 Each month the 'St.Cloud in the News" newspaper allows me to write an article called My Perspective." It's really an honor to be able to share with the public my personal views on a number of different local subjects.
I've decided to include them here on my website. I hope they'll give you further insight into who I am and how I feel about certains topics of interest in our area as I campaign for Osceola County County Commission District 5.
My Perspective
LISTING THE PROBLEMS BUT ALSO PROVIDING SOLUTIONS
The candidates for the District 5 County Commission race have been given a space provided by this newspaper to express themselves. I have, and will continue to in following articles, take this opportunity to address the issues which are challenging our community and County…. development, water, lack of high-end employment base, and industry to ease the personal property tax base (just to name a few). In previous articles, I have addressed several of these issues. What I feel sets my candidacy apart is that each time I have stated a problem, I have provided a solution or a way that a correction can be made. I am very proud of my success as a local, small businessman and also of the work that I currently do. My personal business experience, the knowledge I gained while serving many years on the Planning Commission, and listening to suggestions you, the taxpayer have made, have formulated not only my opinion on issues but well thought out solutions that are in the best interest of the community.
As in previous articles regarding current County-wide issues, today I would like to focus on ways our County can deal with the current budget cuts and also follow-up to my previous article regarding “missed opportunities”.
Just last week it was announced that there will be additional cuts of county jobs. Another $9,000,000 has to be cut according to the County Manager. Being involved in large annual budgets of similar size, there are a few things I would consider or propose before I eliminate jobs.
- Delay any capital improvements not immediately needed.
- Cross-train employees to perform more than one service.
- Limit cell phone use.
- Consolidate vendors used by different departments. (a better price for goods based on volume)
- Sign the energy savings analysis plan for all county buildings that has been awaiting approval for months.
- Cut unnecessary out-of-County travel
- Reduce funding for conferences and conventions
- Explore out-sourcing some services that private industry can provide at a lower price and re-train the displaced employees for other areas where there is a need.
I firmly believe if jobs are going to be eliminated and other areas cut, it should start at the top….the Board of Commissioners. If, by State law, Commission salaries cannot be reduced, as your Commissioner I will encourage each Commissioner to follow the lead of Seminole County commissioners and donate a minimum of 15-20% of their current salary to non-profit organizations that have received drastic reductions in the amount they normally receive from the County.
These are just a few of the solutions that I feel could help provide relief and cost savings to the budget. As a commissioner I believe it is more important to provide solutions and ideas than merely approving or disapproving what is brought before you.
Missed Opportunities…..At a recent County Commission meeting there was an opportunity missed to provide jobs of high paying wages ($40,000 - $75,000) in an area where the only industry currently is agriculture. The location is in the Southern part of the county near Yee Haw Junction and the proposed site of the new Town of Destiny. A private businessman has an industrial park there and asked the current Commissioners for a conditional use for a Pug Mill Plant. Many letters were written by the surrounding neighbors in support of this project. The Osceola County Planning Commission approved the Conditional Use. Statements were made of the high paying wages that would be provided that are so hard to come by in that area. This project would be paying taxes which now, more than ever, are so important to the budget. But in a 4-1 vote the project was rejected. (Commissioner John Q in support) You may be asking yourself why was this denied approval. The Town of Destiny project was the major opposition and also a major contributor to some re-election campaigns. I have not had the privilege to view Destiny’s plans to have an opinion about this future project so I cannot comment on the merits or disadvantages at this time. When I have an opportunity to meet with the Projects representatives I will do my research and follow up in a future articles.
It is time to bring accountability back to our highest level of government in the county. It is time the voice of the people expressing themselves and the ones that are directly affected are not just heard but are considered and their concerns are implemented.
God Bless,
Fred Hawkins, Jr.
Candidate for Osceola County Commissioner, District 5
My Perspective
CONTINUING MY PLATFORM
As the Primary election draws near I feel the need to address 2 issues that I have not touched on so far in my columns. While I still feel that Growth, Economic Development, that is to say higher paying jobs, and Taxes are the three biggest issues facing our district, I would like to spend some time talking about recycling and the proposed convention center.
