The candidates
Candidates discuss minority business, affordable housing
for Orange County mayor talk about minority businesses, affordable housing and capital investments at their first full debate.
The top candidates for Orange County mayor talked about minority businesses, affordable housing and capital investments at their first full debate Friday.
The debate, held at the National Entrepreneur Center in Orlando and hosted by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for Metro Orlando, featured Democratic Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, Republican County Commissioner Pete Clarke and Republican businessman Rob Panepinto.
The candidates were respectful toward each other, mostly talking about what they would do to promote businesses and hiring in the county.
Demings, who is black, said one of the main reasons he decided to run is what he sees in minority communities.
“I’m a lifelong resident, an insider in the community and active in both government and civic matters,” Demings said. “But I see in many cases minorities in this community being marginalized. I decided to run to make sure they have a voice at the table when major decisions are made. I think I’m the right person at the right time to bring us all together.”
Clarke praised the Hispanic chamber, saying, “The thing that makes me run for mayor is sitting in this room.”
“That is the highlight of Orange County, one of the ultrapositives of Orange County,” Clarke said. “I can give you a list of problems we have and problems we will address and attack, but in this room and in rooms across the community, groups of people come together and address issues.”
Panepinto talked about how “if I look at all of the other issues we have, a lot of it comes down to the fact there’s not enough dollars in this community to do some of the things we need to do.”
“And the best way to do that is to allow folks to make some more money and give them more opportunity to grow,” Panepinto said. “That’s the starting point. It yields more sales tax, more property tax, and more dollars to invest and combat some of the other issues.”
He said he entered the race to create “a modern, diverse economy.”
“And it’s not just bringing in tech jobs by the way, it’s making life easier for you guys as well,” he told chamber members, telling a story about an Hispanic
“I think I’m the right person at the right time to bring us all together.” Orange mayoral candidate Jerry Demings
business owner who was frustrated in his attempt to move his business to Orange County by an issue with an air-conditioning duct.
Clarke said the county needs to identify available properties for affordable housing as well as “contractors, builders and investors who want to do the right thing and build.”
Panepinto said he wants to change zoning and create more public/private partnerships to create more housing, while Demings said the housing issue can’t really be addressed “until we deal with some of the underbellies of issues in communities.
“We really can’t get to that point until we create jobs, deal with homelessness, deal with people underemployed in the community,” Demings said. “We need to take care of things that are happening in neighborhoods, homes and schools so people are better able to compete in the world we live in today.”
Demings pointed to his success in saving money by reducing the number of lawsuits against the Sheriff ’s Office. He also wants more public/private partnerships with lending institutions to help minority-owned businesses find capital.
Clarke pointed out that the county “tiptoed into something called the Firespring Fund for high tech. We put $100,000 in, Volusia County put a million in. So there’s a [gap] that needs to be closed.”
The nonpartisan election is scheduled for Aug. 28. If no one candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a runoff between the top two will be held Nov. 6.