BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
In the District 1 race for county commission, Carolyn Spooner is the incumbent. Spooner, a one-term county commissioner with prior experience as a commissioner and mayor for the city of Starke, expressed both pride in her accomplishments and a deep commitment to continue serving her community.
For Spooner, being a county commissioner is not just about holding a position; it’s about fulfilling a long-held dream of public service.
“This time has been wonderful,” Spooner said. “I just count it as such a great privilege to serve in the community, something I wanted to do so many years. And just feel tremendously blessed and to be able to give back to the community and to just to serve.” This dedication to service drives her desire to continue the work she has started, and Spooner is hopeful that voters will give her the opportunity to do so.
Among the key achievements Spooner highlighted was the improvement of roads in District 1 — an ongoing process. She specifically mentioned significant infrastructure projects that have been a focal point of her efforts.
“The county has helped us to secure the half a million dollars to renovate the RJE gym roof, then in the Lawtey area was getting some improvement with the roads,” Spooner said. These include Northeast 213th, 223rd, 17th, 19th and 20th. While some of these projects are still in progress, she noted that they are critical improvements for the area.
Spooner also emphasized her work helping to establish community health hubs. These hubs provide crucial local services to residents, and Spooner has partnered in their creation.
“The hub establishment, through our health department … has been established at the RJE, which was the first site,” she explained, adding that additional hubs have been set up in Lawtey and in Hampton. This work aligns with her commitment to addressing the needs of the county’s diverse communities.
Another of the initiatives that Spooner has been involved in is deploying funding to combat the opioid epidemic. Bradford County was allocated hundreds of thousands of dollars in opioid abatement funds, which will go toward addressing substance abuse issues. Spooner is particularly proud of this effort, noting that while the funds won’t solve the problem entirely, they provide a crucial starting point for the county to make meaningful progress.
“It gives us some working dollars to address the substance abuse issue for Bradford County,” she explained.
Another area where Spooner claims progress is in improving budget transparency, especially with regard to the county’s constitutional officers. “Years ago, you weren’t able to get detailed budgets from our constitutional officers,” she said, but she has worked to change that. This transparency, according to Spooner, has helped the county make more informed decisions about resource allocation. When asked about details of the sheriff’s budget, however, she acknowledged that more work needs to be done: “There’s still areas in which we continue to need improvement in,” she said.
Spooner is a champion for strategic planning, which she has been pushing for during her term. She worked on developing a mission, vision and value statement for the county, which is now available online, and helped organize town hall meetings in various communities. These meetings allowed citizens to share their input on county goals and objectives, a process that Spooner considers vital to ensuring that community voices are heard.
One particular example she shared was the town of Brooker’s desire for a fire station, which led to the approval of state appropriations for a new station and fire apparatus in the area.
Additionally, Spooner has supported generating new revenue for Bradford County by utilizing existing infrastructure. She noted the recent acquisition of the Douglas building, an industrial space that will serve as an extension of MHD Rocklands work at the Keystone Heights Airport.
While Spooner has claims significant progress during her term, there are still challenges ahead. One of the biggest hurdles is addressing the county’s fire department funding. Spooner expressed concerns about how to fund these services without placing undue financial burdens on residents. She joined a majority of commissioners in postponing a new fire assessment fee this year.
“Right now, we’re at 10 mills, and to me, it would’ve been unfair to ask the constituents to engage in that at this time until we can workshop and look as closely as we can at the budget and the funding, to see what can be done and what avenues that we have for funding it,” she said. Again, she wants to hear from citizens as the commission continues explore options.
When asked if she would be willing to make cuts to live within the county’s budget, Spooner did not shy away from the tough reality. “Absolutely,” she said, though she emphasized the need to ensure that public safety services are not compromised. “We don’t want to diminish services that are rendered, but how we render those services is the question.”
Spooner’s campaign is not just about serving District 1—it’s about uniting the entire county, she said. She has been a visible presence at community events, from fall festivals to parades, and has worked to strengthen relationships between the county and its municipalities.
“We’re one community, Bradford County strong, and… when we work together, there’s nothing that we can’t achieve,” she said.
Her dedication to unity extends beyond political affiliations. Spooner, a Democrat, believes that the focus should be on who is best suited to serve the community.
“At the end of the day, if your road needed mowing, or if you couldn’t get down your road, it doesn’t matter what your party is. People want someone who’s going to get the job done,” she said.
Looking forward, Spooner is eager to continue building on the progress she has made and addressing the challenges that lie ahead. Her message to voters is clear: “Judge me on my work. I’ve shown the community my heart. I’ve shown the community my commitment to work with all people, regardless of their political party, regardless of the agenda, regardless of their status in life, or where they come from and what they look like. All I want to do is to serve our community, to make it a better place for the next generation.”