Recycling is a subject that I deal with in my business everyday. Most people would think that working for a company that operates a landfill, we would want as much solid waste as possible but nothing could be further from the truth. Anything that does not biodegrade cost us money, taking up airspace in the landfill that can never be replaced. That is why I work very hard to encourage recycling throughout the areas that supply our landfill with waste. As a commissioner I would encourage the county’s solid waste department to work with the pilot programs that are currently being used in other areas of the state. A start would be to implement these programs in certain subdivisions to see what can work here in Osceola County. There would be no need to start something county wide till we see what works best.
Commissioner Lane has stated that “recycling is a loosing proposition”. I beg to differ, after working in the industry I can tell you the commodity prices for plastic, cardboard, and metals are at some of the highest prices ever. This could be a positive revenue source for our county. One of the best ways to implement the programs is to start in our schools at the grade school levels. I have seen a tremendous success rate in Seminole county involving the students at this level. It is amazing how they will take the ideas and information home and hold the rest of the family accountable. There is a lot we can learn from our children; after all we want to leave them an environmentally sound place to raise their families.
It is another election cycle and here we are hearing about another convention center proposal. Let me say that I DO NOT SUPPORT A CONVENTION CENTER SUPPLEMENTED WITH COUNTY FUNDING. This is another area that I disagree with Commissioner Lane. At the County Commission hearing to decide which of the three proposals would be accepted he stated “we would like to do all three”. I realize that the County tax money in question is allocated to be used for tourism projects. I would propose using the funds to improve the infrastructure in the tourist corridor. Hire extra deputies to patrol the tourist area, because if we can protect the tourist, they will not come and we realize already that we are to over dependent on their money. A final thought would be to spend some of the tourist tax dollars right here in District 5. It has been overlooked way to long that the dirt roads that lead to the Fish Camp at Lake Cypress and to Joe Overstreet Landing actually have people from out of the area traveling down them to fish and enjoy our lakes. Are those not considered tourist? We may not have all the lights and billboards, and I am sure none of you want to see that in District 5 but we do have a share of tourist that come for the natural beauty that our lakes provide for recreation.
The Primary election is within the next 60 days. As August 26th draws near you will begin to receive many mailers concerning the people seeking the office of Osceola County Commissioner for District 5. I will be sending out information to remind you of issues facing our area and my proposed solutions. I can promise you that I do not believe in personal negative attacks. In the past this has been tactics used either by a candidate or a group that supports one of the candidates but wants to remain anonymous. I feel in these tough times only the issues that are important to this county should be part of the process. The issues, a candidate’s platform and any of their past voting record should be considered. The personal character of a candidate is for you the voter to research and decide. It should not be an opposing candidate’s diversion from the issues. As always if you have a question or concern you may contact me directly at 407-709-1078.
Remember there are men and women sacrificing their time and lives so you have the right to participate in a voting process.
The last day to register to vote is July 28th 2008.
God Bless,
Fred Hawkins, Jr.
Republican Candidate for Osceola County Commissioner, District 5
MY PERSPECTIVE…
5-01-2008
We are all acutely aware that Osceola County, and especially District 5, is at a crossroads and facing important decisions that will direct the future of our County. In this article my focus will be on opportunities lost and opportunities to pursue and protect. These are just a few of the concerns that I have and you as citizens of this County have shared with me in our conversations. In later issues I will relate my position and thoughts regarding other issues we have discussed and our shared concerns.
