Ray Stevens, a local Palm Coast City Council candidate, has submitted answers to our questions in one of the last interviews to be published before early voting opens on August 10th. You can read our questions in bold, followed by Ray Stevens’s answers.
1. Primaries are right around the corner; you are currently running against Dana Mark Stancil and Andrew Werner. What reasons should voters choose you over the other candidates?
My family and I have lived in Palm Coast for over 20 years. My wife is a nurse with Advent Health and before that, she was a nurse with the Florida Department of Health located in Bunnell. Florida. Our daughter went through the public school system hear. We have roots here in Palm Coast.
I am a retired police Lieutenant from New York. My last assignment before retirement was that of Administrative Lieutenant. My duties and responsibilities included but were not limited to, Personnel Management, Public and Media Relations, Special Events Planning, Traffic Facilitation Planning, and other Administrative Duties. I believe my experience uniquely qualifies me to fulfill the role of city commissioner. After all the city commission is an administrative body.
2. Many people are concerned about electing a candidate with ties to real estate and development; what connections do you have to the real estate and development communities?
None whatsoever.
3. Residential development in Palm Coast has been a major concern; in what ways are you planning to balance that out to a manageable level so that the City can catch up on overdue and necessary infrastructure needs?
I don’t see the construction of single-family homes as putting an unsustainable strain on our infrastructure for now. The problem as I see it is the construction of major high-density housing projects consisting of 500 units or more, further exacerbated by large-scale commercial development. As a city council member, I would carefully consider the impact these types of projects will have on the infrastructure before rushing headlong into approving them.
4. Environmental conservation of our green space in Palm Coast is also a top concern in the community. In what ways are you planning to conserve our green spaces, trees, wetlands, and other natural resources?
By scaling back major projects and creating permanent Green Zones.
5. Taxes are among the top-tier hot topics this election year. Our tax base is 93% residentially funded with only a small percentage coming from commercial tax bases. What plans do you have to diversify the tax base without hurting the residents with added taxes, fees, or other financial burdens?
New taxes and or increasing taxes should be the last resort, not the first option. The percentage you cite may be a little misleading as there are many more houses in Palm Coast than businesses. At any rate, I see reducing operating expenses as the more viable option to be explored. Such as the process of attrition when it comes to back-filling vacancies when they occur. If the vacancy is deemed to be nonessential, don’t fill it. Another option would be to do a cost analysis to determine if outsourcing would be more cost-effective, etc.
6. Economic development: many claim that to be a successful city, there have to be economic opportunities for residents who live here; meaning quality jobs with higher wages. How do you plan to grow the economic base for Palm Coast and bring in more high-paying jobs for residents?
One has to be realistic in evaluating the economic potential of Palm Coast as it relates to high-paying jobs. We are “sandwiched” in between Daytona Beach and Orlando to the South and St. Augustine and Jacksonville to the North. Competing with those cities in attracting large corporations or their headquarters would be difficult at best. Where I think we have an edge would be in the healthcare industry and associated support subsidiaries and industries.
7. Stormwater, flooding, swales, and canals are considered undermaintained by many in the community. What are your plans to ensure that our unique system of canals and swales gets caught up on maintenance and stays maintained in the future?
Devote more personnel to the task of maintaining the swales and drainage ditches. Or, here again, consider outsourcing.
8. How long have you been involved in the local political scene? Have you always been active? Why now?
The last time I was involved in Politics I ran for Flagler County Sheriff in 2012. I decided to come off the bench, so to speak, because I am not pleased with the direction seems to be headed.
