Candidate: Philip Cryar

Voters of Walton County…

My name is Philip Cryar and I am running for Walton County Commissioner, District 1.

I'd like to take some time to introduce myself to you, the voters of Walton County, and ask for your support in the upcoming primary.

I've called Walton County home for over 30 years. I love this county, the people in it, and the opportunities I've been afforded. I want to do my part to make Walton County a place my four children can raise their families and have the opportunity to achieve the American dream.

There are three primary areas I believe I can help move our county forward.

⁃Jobs: Our county is almost entirely dependent on tourism. If the events of the last two months have taught us anything, they have taught us our economy is far too dependent on tourism dollars. We have a tremendous resource in the northern half of the county that is almost entirely untapped. Surrounding counties that pass through the I-10 corridor have successfully brought in business using the interstate to grow and achieve their goals. Those companies bring JOBS! Real jobs! Jobs that bring higher pay, benefits, and a larger tax base for all of Walton County. As a Walton County Commissioner, I will reach out to business owners around our county to identify areas for attractive expansion.

⁃Infrastructure: Our county is tens of millions of dollars behind in infrastructure. Parks, sidewalks, street lamps, expanded roads, sewage, sanitation and more are simply inadequate for our population. As the 5th fastest growing county in America, our stressed infrastructure needs are pressed beyond their limits. We spend millions of dollars bringing in more tourists than our county could have ever dreamed. We spend very little to support the people who call Walton County home. As your Walton County Commissioner, I will ensure that the money we allocate for infrastructure will be spent on infrastructure. I will also challenge the out of control growth in the south end of our county to give our infrastructure a chance to catch up to the ever increasing demands.

⁃Common Sense: Our county, like many others around the nation, faces a challenge like we’ve never seen. In the last two months we've lost over a billion dollars and over 15,000 jobs. We need common sense, fiscal responsibility and a return to smaller government. I will bring a voice of reason and I will fight to bring common sense back to Walton County government.

I look forward to earning your vote in August. And I look forward to meeting you face-to-face to discuss your vision for our great county. Let’s work together to make Walton County a great place for us all. Thank you for your support.