Candidate for Nassau County Board of County Commission, District 3: Lynn Newcomer
The Nassau County Chamber of Commerce recently asked each candidate running for the Nassau County Board of County Commission to answer a Candidate Questionnaire and provide a Campaign Video that we could share with the public. Answers to each question have been copied and pasted directly as they were submitted.
For questions or additional information, please contact the Chamber at (904) 261-3248.
2024 Nassau County Board of County Commissioners Questionnaire
INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
In your opinion, what is the County's role in economic development?
To provide the needs of residents such as access to health, education, housing, local transportation, accessibility in roads, parks and recreation, water, waste management and communication infrastructure.
Discuss your opinion on conducting a comprehensive and continuous review of all regulatory processes that impact businesses and provide solutions that address these barriers.
Conducting and continuously reviewing regulatory processes impacting businesses will identify potential liability or legal risks, will check for rules and regulation compliance, and allow for quick response and adaptation to changes in markets or customer demands.
Local economic development efforts present an opportunity for growth, as our County has room to expand high-wage jobs. While Florida is the nation's 10th largest manufacturing employer, with 422,800 jobs, Nassau County has the potential to increase its share of this and other thriving industries.
These industries will look for transportation infrastructure for their workforce as well as their product(s) end-user delivery, workforce housing requirements, capital outlay for industrial complex required and cost of living/tax level. Nassau needs to fine tune its transportation and housing shortage to attract thriving industry.
JaxUSA Partnership recently announced 77 regional economic development projects within the last 18 months. With the right strategies, Nassau County can secure a portion of these opportunities in the future. Please outline your recommendations to enhance Nassau County's performance and attract more industry to our area.
We need to identify which businesses we want in our county and target our marketing toward those sectors. This requires input from businesses looking for particular sectors to boost their costs/sales, partnering with Economic Development for most common incentive requests and how to meet them, working with educational and workforce placement to build/support the skills identified as needed in those industries.
The Crawford Diamond Industrial Site covers 1,800 acres, with 400 acres ready for industrial use next to 1,300 acres of solar generation by Florida Power & Light. It's well-equipped for heavy industrial projects, having received substantial infrastructure investments from the state and County for roads, water, and wastewater. It is development-ready with a 100-megawatt capacity for high electric demand—suitable for advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense sectors. The site also boasts 10,000 feet of dual Class 1 rail frontage, access to major shipping terminals, and proximity to Jacksonville International Airport. Despite these attributes, it has struggled to attract significant tenants.
Considering this challenge, does this present an opportunity improve our economic development strategy? If so, what are your recommendations?
We have attracted major industry before but they pulled away when the site required too much development (Raw acreage with utility access to far), or was politically charged (may involve legal issues with County vs. leaseholder). We need to work together toward a common goal, without power struggles, to develop strategic sites that attract industries for high paid jobs.
How can the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) and staff actively and positively contribute to economic development in our County? Give recommendations.
We need to build an alliance of interested stakeholders to provide knowledge and skills toward the successful implementation of desired business industries.
This would require input from educational groups, producer groups, unions, business focals, technical experts, employment agencies, business groups, financial institutions, and relevant elected officials.
Economic Development would steer this committee to help in the research and to coordinate the timeline/action plan toward county implementation.
BOCC could create green initiatives to improve the industries energy efficiency: implement sustainable public transportation, use waste water for irrigation (solar farm near one of the identified sites). This attracts the higher paid sector of industry such as aerospace and semiconductor plants.
Many counties try to attract new industry by providing tax incentives. This is overplayed and just gets our county into a negotiation direct with other counties. Another school of thought is to provide assistance with the initial capital outlay of locating a business in our county. This could be done by working with county financial institutions to provide a regulated “community investment bank” under public ownership offering loans at affordable interest rates.
BUSINESS CLIMATE AND COMPETITIVENESS
How do you plan to engage with the local business community to understand their needs and challenges better?
Meet monthly with the business community for constructive ways that the County can better support. Share ideas in attracting unique business that supports our unique county.
