comparable
counties), but it may be reaching a critical point in the budget process.
Public health and safety is the number one priority of local government.
Fire
Rescue has grown in some parts of the county and diminished
in other parts. Providing an acceptable level of fire rescue to all
of Marion County is critical to the safety of all citizens.
Emergency
Medical Service is 85 Percent of all 911 calls. As Marion
continues to grow older with retirees, we must be assured we have sufficient
medical personnel to man our first response and transport service. It
is critical to our first response medical emergency system to have sufficient
personnel to staff ambulances. The requirement that all personnel become
a firefighter has reduced the number of trained staff coming over to
the county. I hope that the EMSA employees find a way to continue providing
their medical skills to our community; there is no doubt in my mind
that we need them.
Parks
and Recreation have been successful because of good advice
from the citizen's advisory board, strong county leadership and the
Pennies for Parks sales tax. Unfortunately that bonded money is all
but spent. We have made some great gains in the parks and recreation
area because the citizens saw a need to invest in these programs. Unfortunately
some communities still don't have parks; budget short falls are challenging
the ability to maintain and keep up with demand
Growth
of clean industry that brings jobs should be our focus. Most of us came
to live in Marion County because of the beautiful open spaces of our
horse farms, pristine springs and recreational green space and also
because it was affordable. We are making it difficult for those among
us who work for a paycheck; who go to work every day and live by the
rules. I will work to bring your voice to these challenges facing our
county. I am mindful of who is really paying the freight as we grow,
and work to make sure the people who are here are not paying for those
who are coming, whether it is monetarily or with loss of quality of
life.
Revised April
9, 2008
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