BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Telegraph Editor
When last week’s political forum turned to the city of Starke, candidate Michael Heeder was up first to talk about his run for the District 1 commission seat.
“I believe what we have in Starke, especially District 1, is a good thing. I think I can do it better,” he said.
Heeder’s experience is in public safety, including nearly 40 years as a firefighter paramedic for the city of Gainesville. He served as captain there as well as chief of multiple volunteer fire departments in Bradford County. Today, he works for the sheriff as 911 coordinator.
“When you need help, I’m the one that makes sure that you get the help you need in an emergency,” he said. “As your city commissioner, when you need help and you call, I’m the one that’s going to get you the help you need even if it’s not an emergency.”
Heeder said he is not running to change policies but to change the culture. That means focusing on what will be happening in the city 10 years from now. Leaders elected today should be laying the groundwork for what the leaders of tomorrow will be facing.
Commissioners — city and county — working as a team with citizens can make that happen, he said.
Heeder conceived of Starke’s successful Splash Bash, and he said with support, they can do even more to make Starke a great place to be.
Danny Nugent is in his fourth term on the city commission and is seeking his fifth. In addition to his work on the commission, he works for the Department of Corrections and is a Chief Warrant Officer for the Florida National Guard.
The father of four and grandfather of five said the commission has repaired roads and upgraded the electric system, restructured the pension system for city employees, and improved recreation facilities. They are working on wastewater improvements with the assistance of millions of dollars in grant revenue.
Nugent said he understands the importance of local business and wants to bring new businesses into the city. The bypass has hurt some businesses, he said, so he talked about also bringing more people back to Starke with events and recreational activities. The commission is also working with the county to expand infrastructure to serve new businesses or residents.
In addition to serving the city as mayor, Nugent is on the board of the Northeast Florida League of Cities and is currently serving as president.
“I have always strived to do what is best for the city of Starke and its residents. If reelected, I would continue to work for you,” he said.
District 5 candidates were up next, beginning with Randy Crews.
“I truly believe there’s not a better city in America to live in,” Crews said of spending his 63 years here.
Crews served two years on the commission 30 years ago. He said the police force is at the top of the list of things central to him as he runs for office again.
“Our security is important,” he said.
Utility bills were up next, with Crews saying he wants to see bills simplified so customers know what they are paying for.
“I worked up at the desk at the city hall a few years back for seven months, and it was amazing how many people really didn’t understand what they were looking at,” he said. “If you look at the bill, you don’t even know what you’re paying for.”
While the city doesn’t have much of a recreation department left, Crews said he grew up in the department, so it is important to him. Parks need to be maintained and leagues and tournaments should provide family friendly fun, he said.
Finally, he spoke about elections, saying the commission did a great thing by moving its election to the date of the primary. Steps should be taken to make future city elections occur on the presidential and midterm primaries to increase voter participation, he said.
Candidate Andy Redding began by talking about Starke’s history to make the point that the city’s growth has stalled since the 1960s. Since the 1950s, the only information about Starke on the internet involves Ted Bundy or fights about the water tower cross and 10 Commandments monument, he said.
“From the outside looking in, someone could say we’ve been on pause since the 1960s,” he said, pointing out the city’s population had only grown by around 1,000 residents since that time. It took 60 years to grow the city’s population 20%. Florida has grown by 10% in the past two years, he said.
“My grandfather was a Baptist preacher, and he said if an entity is not growing, it is dying. Are we dying as a town? Definitely not. We’re pumped and primed for the future,” Redding said.
That means supporting sustainable growth in businesses and jobs.
“We have been and we still are the quickest way to access Florida from north to south, and from east to west. We have to develop and maintain a strong reliable infrastructure that is ahead of the curve to attract and retain businesses that can provide wages to our citizens that make them want to come here, stay here and develop a life here.”
Planning for growth means improving roads, increasing water supply, expanding sewer capacity and providing access to high speed internet. The community also needs to embrace its schools to help children succeed at home and beyond, he said.
Joyce Johns appeared to speak on behalf of candidate Lex Sanders, who she said was sick with COVID. She said her boss was a Starke native and has been practicing law in the city of Starke for 20 years.
“His concerns are the same as the concerns that you have. How can we make Starke a better place to live all of us?”
Like all residents, Johns said Sanders is concerned with high utility bills, but also with how more people can be drawn to experience what Starke has to offer.
“There is a lot of pride in Starke, and we have fellowship and godly people that cling together and make things happen in our community,” she said.
“Lex is doing this solely because he loves his community that he’s lived in all of his life, and to help Starke to find ways to flourish in the years to come,” she said.
District 1 candidates were asked about potentially consolidating some city and county services. Heeder said the opportunity is there, but he does not support it. Again, he focused on the city’s future, saying it will grow and needs to be able to serve its own citizens.
“A municipality hinges on its ability to serve an urban area,” he said. “Ultimately, the city residents are living in a city and they pay for city services, and they deserve those city services. If you live in the county, you take the risk. If you live in New River, Brooker, you know that it’s going to take longer to get law enforcement or fire rescue to you. That is because of where you live. If you live in the city and you pay for city services, you deserve a city response time of two minutes, two and a half minutes, three minutes. That’s what you get in the city of Starke, and I believe that’s the way it should remain.”
Nugent said city and county agencies work well together, but the city is not interested in consolidating services.
District 5 candidates were asked what voters had been telling them about Starke’s most critical issues.
Crews said it might not be critical, but he spoke more about increasing voter turnout by permanently moving election dates.
Redding said high electric bills, which is something he has vowed to take on. He also readdressed the importance of infrastructure to the city’s future.
Johns said she and Sanders have often spoken about electric bills. Even seniors whose mortgages are paid off may be choosing between paying utility bills and taxes or buying food and medicine, she said. That is something Sanders is focused on, in addition to working together to improve the city as a whole.
The Aug. 4 forum was sponsored by the Republican Party of Bradford County, held at the Bradford Fairgrounds, hosted by Richard Solze and broadcast on WEAG 106.3.
