I’d like to take a few minutes and tell you what you can expect when I do become your new county commissioner in November. My experience and my accomplishments are on the other pages of this website. I sincerely believe that my experience in both government and business will translate well in making decisions that make sense for our community. I think that this election is about the future and I’d like talk about what I expect to focus on and achieve as a member of the BOCC.

·        I am a conservative and a life long Republican. I believe in less government. Than means less spending and less government interference in both our personal and work lives.

·        We already have the highest unemployment rate of any county in Florida, we have seen a major slowdown in the construction industry, and we have seen layoffs in two of the largest employers in LaBelle, Duda and Alico Plant World just during the past couple of months. The sale of USSC to the South Florida Water Management District will have long term ramifications for economic development here in Hendry County. The hurricanes brought us dramatically higher insurance costs for our homes, gas prices have skyrocketed and our property taxes are a burden that is overwhelming.  

·        The last thing that we need is an inefficient government with wasteful spending. As a member of the Florida Citrus Commission for six years, every one of my votes and all of my actions were for lower taxes, less spending, and reduction in the size of government. During my tenure as a Citrus Commissioner the headcount at the Florida Department of Citrus was reduced from 90 to less than 50. Under my leadership, the USDA inspector headcount was reduced from over 200 inspectors to half that amount as Chairman of the Inspection Review Committee in 2005.

·        If I am elected I will hold our government officials accountable for improving responsiveness and keeping down spending. My experience in business has taught me that costs creep in to any organization and you have to make a deliberate and concerted effort to drive them out. I have been there and done it many times and I am ready to take on this challenge during these difficult economic times.

·        Let’s talk about agriculture for a minute. We are all dependent on our agricultural economy in western Hendry County. The citrus industry is the second largest economy in the state of Florida. Just to give you a perspective on the magnitude of an operation that I am very familiar with, at Southern Gardens we squeeze more oranges than the country of Mexico, and the states of California, Texas and Arizona put together. If I am elected County Commissioner, I will be supportive of agriculture. Even with the sale of US Sugar agriculture will continue to be the backbone of our economy here in Hendry County.

·        Having said that, I think that it is important to keep all things in balance. In agriculture we must meet the needs of the present with out compromising the future. We must make sure that those that come behind us don’t suffer from our actions. As your County Commissioner, I am committed to make sure that this doesn’t happen.

·        Despite the current economic downturn, I think we all know that growth is going to occur here in our community. If I am elected, I will make sure that we have a strong voice in determining the direction of that growth. Our future is not going to be entirely determined by the Department of Community Affairs or the South Florida water management district, or even the County Planner. We sure can’t allow the coastal communities to determine our development. If it were left up to them, they would take our water and give us the prisons, the mines, and landfills. It troubles me that at a recent meeting of the Regional Planning Council, Hendry County had no participation. If I am elected as your next county commissioner, I will make sure that we have a strong voice at the table so that we can build a better community by design and not by default.

·        This is an important election and I need your support to win against three determined opponents. Some would have us turn back the clock to a time when decisions were being made in smoke filled rooms by the good ole boy network. But this election is not about the past. It is about our commitment to the future of our community and it is about the future of our children and our grandchildren. I hope that you will give me this opportunity to make a difference.

·        Please vote on August 26^th for Tris Chapman, Republican, for Hendry County Commission, District 3. Thank you for your support!

Contact Information:
Tris Chapman
http://tchapman@chapmanforhendrycommission.com