Local paper endorses Randy Brunson

The District 5 County Commission race will end with a new commissioner-elect for the Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 26 and The St. Augustine Record announced that with all the experience among the candidates, their pick is Brunson – we at Historic City News couldn’t agree more.

The local paper pointed out that Brunson’s key concern is that St. Johns County government lacks long-range planning. He said it is up to the County Commission to initiate the process with County Administrator Michael Wanchick.

During interviews conducted by The Record editorial staff, when asked what the best thing the County Commission has done in the past two years, Brunson said the implementation of the hiring process for selecting a professional county manager.

The worst decisions, he reportedly said, occur when the commission acts too quickly on a proposal without more public input and discussion. He blames that on the lack of a long-range plan.

Brunson is concerned about the county’s 84 percent residential tax base, and what it means to the county’s future. He supports business incentives, and feels they are necessary to ensure that the commercial tax base grows, with new businesses and an expansion of existing ones.

Affordable housing is also one of Brunson’s concerns, and areas of expertise. In 2005 St. Johns County’s Housing and Community Services Office recognized Brunson Homes as the affordable housing homebuilder of the year.

Brunson was elected to the Airport Authority in 2004. He recently was the lone “no” vote on a raise for the authority’s executive director. He said Wuellner should get a raise above the cost of living but that he did not agree with the wording of the contract. The raise the authority approved, 4-1, takes Wuellner’s salary from $114,000 to $128,000.

We are looking forward to the statesmanlike conduct, civility and respect that Randy Brunson will bring to his new commission seat.