![]() We don’t know enough about Liebnitzky, but we do know that Booth demonstrated zero empathy for hard-working families who ought to at least have a decent place to live. His website touts a platform of lower taxes, smart growth and transparency, but it offers no details. Liebnitzky made unsuccessful runs for the U.S. We’d like to think Liebnitzky has a more realistic approach to the affordable housing issue, but he didn’t participate in our candidate interview and didn’t answer written questions. What they don’t need is a leader who believes affordable housing is simply unaffordable.īooth or Wayne Liebnitzky will face Democrat Tahitiana Chaffin in the November general election. ![]() Those workers will always need somewhere to live. ![]() Highway 192 corridor in conditions so dreadful that it became a movie - “The Florida Project” - filmed in Osceola County.Įven if Osceola County magically lured 100 high-wage industries tomorrow, tourism will remain the backbone of the economy and those lower-wage jobs aren’t going away. That’s the highest percentage of any Florida county.įamilies are crammed into motel and hotel rooms along the U.S. What’s more, 34% of the population is classified as “low income” or “cost burdened,” according to 2019 study by the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center. Osceola County’s unemployment rate is 22.9%. We realize this is a complex issue, but simply brushing off the problem is wrong. He said the solution is attracting “higher-value growth” - quarter-million-dollar homes, at least - not building residential housing that low-wage workers could afford. His jaw-dropping response: “We can’t afford affordable housing.”īooth noted how the county’s low tax base limits state funding for roads and schools. Then we asked him about the affordable housing crisis in Osceola County and how he’d address it. We didn’t agree with all of his positions, but Booth was knowledgeable and came off as a viable candidate in our endorsement interview. He’s a sixth-generation cattle rancher in Osceola County with a long resume of community service. We are reluctant to ever leave an endorsement blank, and Ricky Booth seemed fully capable of filling the seat vacated by Fred Hawkins Jr., who is running for state House in the Republican primary.īooth has been on the School Board since 2014, serving as chairman the past two years. That kind of pragmatic but compassionate approach is what’s needed now. He is eager to work with the tourism industry, but he’s also willing to challenge the entrenched business interests when needed. But we think a fresher perspective is needed to deal with them. He’s seen Osceola County’s population explode and the consequences. Harford has served five stints as a county commissioner or School Board member. He’s been running for one office or another in Osceola County since 1984 and has always styled himself as a foe of special interests. That’s not a worry with the third candidate, Michael Harford. ![]() But her eagerness to defend commercial interests raises concern. That’s not necessarily a bad thing since being able to work with that industry is important for any commissioner. Like too many others, she thinks the money - the public’s money - should remain a personal piggy bank for one industry.Ĭhoudhry is the favorite of tourism and businesses organizations. We think it’s past time a chunk of that money went to improving housing, schools and transportation. The county was generating about $60 million a year before the pandemic, and that money will likely return at some point.Ĭhoudhry wants to keep spending it to promote tourism-related businesses. The downside is her stance on tourist development tax. Peggy Choudhry is the incumbent and helped expand social services for low-income residents along the U.S.
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