Candidate: Carol Mosley

I'm running for County Commission because I love it here and I believe in the possibilities we have for a bright future if we plan carefully. I am certain that I have the skills, experience and gumption that is needed to serve Bradford County residents in a way that they deserve. What we have here is very special and will afford us great opportunity for economic benefit without environmental detriment, if we plan smartly.  Spending the last four years attending commission meetings has convinced me I am the best person for the job.

I first got involved with local governance when I showed up with a long list of questions about a plan to mine phosphate. My digging for answers on a single issue broadened my realization that there is much work to be done in many areas to assure good governance, careful planning and coordination, fiscal responsibility, and appreciation for public participation.

Both my education and my work experience give me an understanding of government “in the sunshine.” I worked for the Corporate Counsel of a real estate firm in a large Florida city where I dealt with contracts and court pleadings, as well as forcing attorneys out of procrastination mode. I have taken courses in contract law, legal writing and research, interstate commerce, and business law.

I left that corporate work to go into education and non-profit management. I have a degree in Environmental Studies with a special focus on how communities organize themselves around their environmental assets. I was Coordinator of Nature Studies at Miami Dade College Environmental Center and, after hurricane Andrew, Coordinator of the Owner Builder program. All of that experience was about planning and coordination, even in a time of natural disaster.

Every bit of the coordinating I did was accompanied by budgetary constraints. Any program conducted had to bring income sufficient to cover costs plus. Staff had to be paid. Books had to balance. I intend to get a grip on our fiscal responsibility and have already been scrutinizing our county income and expenses over the last four years. We can do better. I'm certain of it.

The position of a County Commissioner is that of a public servant, whether acting as policy maker or quasi-judicial decision maker. The job requires weighing each decision as to whether it will be a benefit or detriment to the public interest, while keeping within the parameters of the law and our Bradford County Land Development Regulations (LDRs) and Comprehensive Plan (CP). I have read our LDRs and our CP, and even past versions. I'm prepared.

I've also read volumes of the mining documents. My environmental education allowed me to make sense of the potential for ecological impacts and a lot of studying let me even understand mining concepts that I never imagined I'd need to be able to decipher. Fortunately, I have an inquisitive mind about almost everything. Part of the responsibility to perform due diligence is to value public input. In addition to offering opinions, the public can often provide the competent and substantial evidence commissioners require. It is the job of the public to provide oversight and guide their public servants to wise decision making. A commissioner should expect the public to hold her feet to the fire.

And, I've had my share of life experiences of ups and downs, and amazing grace. I've had the privilege of watching kids grow into productive and caring adults. I've worked with young people struggling through foster care and students at university excited about their future. These experiences give me compassion, strength, and faith in the possibilities of what I can do if I have have the opportunity to use my talents for the good of our community.

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