BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Shannon Smith, a lifelong resident and business owner in Bradford County, is making his case for a seat on the Bradford County Commission representing District 1. Smith is running against incumbent Carolyn Spooner, and in a recent interview, he shared his vision for the county, his approach to handling taxpayer funds, and his experience on the Starke City Commission.
Smith’s primary concern as he steps into the county race is fiscal responsibility. He believes Bradford County has reached a critical point where spending must be scrutinized, and tough decisions need to be made to avoid overburdening taxpayers.
“I believe it’s time that the county commission takes a real hard look at the spending of the taxpayers’ money,” Smith said, emphasizing that the current budget and spending trends are unsustainable. “We’ve maxed out our millage. They’ve asked for more in the fire assessment. I just think it’s time that we look at the budget and our spending growth.”
Smith draws on his six years of experience as a Starke City Commissioner, where he learned firsthand how difficult budgetary decisions can shape a community. His experience in the city has made him confident that he has the insight and toughness to make similarly difficult calls at the county level.
“They’re going to be uncomfortable, but I believe it’s the right thing to do at this time,” Smith stated.
One of the toughest decisions Smith faced while serving in Starke was the dissolution of the city’s police department. It was a controversial decision that sparked debate, but ultimately, the Starke commission decided that paying the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement was the right move for both fiscal and operational reasons.
“We were pulling so much money out of our infrastructure, out of our enterprise fund, that we weren’t able to reinvest back into our infrastructure because we were pulling all this money out to support a police department,” Smith explained.
By eliminating the local police department, Starke was able to free up much of that money. “As you see the numbers now, we have two police officers in the city at all times for, I think we’re at $600,000, and that was a $2 million budget,” Smith noted.
Though the police department closure was a tough call, Smith said he fought hard to preserve funding for Starke’s fire department, and he is proud to see the department growing again, thanks to grants and other sources of funding.
Smith acknowledges that Bradford County is poised for growth but stresses that growth will take time to generate significant new revenue. Until that happens, the county needs to find ways to live within its means, he says, rather than continue dipping into reserves.
“We’re spending more, and we’re getting into our reserves, and that’s not a good thing over multiple years,” Smith warned. He argued that every government office could find ways to reduce its budget, noting that “you can get 10% out of a budget somewhere, somehow.”
Smith is firm on his stance that services should not be expanded until growth justifies the additional spending. Regarding the ongoing debate over the county’s fire assessment, Smith is opposed to raising taxes unnecessarily.
“I’m not for taxing anyone unfairly right now,” he said, adding that it’s critical to “tighten our belts” and make sure the county works within its budget to maintain essential services. “When growth comes, you expand everything. You just can’t do anything before growth comes.”
Despite his focus on financial restraint, Smith is also proud of the significant strides Starke made in infrastructure during his time on the commission. He highlighted a series of successful grant applications and collaborations with Tallahassee that helped the city take on critical projects without placing an undue burden on taxpayers.
Smith cited the ongoing reconstruction of the wastewater treatment plant. “ We only had to burden the taxpayers on half of the project; over half of it was grant funded and forgiven,” Smith said. Relocation of city’s utilities under the overpass were another debt-relief success, accomplished through cooperation between Starke’s city manager and state officials.
Another achievement was securing $750,000 in funding for renovations at the RJE gymnasium. “There was a grant that was lost, and we sent back our city manager and city clerk at the time, and we fought for that,” Smith recalled.
Smith also highlighted his efforts to bridge the divide between Starke and the Bradford County commissions. Upon joining the city commission, he said he pushed for meetings between the two governing bodies to settle disagreements and find areas for collaboration.
“We cleared some air, and it worked,” Smith said, noting that both the city and county have since worked together on several projects, and that partnership will be key to Bradford County’s future growth. “We’re always going to be partnered together; it’s just a matter of how well we can work.”
Starke convinced the county to make a major investment to extend water and sewer lines to serve future growth at the bypass. Smith said this is critical to attracting and sustaining future development.
“We just got to keep working at that, so we do get the growth coming,” Smith said.
As a Republican, Smith describes himself as a “fiscal conservative” first and foremost. “Basically, just live within our means and look out for taxpayers’ money,” he said. His guiding philosophy is to ensure that every dollar spent by the government is used wisely, particularly in a county where economic growth is slow.
Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in District 1, but there is also a sizable group committed to neither party. Smith believes his record speaks for itself. His message to voters, particularly non-partisan voters, is to examine both candidates’ records and decide who has consistently acted in the best interests of the county’s long-term financial health.
For Smith, running for county commission is not just about politics; it’s about giving back to the community that has shaped his life. As a small business owner with deep roots in Bradford County, he is invested in the future of the area and wants to ensure that growth is managed wisely, without sacrificing fiscal responsibility.
“I’m a lifelong resident of Bradford County. I’m not going anywhere,” Smith said. “If elected, I will oversee that the taxpayers’ money is spent wisely and try to grow this community in a positive way.”
Smith concluded with a reminder that he’s not a politician by trade, but he’s someone who votes his conscience. “If it’s right, I believe I’ll vote and stand up for it. If I believe it’s wrong, I will be the one that says, ‘No, I don’t believe this.’”
With that straightforward approach, Smith is hoping to win over voters and bring a fresh perspective to the Bradford County Commission.