THE MEDICAL CITY CORRIDOR:
At the present time we hear so much about the great rise of economic development that is occurring in our area. The Burnham Institute, UCF Medical School, Veterans Hospital, and even Nemours Hospital for Children are all terrific projects. They will serve many people with education, medical services, and employment opportunities. What they will not do is serve as a tax base to Osceola County. The reason for this is they are all located in Orange County just across our county line. Once again our local leadership sat idle and made no effort to encourage any of these wonderful projects to locate in Osceola County. One may ask “why a pitch was not made”. Well for starters this same leadership, including the current county commissioner in District 5, voted 3-2 against a rezoning designation in the new Comprehensive Plan for the area near the Orange County line that would have won half the battle to get industry such as these to locate in the area. (MISSED OPPORTUNITY #1) I guess this explains why a few weeks ago our local leadership did not attend a trip to Germany and Sweden with the Economic Development Council of Orlando, (EDC). During a presentation by the Burnham Institute, which was attended by local elected officials and local business leaders, it was pointed out that many companies in the medical and pharmaceutical development will locate around the medical corridor to be close to the already committed facilities. All Central Florida Counties belong to the EDC, but Osceola chose not to send a commissioner on the trip that was designated to persuade the companies like Pfizer and Lilly Pharmaceutical to locate in the area. (MISSED OPPORTUNITY #2) We have not come close to building the “Field of Dreams” in Osceola County as far as economic development for our area is concern. That was proven with the vote on the rezoning. Economically we cannot afford to govern this county with a sit back and “the business will come” attitude. Why does Osceola County have the highest impact fees and millage rates in the Central Florida region? Because we do not have the tax base to support the growth the current county commission continues to approve. Our Economic Development department does pursue business opportunities. However, the leadership at the top must take the lead because opportunities of this magnitude should be personally represented by the Commissioners in person…not by proxy.
LOCAL CONTRACTS AND CONTRACTORS:
Now let’s look at our local existing small businesses. Through no fault of their own, many have related to me their experience of missed opportunities for local income producing contracts that would have kept our taxpayers dollars here at home, as well as provided employment for our residents. Last year our current Commissioners awarded millions of dollars in county contracts to contractors and companies that are headquartered or located outside of Osceola County. Now let me be the first to say that I realize there is not a contractor in Osceola County for every contract that comes before the commission for approval.
In the course of the last year while attending meetings and speaking to the local contractors it become apparent to me that many contracts are awarded on the piggyback system. Instead of going out to bid in the form of a request for proposal, (RFP), the county finds a similar contract that another municipality has and uses it or “piggybacks” on it.(MISSED OPPORTUNITY # 3) Many of these contracts appear on the consent agenda and are approved without discussion. The intent of the piggyback system is for an emergency situation only. It should not to be used as a tool to conduct everyday business. Years ago our County had a system in place with the provision stating if a local contractor was within a certain percentage of the winning bid price the contract went to the local contractor. This system must be reinstated! (MISSED OPPORTUNITY # 4) Give credit to Commissioner Ken Smith for questioning a recent bid for county vehicles, as to why a local car dealership was not involved. He asked the county manager to make sure local dealerships were aware and given the chance for the next bid. The contract in question was not open for bid, just piggybacked on a bid out of Jacksonville. It was approved 5-0, (MISSED OPPORTUNITY #5)
Some may argue that the piggyback system is used to save money because being placed out to bid costs money, hiring consultants and taking up the time for staff to work on the project. This, I strongly disagree with. First and foremost I believe in and support our staff at the county level. They are professionals who have the knowledge and tools available to successfully originate RFP’s. Rather than lay off our employees, let them perform these tasks thus eliminating the cost of out-sourcing these projects.
A local businessman recently questioned the Board of County Commissioners regarding a contract that was being awarded as an out of area piggyback for the construction of a turn lane. This was on the consent agenda and if not questioned by this gentleman, it would have been approved without discussion and thousands of dollars overspent! The gentleman first wanted to know why it was not open for bid, and second he informed the board that he could beat the $86,000.00 price tag by 20%. The board immediately removed the item. The contract did eventually end up going piggyback to the original construction company but the expenditure was reduced to $41,000.00 (SAVED OPPORTUNITY#1). Thank you to the local businessman for looking out for our taxpayer’s dollars. Not only did he realize the current system is broken but he kept an out-of-county contractor honest when it came to our taxpayer’s money.
