Meet Michael Shores

“I am a Christian first, a Citizen of the United States Second, a Constitutionalist Third, a Conservative Fourth, and a Republican Fifth, in that order, without reservation. My name is Michael Shores and I am in the hunt for the seat of Jackson County Commission, District Four. My roots are in Jackson County. I was raised just south of the town of Alford in a community of less than fifty families called Round Lake. I am 28 years old, graduated as Valedictorian from both Cottondale High School in 2000 and Chipola Junior College in 2002. I also attended Florida State University for two years where I received two Bachelor of Science degrees in Finance and another in Real Estate. Both of these degrees involve education in areas which are vital to the budgeting process of Jackson County. I lived in Tallahassee for three years and Mexico Beach for two years and decided to move back to Jackson County because I believe this is HOME.
Because of extreme disappointment with our politicians both generally and specifically, I decided to enter the race for district 4 county commission. It is my belief that our county commissioners are following the same path as our national politicians by spending, or approving the research for the specific purposes of spending monies which we do not have, with the hope that the economy will bounce back to save their decision to take action under false pretenses.
I know that people are concerned about roads in our county; So am I. However, every road leading to every house cannot be paved. We have only a limited amount of funding that can be used for new road construction. What we must do is to prioritize our road paving projects in a fashion that is both justifiable and equitable. Our county should implement a formula that is based upon the usage of the road, combined with the number of people that live on the road, the cost of the road paving, and the ad valorem taxes paid by the owners who live on the road in consideration.
I would also like to see the county commissioners work with the School Board Transportation Department, the Bus Barn in other words, and see what roads they believe would better serve the safety of our children if they were paved or even better maintained. It would also be a winning strategy to work more closely with our County Road Department to help assist our road grading operators with more education by hiring retired grading operators to show our less experienced operators some of the “tricks of the trade” that would increase their productivity and help save the county some money through lower operating costs and more improved roads that would require less maintenance.
As county commissioner, I would be available at all reasonable times during the day and evening. I would make every effort I could to return all calls within a 48 hour period from the time a constituent contacts me. Each month, on a pre-determined day of the week for a few hours, I would make myself available to the citizens of District 4 at a local business in a predetermined precinct and rotate it out so that each of the five precincts would have the ability to see me on a predictable pattern.
I understand that many people feel like they have been robbed by their utility companies and that their cries for help from their elected officials have fallen on deaf ears. If you are not aware, there is a percentage based franchise fee associated with all utility services charged in the county. I believe that the county’s utility bill can be paid from this income even if the fee is significantly reduced. I would propose reducing the franchise fee charged our citizens. This would allow the citizens of Jackson County to have a lower utility bill each month. Why our current County Commissioners have not thought of this idea, I do not know.
I am adamantly opposed to any new County Administration Building being constructed or purchasing the old Wal-Mart building, especially when the movement into these structures is to be paid for through higher taxes via the waste disposal franchise fee(tax). I would support moving into the old Marianna High School building in conjunction with the Jackson County School Board Administration. This facility has many features which would lend itself to use by the County for their needs.
I hope that you see I present logical solutions to problems I see. I am also not opposed to hearing from you if you have any suggestions that could help our county. I believe when we work together and toss around good ideas, we can morph those ideas into a best idea that would benefit us as a county, decrease government spending, increase its efficiency, and lower our overall taxes as citizens of this county, and District 4 in particular. I am Michael Shores, and I am a problem solver who is seeking the seat of County Commission District 4 and I need your vote to help solve some of the many problems I see as a concerned citizen of this great County.”