New Year's Challenge

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a fun and safe celebration to ring in 2026.

Today I want to present a two word challenge to all of you to kick off 2026.

Be Involved

I was speaking with a commissioner a few weeks ago and asked how they knew what their constituents wanted in regards to decisions they make. The answer was expected..

"I do what the people ask me to do."

How do they know what the people want them to do? Well people tell them. Do a records request for emails any given week and you will see several emails from citizens about various topics.

Some range from wanting help with something, like a building permit. Others let them know how they feel about a development project. Others just email to rant about something. Commissioners see them, although I am disappointed in the lack of replies they provide. That will be a topic for another day.

But one thing that is noticeable is that people are quick to jump onto social media and blast a decision, yet, I never saw an email to the commissioners about it.

Take this post from last week. I shared an image of the number of alcohol/liquor licenses in the county, yet they banned dispensaries because there were 9 and it looks "seedy". Yet, no talk of banning new liquor stores, bars, etc when alcohol is far more prevalent among youth and far more dangerous to society.

To be clear, government shouldn't be in the banning business, but here we are. All because commissioners did not like the look of something.

As you can see here, there was a lot of conversation from this image. 106 total comments to be exact. That does not count the comments on the other 23 shares that happened.

Go onto the Chronicle Facebook page and you will see similar results. A post is made about something a bit controversial (growth, sales tax, etc) and 100s of comments follow.

Here is one from yesterday about the sales tax.

See.. 117 comments... most of them are against the sales tax.

Here is the problem and why I am doing this challenge.

You see, if commissioners are doing what their constituents ask them to do, I presume that happens through conversations, emails, text messages, etc. Yet, when I look at the emails, very few exist.

For instance, going back to the dispensary ban. Most comments I read online, whether my page or elsewhere, most people are against government banning businesses. Yet, going through months of emails, I found less than a dozen addressing dispensaries... and of those, most agreed with the ban.

So where were those 106 people who commented on my page?

The sales tax had a bit more emails, but still under 30 total that I saw. Where were those 117 people who commented on the Chronicle page?

How are commissioners supposed to know what people want if people are not emailing them to tell them? I know for a fact they are not having conversations with 100+ people via phone calls.

Commissioners largely do not want to take the opinions of social media. We saw that during the 491 issue and the texts that followed.

"It is just social media outrage. It will die down. It is only a small group of people"

While 100 or so people is "small" when you consider total voters in the county, if 100 people are against something you can bet it is A LOT more than that.

But again, how do they know if we do not tell them? While is may seem "pointless" because you do not get an answer or it may seem like they are not listening, I promise you that if they get 100+ emails on a subject, it will make them think. If they see a room full of 100+ people about a subject, it will make them think.

That is my challenge to you all in 2026. Get out and get involved. If you can make it to meetings, that is the best way as more faces in the crowd get more attention, but at the very least, send them an email.

Some decisions may have been different if the inbox had 100+ emails rather than 10. I have been told that they view silence as consent for what they are doing. Not happy with what they are doing.. At the very least, send an email. Make them read 100+ emails from concerned citizens every single day. That is what we pay them $83,000 per year PLUS the retirement contributions of over $40k a year if they choose the pension option. Make them read your emails.

Here are the emails if you do not have them:
rebecca.bays@citrusbocc.com
diana.finegan@citrusbocc.com
janet.barek@citrusbocc.com
jeff.kinnard@citrusbocc.com
holly.davis@citrusbocc.com

Hope you all have a great 2026! I look forward to reading all the emails you send in or seeing you at meetings!