WATER - THE OPPORTUNITY THAT CANNOT BE MISSED:
One of the biggest future opportunities that we must be strong on is water. I have said it before that Osceola can no longer be the stepchild to the surrounding counties and must be the visionary in our approach to the future. Water to Osceola County is going to be what oil was to Texas. Many of our surrounding counties will be in desperate need in the near future to meeting their demands for water. The county that holds the cards in the region when it comes to water supply is Osceola. The surrounding counties as well as the State realize this. We cannot allow them to bully us into supplying their water needs. The opportunity here is two fold: we must as leaders preserve the needs of our own county’s water demands, and second make the most economically sound decision that generates a positive revenue source if we decide to supply the surrounding area.
I have heard many opinions that Florida is depleting its fresh water supply and in some areas that is a fact. What I can tell you is that in recent meetings with South Florida Water Management officials, I was told that it was not a matter of running out of water. The problem is water not being available where the growth is occurring. That is to say it is a distribution problem. I encourage anyone that is interested in the subject, especially those people that spend time focusing on growth, to attend a meeting of the South Florida Water Management Board.
One more item regarding opportunities that were lost, saved, or need protection. I made a promise to a local resident to state my position regarding the hot topic of last summer….Workforce Housing. This newspaper has recently published some of my comments from an interview. However, I made the promise to state my position and will keep it. As Vice-Chairman of the Education Foundation it is an honor and a privilege to serve this organization. The Education Foundation is one of the best organizations I have ever been involved with. My position with the Foundation led more people than I realized to believe that I supported the project known as The Preserve. During the first Board of Directors meeting at which the project was presented, I stated I would not support the location designated for this project (Michigan Ave). As time past and the details of how the project was going to be funded became available, I also again stated I would not support it. There are too many items of confusion regarding who can live there, how long the money from the state will be available, and can the project actually be moved to another location. It is also my firm belief that government entities should not be involved in real estate of this nature….leave that for the real estate professionals.
Because I am a financially conservative person, I do not believe that you must spend State or County money just because it is available. (These are your taxpayer’s dollars/this could be viewed as a “pork-barrel project”) Yes, we do have a teacher retention problem. However, I do not believe the solution for retaining qualified teachers is to throw State and local money at it and use the excuse they leaving because of housing prices. Tracking the reason for teachers leaving our area would reflect truer reasons. A retired teacher recently told me that most teachers leave the profession after just a couple of years due to a lack of respect and abuse from the children they teach. This is a story for another day but I wonder how it fits into the statistics of the exodus of teachers from our schools.
My campaign slogan is Listening to the People….A Voice for Change. My promise to you is… this is much more than a slogan….it is, and will continue to be, the driving force in all I do as your next County Commissioner. Based on the multitude of phone calls, personal talks, and e-mails that you, as concerned citizens, have brought to me, I am positive we will go forward together to lead our County in a new and positive direction. I am honored that you have directed all your issues and concerns to me. Please continue to call, e-mail, and even stop me on the street. It is your responsibility to voice your concerns, and my responsibility to listen and take action accordingly.
God Bless and remember stay involved in the happenings of your local government.
Fred Hawkins, Jr, Candidate for Osceola County Commission - District 5
E-mail: fhawkinsjr@embarqmail.com
Phone: 407-709-1078
www.fredhawkins2008.com
Letter 1
My Perspective
By Fred Hawkins,Jr., Candidate for County Commissioner District 5
A very large part of my campaign platform is focusing on bringing a tax base and jobs to not only District 5, but to Osceola County overall.
If you have lived here for any length of time, you know Osceola County experienced many good years of tourism and construction, especially in thehousing market. Like many of you, I now have family, friends, and neighbors that have lost their jobs, are getting laid off or worse yet, are facing foreclosure. The warning signs were there. We all know history does tend to repeat itself and the housing bubble and the many great jobs have gone away. People are hurting and I want to correct that.
My experience of being a business owner, operator and manager has taught me that one must always have foresight. I believe I can not only bring this foresight to the County Commission, but also use it in terms of establishing a tax base that creates jobs, which has been lacking for some time now.
During those boom years, if we had used foresight we would have been establishing industrial and manufacturing zones to have in them in place now. This would have put us numerous steps ahead to reach out to businesses all over the world to locate or establish business headquarters or plants here. This will take time on the part of the Commissioners and the Economic Development department to travel and connect with these corporations. The effort of the travel has to focus on making proposals and bringing the
companies back to show off the benefits of establishing themselves here in Osceola County. I will commit to do this, not only with the County Economic Development department, but with City Economic Development departments as well. There are no boundaries when we are discussing jobs for our citizens, county or city; we all live in Osceola County.
