Issues
As Central Florida evolves, it’s time for strong leadership with a clear, concise vision for the future of our community. Below you’ll see several key points that must be addressed as we move forward. Below each point, you’ll find several recent articles that I’ve written or videos further explaining my views on District 4 and our community.
- Economic Prosperity
- Bringing Real Jobs and New Industry to Orange County
- Economic Diversification Key to Job Creation in Central Florida
- Innovation Way is Much Bigger Than You and Me
- Video: Education in Orange County Affects Job Market
- Understanding Business Needs Key to Future Economic Stability/Growth
- Job Creation. Thompson Responds to Voter Questions
- Thompson’s Plan for New Jobs
- Good Government
- Protecting Our Communities
- Transportation
- Recreation
- Environment
I believe the economic future of Orange County and its citizens depends upon our ability to diversify our economy. To this accord, all eyes are on opportunities at hand in District 4.
The vision for a high-tech corridor that, “spans from the University of Central Florida on the north to the newly developed International Corporate Park on the south,” linking with the Orlando International Airport was highlighted in the 2003 East Orlando Visioning Study (East Orlando Chamber of Commerce), which I co-authored.
The vision for Innovation Way is clear, and I believe it is the key to diversifying Central Florida’s economic future. We must partner with local business groups and others in order to attract businesses and budding entrepreneurs to locate and bring jobs to District 4.
District 4 is home to the Orlando International Airport and the touted Medical City in Lake Nona which includes the UCF Medical School and the Sanford-Burnham Institute, among many other nationally recognized medical leaders in various stages of opening their doors.
Just as important as all the large corporate facilities, are the thousands of small businesses, which employ residents and provide products and services to us. We must also keep them in the forefront of planning for the future.
“Your [East Orlando Chamber] visioning study was right on target.” Orange county Mayor, Richard Crotty, East Orlando Sun, January 2005
Our economic recovery and sustainability will require strong leadership with a clear, concise vision for the future of our community.
Good government is essential to prosperity in our community. As your next County Commissioner, the following principles will guide my role in representing your interests.
Accessibility – it is critical that our citizens and businesses find our elected officials and their staffs to be accessible. Whether you have a question about a public hearing, an interest in doing business in Orange County or a concern about a neighborhood issue, my office will be accessible when you need us.
Communication – Technology today has provided for efficiencies in communication. As your County Commissioner, I hope to increase lines of communication amongst citizens and business owners about issues that are important to our community. I believe that by increasing communication we can increase the number of people involved in the process.
Collaboration – It is essential that we work together to get things done in our community. I plan to work with citizen groups, business groups, neighboring governments and key stakeholders in order to provide services to citizens and protect our future quality of life.
Leadership – As Central Florida evolves, it is time for strong leadership with a clear, concise vision for the future of our community. It is critical that we have proven, diverse leadership on the Board of County Commissioners moving forward.
Efficiency – I believe that our government should be run more like a small business that always has to find ways to do more with less. As a small business owner and as your County Commissioner, I will work to find means for providing quality services to taxpayers without increasing taxes or fees on our citizens and businesses.
District 4 will continue to be one of the fastest growing areas within Orange County. We must be proactive in accommodating future residents and businesses without sacrificing the quality of life for our citizens.
The term “smart growth” refers to the planning and zoning of communities that revolve around promoting:
- A strong economy
- High livability of residential areas
- Clean, healthy environment
Keeping all of these aspects in mind are especially essential in District 4 because of the already proposed development. Additionally, District 4 is bordered by Osceola County and must have a detailed course of action for working with our regional partners to ensure that we are protecting our quality of life.
As Orange County continues to grow, it is critical that we protect our existing neighborhoods and communities. Some ideas include:
- Establishing community overlay areas with design components and ordinances specific to that particular community allowing for each community to maintain its unique sense of place and improved community connectivity.
- Increase awareness of and communication about existing grant programs that provide assistance to residents and businesses for improvements within their neighborhoods.
- Identify potential neighborhood nodes and infill opportunities in communities such as Conway, Belle Isle, Edgewood, Pine Castle, Meadowoods and Oakridge, among others –encouraging redevelopment and improved services within individual communities.
- Encourage and promote community beautification and clean-up strategies within individual bedroom communities.
- Encourage increased collaboration and communication amongst Home Owner’s Association groups and area businesses.
Transportation
When looking at Transportation in District 4, we must understand our place in the big picture. Improvements to our transportation networks, including the rail projects, cannot be viewed from a vacuum. It is imperative that we work with our neighboring counties to implement a long range transportation strategy that moves people regionally and not just within Orange County. At the same time, we must take care of the problems in our backyard.
Citizens deserve to have promised roadway projects completed in a timely manner. Our community needs, and deserves, increased access to public transportation options and better connectivity.
Many people call Central Florida home because of the quality of life we offer. Building new bike trails, baseball fields, and soccer fields; setting lakeside land aside for public use; and keeping our waterways clean have to be made priorities. Protecting existing facilities and promoting usage of these recreational options is one key factor for building a better community.
Providing access to public parks and recreational facilities are essential for promoting healthy lifestyles and building better communities. It is necessary that we work with land owners and private partners to secure green space for passive and active recreation options.
We must all do our part to protect the environment. In our households this includes usage of energy efficient appliances, limiting water usage, recycling regularly and limiting our carbon footprint. In our businesses, this includes considering green business practices, educating our workforce on green policies and promoting innovation in green technologies. In our local government, doing our part includes ordinances that protect and preserve the environment and promote overall conservation. Long range strategic environmental planning in conjunction with comprehensive growth management is essential if we want to protect our natural resources for future generations.
