5 questions from the Nassau NewsLine from 10 July 26

Why did you decide to run for City Commission?

I decided to run for City Commission because I care about Fernandina Beach and where we’re headed. My wife and I got married here 33 years ago, and we’ve proudly called Fernandina Beach home for more than 24 years. We’ve watched the city grow and change, and I decided it was time for me to step up and do more.
I’m not a career politician, and I have no desire to become one. I spent 20 years in the United States Navy, and I’ve spent more than 35 years volunteering in our local community. I’ve always been the guy who gets involved. If there’s a problem, I have a hard time sitting on the sidelines complaining about it. I’d rather roll up my sleeves and see if I can help fix it. I’ve always believed that if you’re willing to complain about something, you ought to be willing to help fix it.
That’s really why I’m running. I believe residents deserve commissioners who listen, ask questions, and remember who they work for. Government doesn’t exist to make life easier for the government. It exists to serve the people who pay for it. I want to help protect the quality of life that makes Fernandina Beach special and make practical decisions about where we’re going as a city.

As you’ve campaigned, what are frequent concerns being voiced by residents, and, if elected, what steps will you take to address these concerns?

The biggest thing I hear is that people don’t feel like they’re being heard. Whether we’re talking about paid parking, city spending, growth, traffic, development, or major city projects, a lot of residents feel decisions have already been made before they ever get a chance to speak.
I also hear a lot about the cost of living in the city and the pressure on city property owners to pay for services and amenities used by people from all over the island, Nassau County, and our visitors. At the same time, growth outside the city continues to put more traffic and pressure on our roads, infrastructure, and public safety.
Another thing I hear—and I agree with—is that we spend a lot of time talking about downtown. Downtown is important. It’s a huge part of our community and our economy. But Fernandina Beach doesn’t end at Centre Street.
People throughout the city want the streets around their homes maintained. They want drainage and infrastructure problems addressed. They want adequate lighting and safe neighborhoods. Most people aren’t asking the city for some huge, fancy project. They want the basic things around their homes to work and be taken care of.
If you can drive down your street and tell exactly where the city stopped paying attention, we’ve got work to do.
If elected, I’m going to listen and be accessible. I’m going to answer residents and ask questions publicly before decisions are made. I also think we have to seriously look at other revenue sources and partnerships instead of automatically expecting city property owners to pick up the tab every time something needs to be funded.
We can’t stop growth outside the city, but we can’t pretend it doesn’t affect us either. Fernandina Beach needs to work much more closely with Nassau County on  infrastructure, regional planning, and transportation. We may not be able to solve those problems by ourselves, but we can certainly make sure Fernandina Beach has a strong voice at the table.

What perspectives and experience will you bring to the commission that are unique to you and differentiate you from other candidates?

I’ve spent most of my life fixing things and solving problems. That’s probably the simplest way to explain what I bring to the table.
I spent 20 years in the United States Navy as a machinist mate working in submarine and ship maintenance. When something is broken on a submarine, you don’t form a committee to study it for three years. You figure out what’s wrong, get the right people involved, and fix the problem.
I’ve also spent more than 35 years volunteering in this community. Most recently, I served as Chairman of the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival for the past 3 years. I worked with about 75 volunteers, managed a budget of more than $400,000, and worked directly with city departments, police, fire, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations.
That experience taught me a lot about how the city works. It also taught me that sometimes the biggest problem isn’t money or resources—it’s communication and getting everybody pointed in the same direction.
I’m a mechanic by trade and a problem solver by nature. I tend to look at something and ask, “What’s actually wrong, and how do we fix it?”
Good mechanics don’t replace parts until they know what’s broken. Government shouldn’t either.
That’s the perspective I would bring to the City Commission.

Tell me what you would do in your first 100 days in office to deliver on campaign promises.

The first thing I’m going to do is learn everything I can about how the city operates from the inside.
I want to sit down with the city manager, department directors, and city employees to better understand how each department operates. I want to hear what they do every day, what challenges they’re facing, what their budgets look like, and what they see coming down the road. The people doing the work often have the best ideas for improving how the city operates.
I’m not going to walk into City Hall on day one pretending I know everything. The fastest way to make a bad decision is to think you’re the smartest person in the room. I also want to take a hard look at city spending and major projects. Where is the money going? What absolutely needs to be done? What can wait? And are we getting what we’re paying for? Those are pretty basic questions, but I think they need to be asked and shared with the public.
I want to start working with the Nassau County Commission immediately on growth, traffic, transportation, and infrastructure. Those problems don’t stop at the city limits, and neither should the conversations about fixing them.
The waterfront will continue to be a priority for me. I support moving forward with the seawall and waterfront improvements as funding becomes available. I also want to keep looking at ways to make the waterfront a place residents can actually enjoy.
And I want residents to be able to reach me. I don’t want to disappear into City Hall after the election. If you call me or email me, you’re going to get an answer.
I’m not going to promise that I’ll fix every problem in Fernandina Beach in 100 days. Anyone who tells you they can is probably trying to sell you something. What I can promise is I’ll show up, do my homework, ask questions, and get to work.

What makes you a good representative of the Fernandina Beach community?

I’m a pretty normal guy. I’m a retired Navy veteran, a mechanic, a volunteer, and a husband. My wife and I have lived here in Nassau County for 35 years and Fernandina for 24 years, and I’ve spent a lot of that time working alongside people throughout this community.
I’ve worked with city employees, police officers, firefighters, business owners, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, shrimpers, and residents. I’ve met a lot of people with very different opinions—and trust me, Fernandina Beach has no shortage of opinions.
But at the end of the day, I think most of us want the same things. We want a safe community. We want the city to spend our money responsibly. We want to protect the character and natural beauty of Fernandina Beach, and we want this to continue to be a great place to live.
I’m willing to listen to people I disagree with. I may not always agree with you, and I’m probably going to ask a lot of questions, but you’ll always know where I stand.
My campaign slogan is “For You. For Our Town.” That’s not just something I put on a yellow sign with a smiley face. It’s why I’m running. If I’m elected, my job is to represent the entire city and do what I believe is best for the people who call Fernandina Beach home.