As I have been telling many citizens groups around the area since I kicked off my campaign a few months ago, Osceola County has to get involved and benefit from the medical corridor that is coming to Orange County. We cannot be content to be just the bed and breakfast for the quality jobs that will be offered over the county line.
The benefits to this plan are enormous and, yes it is a great task, but it is one I am willing to do. Some of the benefits are that money earned in the county by residents tends to stay in the county and spent in our local business. When corporations move, there will be key people that will be relocated to help establish the company locally. They usually purchase existing houses in the area. What a great way to help the local real estate companies.
Most beneficial is the tax base that will keep the property taxes from increasing. I have talked to many, especially those on fixed incomes, and they are afraid they will no longer be able to afford the cost to live here. They have raised their families here, established relationships and are assets to the community and for them to have to worry after all these years is just not right. Even young couples just starting out have expressed, "How can we afford to start a life here, where we grew up?"
We know that we have to be concerned about our roads and no matter who is or will be your Commissioner, roads such as Narcoossee would be and will be improved. Traffic studies, traffic warrants and state mandates all go into decisions that require these improvements such as four-laning and traffic signals to be implemented.
Campaigns are all about listening to the people and hearing what their needs are. A solid tax base, quality jobs and reasonable property taxes are things that I recognize are important to you, the citizens. If we do not look to create jobs for our county all of our roads could be one way streets, because the residents will not only have to leave for work they will most likely have to leave to live somewhere else. That is exactly what I do not want to see.
Fred Hawkins, Jr.
Candidate for Osceola County Commissioner District 5
Letter 2
My Perspective
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending the opening day ceremonies for the St. Cloud Little League. What an uplifting experience to witness the vast number of children, parents, relatives, and community volunteers who are involved in this sport. The ceremonies exceeded a first class presentation. While talking to those involved in this organization a reality check set in. I asked, “How do you overcome the lack of fields for the children to practice and play their games?” That was when the faces of happiness turned to frustration and anguish.
We are like most communities are seeking to have more parks and recreation but I never realized the severity that we face when it comes to youth baseball. I heard stories that many coaches only get one hour a week to instruct and practice with their team. They go to fields around the local area and “camp out” to hold the field till their team arrives. These volunteers and coaches are considerate of the other teams that face the same challenges and try to work together. I have to ask how much instruction can come from a limit of one hour once a week to work on skills and act as a mentor? When I was in Little League we practiced for 2 hours twice a week and had 2 games a week.
Before I go any further some of you may say why do I feel this is so important considering other problems our county faces? The importance of organized sports, whether it is Little League or some other recreation is much more than fun and games. The youth may not realize it at the time but they are being taught life skills that will be with them for the rest of their lives. How to succeed, lose graciously and team work, are all very important, and most will develop friendships that will carry on into their adult years.
The City of St. Cloud is to be commended for carrying the torch for recreation on the east side of the canal. I recently attended a meeting where it was a pleasure to see that the county is trying to expand the Hickory Tree Elementary Park through the use of grants. Additionally, a plan for Chisholm Park was unveiled, and I realized how little concern and opportunity was given to the local community to express their input to the changes that were being recommended. The new plan calls for the removal of a baseball field, adding a bait shop and expanding the horse trails. The existing baseball field currently has 12 Little League teams that utilize it for weekly practice. Family and corporate picnics are frequently held there with this field used for interactive games.
As the owner of several horses, I can tell you in all the times I have visited Chisholm Park I have yet to see trail riders using the facility. Most horse owners I know ride on their own property or trailer their horses to events or competitions in which they are participating. During these presentations on parks it was explained that the county must look at revenue that can be generated through the use of these parks. I brought up to the presenter that not only did none of the new renderings they presented show any new additional baseball fields but that St. Cloud has the third largest Little League in the state. What would a facility like those that have been built on the other side of the county mean to this area? Tournaments would be a great source of revenue and bring an enormous amount of money to the local economy in hotel stays, to our local restaurants, and a portion of the entry fee money goes back to the local government. An example of this is the football tournament that was held at Austin – Tindal Park where the fields at Hickory Tree Elementary had to be used due to the overflow of entries. This single event brought an estimated six million dollars into the local community during one weekend.
