As the Aug. 26 primary election draws closer, the Plant City Times & Observer will be publishing profiles and Q&As from each of the candidates who will represent Plant City and its constituents.
In this edition, we introduce the candidates for Hillsborough County Commission District 7.
District 7 candidates include Republicans Al Higginbotham, Don Kruse, Robin Lester and Tim Schock; and Democrats Patricia “Pat” Kemp and Mark Nash.
MARK NASH, DEMOCRAT
Age: 52
Family: Single, no children
Hometown: Brandon; currently reside in Lithia
Education: Brandon Senior High School; Florida State University, bachelor’s degree in criminology
Experience: Business professional, political strategist/consultant; The Gillette Company; president of the Tampa/Hillsborough County Human Rights Council
Favorite author and book: George Packer’s “The Unwinding” and Fred Karl’s “The 57 Club”
If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My grandfather on my father’s side. He died five years before I was born, and I was named after him.
Website: ElectMarkNash.com
What would be your top priorities if elected?
We must improve and upgrade how we do transportation in our county and region; attract living-wage jobs to our county and stop using tax-payer dollars to attract mega-retailers that pay minimum wage jobs and crush our small businesses, especially those who have been in business for decades; and grow smarter, including changing policy to increase density in the corridors that will benefit from improved transit options, and slow down the march to pave our rural areas and protect the Florida that we all love.
What are some of the current challenges in Hillsborough County, and what are your solutions to those problems?
I’ve listed my priorities above, and they are certainly current challenges today. We also have county government that has historically mismanaged county programs (Homeless Recovery, Affordable Housing, Animal Services, and Public Works) and those issues need to be resolved and managed efficiently for the taxpayers. I would also advocate to have the fees that residents pay to use our county parks eliminated. This is an unnecessary burden to local residents. I would like to eliminate the wasteful spending in local government and apply the savings to improving our roadways, water-drainage problems, better maintenance of public rights of way (grass mowing, trash pick-up) and to creating more after school programs for our youth through our Parks & Recreation facilities.
What are some of the current challenges facing Greater Plant City, and if elected, how would you address those concerns?
We need to protect our agricultural interests in the county, and work to attract higher-wage jobs to east Hillsborough County. With several plant closings in the past few years in the Plant City area, this side of the county sure could use some living-wage jobs with career opportunities, especially for our young people.
The county has reached out to residents through Imagine 2040 to help determine how growth should take place. How would you like to see the county grow in the next 30 years?
I would sure like to see a redirection towards infill in our urban and suburban core, to better prepare our county for an improved bus system and for light rail, where it makes logical sense. We must attract Fortune 500/Fortune 1000 corporations to our county/region to improve employment opportunities for current (and future) residents — jobs that pay living wages. We must also create a culture that nourishes our young people, so that they will consider staying here and applying their innovative and creative talents to cultivate and grow the jobs and industries of tomorrow.
What makes you the best candidate for the commission?
The combination of my deep local roots, my professional business experience, my community service through various organizations, my nearly decade of local political work helping to elect smart leaders, and my solid vision for the future needs of our county, all combine to make me the ideal candidate to help lead Hillsborough County forward. I will be a tireless advocate for fiscal responsibility, public involvement in local government, and quality results that will allow Hillsborough County to lead our region to a better future. We must work to become Florida’s leading county on quality job creation, innovative transportation solutions, and smarter growth management, and I will consistently challenge our local leaders to think big and to work toward quality results.
Other thoughts/comments?
I was a Hillsborough County high school tennis champion during my junior year at Brandon High. I was also selected to perform in the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. I am a huge sports fan of our own Tampa Bay Bucs, Tampa Bay Rays and Tampa Bay Lightning.