County Commission — District 7: Jack Richardson

Age: 49

Hometown: Bradenton

Party affiliation: Republican running as an independent

Occupation: Attainable warehouse manager

About: Jack Richardson has lived in Manatee County in 1968, but became an activist three years ago when a developer applied to rezone a 77-acre agricultural property for development. Richardson has been an independent business owner for 22 years.

Why are you running for office?

I am deeply critical of how the current Board runs the finances of our county, and I am deeply concerned about the unbridled growth.  It is the job of the commissioners to manage our resources, not just to vote for everything put in front of them and then go home and forget about it. We must manage our budget so that we do not have to increase taxes. We must provide an atmosphere to encourage attainable housing. We must control the unbridled growth which affects everyone and everything around us. We must properly fund our critical services. We must truthfully explain the ramifications of the 44th Avenue extension. We must start to address the water issue, as well.  None of this is happening with the current regime.  

What do you believe will be the biggest issues that will arise due to expected growth?

Traffic is one of the big ones. Also, growth as we know it today — aka urban sprawl — does not pay for itself; hence the reason for the proposed half-penny sales tax increase. Additional problems created are 1) a burden on drinking water, 2) and a burden on services, such as the underfunded sheriff and EMS. This is not the end of the list.

What are the biggest opportunities within your district?

We have two under-utilized downtowns, low taxes, a good port, close proximity to major sports teams, a local college and beaches. Our downtowns are separated by the beautiful Manatee River. How much better does this get? Instead of concentrating on supporting urban sprawl out East, we need to concentrate on the downtown areas.

Could you please talk about three issues you deem most important that you already haven't addressed in the questions above?

The Tara Bridge is much more than just about the residents of Tara. This bridge is part of the grid pattern the Board and the developers are laying down for massive new development out East. If their plans come to fruition, the residents of Tara and Creekwood will find themselves with a major artery right through their backyard.

Myakka City is under threat of development, mainly because they have the last source of ‘free’ water in Manatee County.

Attainable housing is a high priority, along with promoting culture and development in the downtowns and urban core. We also need a viable noise ordinance and a real entertainment district in order to retain the younger generation.