County Commissioner Stacy White meets constituents at public library
By Stephen Flanagan Jackson
STEPHEN FLANAGAN JACKSON PHOTO
Fred Harrell, left, president of the Shell Point Manor HOA in Ruskin, discusses speeding problems and an uncompleted sidewalk on East Shell Point Road with County Commissioner Stacy White, right, while Megan Nixon, White’s legislative aide takes notes.
Wild hogs running loose, uncompleted sidewalks, storm-water problems, trash and waste collection, substandard public transportation, deteriorating county roads, and over-development were just a few of the issues brought to District 4 Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy R. White’s ear in private meetings with about 35 citizens at the SouthShore Library last week.
White, a Republican, is running for reelection this fall. White, 46, is a shoo-in to win his second four-year term. But the popular White is not resting on his laurels.
“We need growth (in the South Shore area),” recognizes White, “but that growth has to be properly managed.”
White sees that Hillsborough County, and especially his District 4 where he grew up and lives, is not being properly managed by county government presently. He views over-development, especially of residential areas, as a double-edged sword that has both positive and negative effects. White aims to continue to promote his philosophy of “smart growth” regarding roads, transportation and development in District 4.
White, a pharmacist by profession and a resident of Wimauma, observes that some of the present over-development problems are a result of zoning codes adopted in the 1970s and 1980s and “now we are dealing with those results,” which he said call for wider roads as well as resurfacing many roads.
White pointed out that Hillsborough County commissioners are similar to mayors in their districts because, as in District 4, the communities have no mayor or city council. “We have to look out for our constituents on the local level,” he said, while also noting that District 4 often receives short shrift from the rest of Hillsborough County.
STEPHEN FLANAGAN JACKSON PHOTO
Andrew Davis, county commission contender for District 4
Among those waiting to discuss issues with Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White at his Community Office Hours July 25 at the SouthShore Library are Chamain Moss-Torres, Ph.D., left, and Andrew Davis. Davis, 36, is White’s Democratic opponent for the District 4 commissioner’s seat. Davis says his main concern with White and Hillsborough County is the lack of impact fees paid by residential developers. Moss-Torres, director of Enterprising Latinas, says her one-on-one meeting with White centered on lack of public transportation in the South Shore area.
In other comments to the press, White unabashedly admits to being pro-Trump, “although I don’t think the president will invite me to the stage when he comes to Tampa.” White said he prefers to remain neutral regarding Ron DeSantis or Adam Putnam as his public preference for Florida governor. “I am not politically correct,” White remarks proudly. “I am opposed to us becoming a sanctuary county because of the strain it would put on our public resources,” he comments, adding that Latinos should comply with the legal process for living and working in Florida. He also points out that he is not anti-anyone, and is a tolerant individual but “I do not feel I should be forced to sign LGBT proclamations, which celebrate a lifestyle I do not agree with.
“I walk away with so many good ideas when I’m spending time in these one-on-one meetings,” White tells the press, adding that he finds it effective to give his undivided attention to constituents and the particular issues they bring to him.
Community office hours are held quarterly throughout District 4 by White.