Ann Taylor defeated two other candidates in the Republican primary for this commission seat in August, including incumbent Henry Dean. While there are no Democrats in the race, a candidate running without party affiliation, Merrill Paul Roland, will be on the general election ballot in November to face Taylor.
News4Jax sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.
Ann Taylor
Occupation: Retired. This will be my only full time job.
Age: 57
Family: Husband, Jeffrey. Two sons, Zach and Austin
Education: Bachelor of Science in Business from Arizona State University
Political experience:
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Although I have not held an elected, public office, “political” is defined as “relating to the government or public affairs,” and I can provide several examples of how I have served the public, from advocating for quality-of-life issues to being a careful steward of public funds. As a current HOA board president, I helped save my neighborhood over $30,000 in my first few months by negotiating contracts. I led the charge with a school rezoning situation in my neighborhood that could have resulted in our children being rezoned out of a school that we have gone to for over 15 years since it was opened. I also collaborated with my neighbors to have a special use permit pulled on a wood burning polluter that racked up $20,000 in fines for violations that harmed the quality of our air for over 2 years including school children not being able to go outside at recess.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
I see the top three issues in this race as:
1) slowing the growth in St. Johns County to let infrastructure catch up with the rapid pace of residential development. I will address it by only approving residential development that will not unduly burden our infrastructure and compromise our quality of life in St. Johns County. We also need better planning for growth and development so as to protect more natural areas as well as our historic and cultural assets.
2) curbing wasteful spending in government and assessing exactly where our tax dollars are going; we need to better understand why one of the wealthiest counties in the state is getting deeper in debt and unable to pay for basic necessities. I will address this by advocating for our commission to hire an independent auditor. We also have to ensure that development pays for itself.
3) preserving what makes this county a great place to live while maintaining a vibrant economy. We need to draw the right kind of business to St. Johns County – with an emphasis on that which serves residents and enhances quality of life. We must keep our tourist industry a top priority since it’s a major driver of our economy. That includes maintaining our 42 miles of coastline. We need to do a better job of retaining our first responders and our teachers with fair compensation and access to housing they can afford.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
After serving in this office, I hope to be remembered for being a responsive commissioner who solves small problems of individual homeowners, as well as the big problems our county faces. I want to be remembered for putting children and the elderly first, and for making decisions that will help keep our community safe. I also hope to be remembered for being a good steward of our land, from our farmland to our preserves to our parks and our beaches. Most of all want to be remembered as a commissioner who serves the people, not special interests.
Campaign website: voteanntaylor.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
| NO PARTY AFFILIATION CANDIDATE |
Merrill Paul Roland
This candidate has not yet responded to email invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If any responses are received, they will be promptly added to this space.