As elected officials of Jefferson County, we swore to act honestly and independently from unethical influences. I take that oath very seriously.
Our constituents deserve leaders that evaluate all the facts, do not seek their own interests or the interests of a few, and make decisions that are in the best interest of the community and the county as a whole. This is the basis for our entire democracy.
Sometimes those decisions seem unpopular. If you become an elected official, you need to be willing to be unpopular.
I need to address the rumors that the Commissioners who opposed the resolution on November 21 pertaining to the SunCoast Connector Toll Road had something to personally gain from the vote. I would like to share what happened to me as a result of my opposition to the resolution.
This week I was notified that because of my vote, I would be losing farmland that my family has faithfully rented for 3 generations. This amounts to 65% of my personal farming operation that my wife and I support our 4 children with. This has been taken from us in retribution for not supporting the resolution. To say this affects me personally and financially is an understatement. It puts me out of a job as a full time farmer. It puts my future in Jefferson County in question. It also takes several hundred thousand dollars out of Jefferson County's economy. The commodities I raised here and exported from here, returned revenues here. Those are gone. This has a trickle down effect on multiple local businesses our farm has supported for decades. Less fertilizer purchased from Waukeenah Fertilizer, less fuel purchased from Morris Petroleum, less business for Big Bend Tire, less business for Tractor Supply, Gulf Coast Lumber, and all the auto parts stores. And last but not least- fewer tangible property taxes for our county as I am forced to liquidate equipment.
I want to be very clear. When I made my vote, I was fully aware of the personal business risk I was taking. The only thing I had to gain from my vote was a clear conscience before God and before the people of Jefferson County, on what I believe is best for the future of our county.
Now, I would like to address some of the false perceptions that I have heard about the SunCoast Connector Toll Road that have led us to this point of division. I would also like to address my personal stance on the SunCoast Connector, and offer some advice.
Unfortunately, special interest groups and individuals in a position to profit personally from the controversy have pushed a false narrative. They created fear and anxiety where it shouldn’t have been. They have propagated worse case scenarios based on false assumptions that upon careful examination of the facts, have no basis.
The majority of the concerns associated with the toll road are based on false assumptions that arose very early in the process and that continue to be circulated. One in particular is the idea that the Georgia line is the termination point for the highway. If you take the time to look at the legislation, Georgia is never mentioned. If it were true that Georgia was the end target, a limited access highway through our community to the Georgia line would be very concerning and disruptive. These just aren’t the facts.
When we look at a map of Florida, and consider existing traffic patterns, you will see that the SunCoast Connector will more than anything pull west bound traffic off of I-75 from South and Central Florida and funnel that through our communities and onto I-10.
Some travelers may continue north onto US -19 and that will benefit downtown Monticello, but the majority will continue west. This is my educated opinion, but I believe the PD&E study will verify this in the coming months.
Another false perception is that the SunCoast Connector will cause explosive and uncontrolled growth in Jefferson County. This is completely irrational. Growth is controlled by the Planning Commission and our Future Land Use Map. We control the kind of growth that happens here- what it looks like and where it goes. If you would like to volunteer for the Planning Commission, please contact your County Commissioner for more information.
The question was asked at the November 21 meeting, “Why do we need revitalization?” To put it plainly, because our community is declining in population. After decades of modest growth, which notably began after I-10 opened in 1978, multiple sources are showing a negative or barely positive population growth for our county. For all the new faces we’ve welcomed, we are not acknowledging the faces we’ve lost. They’ve been mostly young families who have left their heritage and families here, to go pursue jobs
and education for their children in other communities.
There have been derogatory comments about I-10 contributing to the economic demise of Jefferson County. However, the population record says otherwise. Jefferson county’s population climaxed in 1910 with 17,000 people. Then it fell by 50 percent until 1970, and the trend finally reversed in the same decade I-10 opened. Despite this growth that has occurred since 1980, we are still well shy of our population from over 100 years ago. I believe I-10 contributes beneficially to our community by providing our citizens with a fast connection to outside economies for employment, subsidizes our tax base and provides jobs and services to the people that live here. I see no reason to believe
that the SunCoast Connector won’t provide the same benefits and more. Jefferson county is a beautiful place. But it is not unique in that we face the same challenges that other rural communities across America face. We suffer more during economic recession and recover slower, as evidenced by the current population decline. Poverty rates are higher and increasing faster in our rural communities. If we are not actively pursuing economic opportunities and diversification in our community, we will continue to see the wealth divide grow right here at home.
We should see the SunCoast Connector as an opportunity. We have been a community pursuing a tourist based economy for the last 20 years and this connector road gives us a tremendous population base that will now be within easy weekend travel distance to Jefferson county. The downtown shops that have sprung up here need travelers to survive. This could bring them. Additionally, it creates opportunities for us to be a competitive location for distribution and logistics, technology service hubs, and can provide an efficient transportation corridor for the many professionals we have here now that do much of their work in Central Florida but live here.
I am thankful for the people who have invested their vision, money, time and energy into the revitalization of our community. For my entire life, the property on North 19 (where Mafia Pizza is now), has been an eye sore. But with all thanks to the Bellavigna family, it now is a beautiful place of business. I am grateful for all these types of investments and renovations that are happening here. We need people in this community that create
economic opportunity and activity, not the opposite. If I believed that the SunCoast Connector would damage our existing businesses, my vote would have been different.
But to the contrary, I believe it is what these businesses need to survive.
I am asking that we not be fearful. I am asking the citizens of Jefferson County to take what we have, and invest it in such a way that allows protective growth. I am speaking up for the base of our community who need jobs and a future. That’s been my platform since 2008 and continues to this day. No one should be surprised by my vote at the last meeting. I have always campaigned on, and advocated for increasing job opportunities
for our community while protecting our rural lifestyle. That has not changed. The SunCoast Connector as I see it, is an opportunity to do both of these things.
Grateful to be in service to Jefferson County,
Stephen Fulford,
County Commissioner
District 1