According to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Microbusinesses (businesses with fewer than five employees, including the owner) represent 92% of all businesses. What will you do as a county commissioner to improve these businesses?
I have a microbusiness. The main obstacle is in leasing a facility in this high rent area and having adequate workforce.
Most of the retail buildings are owned by people out of the county/state. They overpriced their rates leaving many spaces empty and businesses selling from their homes. We need to force out of county owners of all rental properties to hire a County professional property manager to ensure their property is maintained regularly, clean and not boarded up. This will make our “cheap land” not so attractive to excessively build without thought to local demand.
How can Nassau County create partnerships and specifically funding programs related to talent recruitment, existing business expansion, and start-up opportunities?
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CIVIC AND GOVERNANCE SYSTEM
What, in your opinion, are the three most significant challenges facing Nassau County, and what recommendations do you have to address these?
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When making decisions that impact specific community segments, like businesses, it's crucial to invite their representatives to discuss and contribute. How significant is this input in shaping effective policy, and how do you plan to incorporate it?
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Do you believe Nassau County has adequate funding from property taxes, or do you expect to require additional resources from Nassau County property owners? Please explain.
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INFRASTRUCTURE AND GROWTH LEADERSHIP
How can Nassau County balance and pursue both natural environment protection and sustainable economic development?
Unfortunately we have already started eroding our natural environment through allowing uncontrolled growth and no plan for sustainable population. Just as the 2015 transportation study was not pursued, the County’s Comprehensive Plan of 2012 was just recently substituted with a 2050 vision. Like a business plan, we cannot be all things to all people. We must plan how we want the County to serve its community, planning in sustainable resources that protect us from heat, offers wind mitigation and intentional areas of development. We need to imagine the best county with its farms, beaches and wetlands while developing business opportunities and housing that is less resource intensive.
Recognizing the initial Public Transportation study spearheaded by the Nassau County Chamber of Commerce from 2015 to 2017 and considering the new Transportation Study currently being conducted:
What actions would you recommend to enhance transportation options and mobility for Nassau County's workforce?
We need to look at the old study and the new study to compare to identified needs of the county as a whole. Then we should incrementally and promptly add the transportation support serving the most critical needs first.
Will you commit to supporting sustained county investment in public transit initiatives?
Of course
How will you guarantee that Nassau County consistently enhances its connectivity, ensuring faster, stable, and secure infrastructure while also remaining competitive with various technological options to: drive future innovation and, governmental efficiency?
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QUALITY OF LIFE AND QUALITY OF PLACES
The Nassau County Chamber of Commerce recently secured a million dollar appropriation with Governor Ron DeSantis and the State of Florida. Legislators and the Executive branch both believe that affordable housing is a top issue facing Floridians. This historic investment in Nassau County housing is an effort by those entities to address this fundamental issue.
As county commissioner will you commit to using all efforts at your disposal to assist the Chamber and its Northeast Florida Land Trust in accomplishing this goal. Specifically, what efforts or proposals are you willing to spearhead to help this project become accomplished?
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What specific policy changes would you advocate to elevate and facilitate workforce housing development in our community, thereby overcoming existing local bureaucratic and regulatory challenges?
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Would you support the proposal to utilize any surplus county-owned land specifically for these projects? If so, how would you propose to implement this policy effectively?
For quick installment, we need to look at retrofitting existing buildings not being used.
Residents feel unencumbered growth is a problem. How will you ensure that initiatives to protect and improve our natural resources balance Nassau County's growth and development needs? How do you feel we have addressed this issue thus far? Going forward, how will you address these concerns?
By listening to your constituents. By not rezoning agricultural land to 400 residential dense units. By placing fees on resources that are sacrificed in the name of quick development. Ie, for every tree cut down, you need to plant 2 more with the breast high diameter of no less than…
Can you describe your vision for the ongoing beautification and regular maintenance of Nassau County's main thoroughfares?
Loved the original beautification plans such as Pines to Palms (I think it was called) but the plan was not implemented to date though it is at least 10 years old. Need to look over previous studies and findings to see what is ready to start asap.
FINAL COMMENTS
Do you have any other comments you would like to specifically address to the business community?
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