Orange City District 5 candidates

Orange City District 5 — Left, Gary Blair helps a student at Heritage Middle School. Right, Gina Holmes and her children.

By Jen Horton
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Sep 18, 2009 - 4:38:30pm

Voters will fill three seats on the Orange City Council in a winner-take-all Orange City election Tuesday, Sept. 22.

Gary Blair and Gina Holmes are running in District 5,

Polls will be open in Orange City 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day.

Gary Blair

Each day, Gary Blair boldly goes where only the bravest of souls go: middle school.

A technology teacher at Heritage Middle School in Deltona, Blair said he really loves what he does.

“This is my 27th year of teaching,” he said. “We do everything from robotics to audio broadcasting.”

In his classroom, Blair has stations set up for all of his students to work on projects. His tech-gear is cool enough to inspire parent-envy.

“At open house, parents want a parent night,” he said.

During the day, Blair teaches the technology of the future. In his spare time, he restores the beauty of the past.

“I’m very passionate about historical preservation,” he said. “That’s how I met my wife.”

They met while restoring Albertus Cottage in Orange City.

Blair was on the Albertus Cottage Steering Committee. He applied for, and received, Orange City’s first Florida Historic Preservation Grant.

“I was quite proud of that,” he said.

Blair is running for the District 5 seat on the Orange City Council. District 5 covers the northeast quadrant of Orange City, taking in the sprawling John Knox Village community and other neighborhoods. Blair’s opponent is Gina Holmes.

Blair said he loves the city, and he really loves that Orange City isn’t just some town, but a real community. He wants to be a part of his community’s future.

“I have ideas for the future,” he said. “I’d like to see Parks and Recreation expand.”

Commercial development

Orange City’s citizens benefit from its commercial district, and Blair wants to see it grow larger.

“We need to continue to draw new business to Orange City,” he said. “Our residents are three to five minutes from anything you can find in a large metropolitan area.”

It’s not just about shopping; it’s about taxes. Three-quarters of property taxes are paid by commercial businesses, which keeps things reasonable for property owners.

“In order to keep taxes low for our residents, we need to increase our commercial tax base,” Blair said.

Water

Blair is definitely pro-conservation when it comes to water, but he thinks residents need to be better educated, and also rewarded.

“I believe we should be conserving water,” he said. “I think residents need incentives for water conservation. There are several different ideas I have about water.”

One of those ideas could include looking into a regional stormwater reservoir.

“We have a consumption issue and a stormwater issue,” he said. “We’re in need of a reservoir.”

He said he believed in the purpose of the Water Authority of Volusia (WAV), and now that it has disbanded, he hopes to see the cities come together to talk about options such as a regional reservoir.

“I think there is a need for a regional group and for a West Volusia group,” Blair said.

Experience

Blair served seven years on the Orange City Council, including two years as vice mayor. He has also served on boards and advisory committees for other organizations, including the Florida League of Cities, the Volusia League of Cities, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, the American Heritage Rivers Initiative, the Albertus Cottage Steering Committee, and Orange City’s Sustainable Water Committee. He also has served as the Orange City liaison to the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Why vote for Blair?

Blair said Orange City faces a host of hard decisions in the immediate future, and he’s ready to tackle them.

“We’re facing a number of challenges: the search for a new city manager, alternative water and stormwater ... we need someone in that seat with experience,” he said. “I feel I’m the better candidate because of my experience.”

Blair said he will listen to all sides of the story.

“I’m a team player, and I pride myself in my ability to deal with people from all different political groups,” he said.

But while he’s a team player, he’s no pushover.

“I am assertive,” he said. “I will hit the ground running. There will be no learning curve.”

* * *

Gina Holmes — it’s about listening to people

Gina Holmes is a teacher turned stay-at-home mom. She has three children: twins who will turn 4 in October, and a baby whose first birthday is in November. Having twins, she said, kicked her organizational skills into overdrive, and her organizational skills are something to behold.

“They told me when the twins were born to get them on a schedule,” she said. “I might have taken it to the extreme.”

Mastery of organization helps her keep on top of three small children, and still volunteer on two boards with enough spare time to run a City Council campaign.

Holmes is running for the District 5 seat on the Orange City Council. District 5 covers the northeast quadrant of Orange City, taking in the sprawling John Knox Village community and other neighborhoods. Holmes’ opponent is Gary Blair.

Holmes said while Orange City is special, it’s not a destination. She’d like to be involved with changing that.

“When people come to visit me, I take them to DeLand or to Disney,” she said. “Orange City could be so much more.”

She listed Orange City’s Christmas parade as another example.

“With a little help, that could be huge,” she said. “There could just be so much more for the community.”

Holmes is a people person. She wants to hear from everyone, and she wants to talk to everyone.

“My district is 2,000 people. In a week’s time, I could talk to every person,” she said. “My availability is awesome.”

As president of the Home Owners Association for Blue Springs Villas, Holmes spends a lot of time talking to her neighbors. She said in her neighborhood, there are 141 homes, and 40 of them are in foreclosure.

“It was kind of a wake-up call,” she said. “Everyone just feels like there is this hopeless situation. I don’t think the city is in touch with that.”

That’s where she thinks she could make a difference.

“It’s little things,” Holmes said. “It’s just making sure more people are involved and aware.”

Commercial development

Raising taxes on commercial property is something Holmes said, “Kind of scares me.”

In this economy, she said, high taxes could prevent new business.

“When starting a new business, it would really come down to every dollar available,” Holmes said.

She is pro-development, but cautioned, “We need to take care of what is already here.”

Managing stormwater is one example.

“What a lot of people don’t know is, there are a lot of businesses that have closed because of flooding,” she said. “So many businesses did not reopen after [Tropical Storm] Fay.”

Water

Education, Holmes said, is a big part of protecting current water resources. Adults need to be educated about water use, but more conservation should also be taught to children.

“We used to have conservation day in school,” she said. “I think we should do more of that. If kids are told something enough, they’ll learn it.”

Along with conservation is accurate monitoring, she said.

“Right now, those of us being monitored are paying the lion’s share, but there are a lot of people with wells,” Holmes said.

She suggested a meter or some other form of monitoring for people who use wells. That would give a more accurate picture of what is being used.

“I think that might change the whole thing,” she said.

Experience

Holmes is serving her third term as president of the Blue Springs Villas HOA, and is on the Orange City Sustainable Water Committee.

Why vote for Holmes?

“My biggest thing is the people,” she said. “My platform is ‘A vote for me is a vote for you — and I mean it.’ I’m going to think of every person before I vote.”

She said she also wants to talk to every person.

“You have to take the time to talk to the people,” she said. “It’s just the way you do things.”

Holmes is confident she can help bring positive change, better communication and more awareness to the District 5 community.

“I can do what’s best for a community,” she said.

— jen@beacononlinenews.com

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