As a candidate seeking the office of County Commissioner for District 5, I am acutely aware of the budget cuts local entities are facing and the bigger question of new parks is affording the purchase of the land. We must work diligently for grants, public / private partnerships and seek corporate sponsorship to off set these cuts. In just the short time I have been researching this issue I have found many athletic corporate sponsorships that are willing to donate and help communities such as ours to overcome the challenges we face. There are some of our school fields that are currently being used for practices. I would suggest that we allow all the school fields to be used. This is part of the problem when local leadership does not work with the school board to solve a problem that will not cost a dime. These fields would make excellent practice facilities and alleviate the stress and time constraints that exist on the many organizers and coaches. It should be noted that the few school fields that are currently used have no problems associated with this being done.
Additionally, we can look for the dollars to purchase park and recreational land to keep open space by seeking partnerships with our college universities and those companies that are involved in the environmental industry.
Some of you may be asking why do we not use Park Impact fee dollars to help with these challenges. This may come as a surprise to you but most impact fee dollars, whether they are road impact fee or park impact fee dollars cannot be used for the upkeep, maintenance of existing roads or the expansion of existing parks and recreational facilities. It appears to me the current reasoning is new residence to our community will only drive on the new roads and use the new parks This is a story for another day but something that when elected I would seek to change.
The importance of supporting Parks and Recreation cannot be measured. Many say I do not have children in the system why should I support it; I ask do you have grandchildren? Do you have a youth in your neighborhood? Again the skills these children learn by participating in organized recreation such as Little League can be the difference in making the right choices in life. It could keep a youth from committing a crime against you and becoming a burden on our courts and jail system. If you do not believe it just look at the statistics of how many youths active in organizations in their community, such as organized sports avoid criminal activity in their adult years. These children will be the leaders of tomorrow. This will be an investment that will be measured time and time again; an investment that will mature in 10-15 years over and over.
Seventy-two teams in the Little League this year, over three hundred volunteers to make it all happen. This is not counting those that are part-time volunteers or the parents, relatives, and friends that attend the games. I want all of you to know I have listen to your opinion, seen first hand what needs you have, and I am actively working for resolutions to your concerns. I am very proud of those organizers, coaches, mothers, fathers and grandparents that are working so hard under the current conditions. There are no words that can say thank you enough and exhault the difference you are making in the life of our children.
Fred Hawkins, Jr.
Candidate for Osceola County Commissioner District 5
Letter 3
Letter to the Editor
When I first heard that a group was threatening a lawsuit against Osceola County for praying and using Jesus’ name, I like many said when will it stop. I can honestly say that it will not stop until the silent majority takes action and realizes that no one is going to speak for our rights and what we believe unless we do it. Too many times we take for granted that someone else will come to the call. The story that comes to my mind is of Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott, two students at Columbine High School who were shot and killed because they believed in God and stood up for Him. Their lives were threatened with a gun; we are threatened with only a lawsuit. I hope those Commissioners that have spoken out in favor of the public prayer remain strong on this issue. I could favor a weekly rotation non-denominational prayer, I will give that respect to all other beliefs, but they should respect my beliefs and those of others when it is someone or I that may be asked to pray.
Yes, I can bow my head and pray silently to the way I believe, but I should also be able to do so in public. I respect any Commissioner that asks for guidance in his decisions making. God should be first in everything we do. Looking around at the problems in society, (i.e.: the above mentioned school shooting), I will say that removing religion from schools, the pledge and other aspects have lead to a great majority of our moral corruptions. Seeing the pictures of our soldiers over seas praying before going out into the battle…can you imagine telling them we at home are not defending the rights that they are risking their lives for?
God Bless,
Fred Hawkins, Jr.
Candidate for Osceola County District 5 Commission Seat
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