Two Apopka commissioners face challengers in re-election bids
Two council seats are up for grabs in the city of Apopka, and on March 15, voters will decide whether to stick with incumbents or go for a newcomer.
The six candidates vying over the posts have spent recent weeks pitching their vision for a city that they say stands on the brink of transformation. The disagreement between them has revolved around how Apopka should adapt to the anticipated development and how to create community cohesiveness in the process.
Incumbent Bill Arrowsmith, a community banker, has argued that his four decades of experience on the city council qualify him to guide the city through a period of transition. With only two years on the council, Commissioner Sam Ruth is touting the strides he says the city has made of late.
Challengers in both races are trying to persuade voters to shake up the council with some fresh faces and new ideas.
During the campaign, Arrowsmith has vowed to control Apopka’s spending and tax rates and has highlighted his breadth of knowledge about the city. “I think there’s a lot of growth on the horizon, and obviously a lot of times, you can look back and learn from your mistakes and your accomplishments, and I think that’s very important as you’re moving forward,” Arrowsmith, 69, said.
At the same time, Arrowsmith has had to defend himself from challengers Kyle Becker and Young Kim, who argue that the councilman hasn’t accomplished enough during his roughly 40 years in office. Many people feel that “nothing is really happening in Apopka,” Becker said.
Becker, 37, a business analyst, has focused on bringing economic diversity and more shopping and dining options to the city. Too many Apopka residents leave each day for work, and Becker said he’d like to see local job growth so people can find employment closer to their homes. “My intention is to make Apopka a destination for our residents, first and foremost,” he said.
Kim, 42, owns a furniture store in Apopka and has promised to make small business development a priority if elected. He also says he would consider discontinuing the city’s red-light camera program.
In the race for the second council seat, Ruth, 54, is facing off against local pastor Doug Bankson and stay-at-home mother Alice Nolan. Over the campaign, Ruth has said the city has become more transparent during his time in office, and citizen engagement is on the rise. The construction quality control supervisor says if re-elected, he’d work to update the city’s development rules to attract desirable businesses rather than fast-food restaurants and auto-parts stores.
Bankson, 53, has called for an end to the divisiveness that pits longtime Apopka residents against newcomers or separates the city into north and south sectors. “I’m happy to have run a clean race and believe Apopka’s best days are ahead of us moving forward together,” he wrote in an email.
A sixth-generation Apopkan, Nolan, 27, says she has a deep appreciation for the city’s history. However, she’s also able to bring a youthful perspective and energy to the city commission. If elected, she would work to preserve the city’s heritage as it grows, she has said.