The five candidates vying to become the next Orange County Commissioner for District 6, faced off in their first debate on Thursday night at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Orlando.
The crowded field of candidates – Homer Hartage, Victoria Siplin, Derrick Wallace, Roberta Walton and Virginia Whittington – answered questions from the audience that ranged from how to address health care disparities, attracting higher paying jobs to District 6, and environmental pollution, to ensuring greater equity in the allocation of funding for arts and culture. While candidates shared similar views, in some instances responses varied in terms of first order priorities to be addressed upon taking office and how to tackle the problem of homelessness and affordable housing, major issues in Orange County.
Whittington stressed her more than two decades of combined Orange County government experience and regional transportation planning experience saying, she is concerned that “business after business has left the district.” She said, when elected, she has a plan for improving transportation, economic development and creating sustainable neighborhoods in the district.
Commenting specifically on how health care disparities might be addressed, Whittington referenced the current Orange County Primary Care Access Network (PCAN) which aims to improve access to quality and coordination of health care services, to uninsured and underinsured populations.
“We need to make sure that residents are informed and aware of PCAN and similar programs,” she said. “And we need to continue to sound the alarm with legislators that our residents are in need of health care services through expansion of Medicaid.”
Walton, like Whittington also referenced the PCAN program, as well as the $51 billion in federal funding that Florida has refused to accept for expanding Medicaid, which would serve over 1 million low-income uninsured Floridians. “I would also focus on primary and urgent health care and determine how these services might be boosted in Orange County,” Walton said.
Given that District 6 is largely a low-income community with too high levels of unemployment, the matter of how to attract higher paying jobs inevitably was raised.
Wallace said, he would use his experience as a former board member of the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, to create a similar program.
“District 6 needs a plan to bring high-tech jobs to the area,” he said. “We need to be branded and everyone needs to know that the district has a plan and we will make it work.”
Whittington, like Wallace said, she would look at options available through the Economic Development Commission, and devise strategies for attracting higher paying jobs. She would also boost residents’ skills through training and jobs partnership programs.
Walton said, she would like to see training programs undertaken by WorkForce Central Florida, re-named CareerSource Central Florida, overhauled. She would also like Florida’s Workforce Innovation Act reviewed and amended, so as to ultimately ensure that the workforce system is more responsive to business needs.
All candidates agreed that there’s a need to bring down crime in the district and more generally Orange County.
Hartage said he was a member of  the Ivey Lane Crime Task Force and significant gains had been made in reducing crime in that area.
“Working with law enforcement we can enforce every single law on the books and we did that,” he said. “There were nearly 20 agencies involved and as a result, crime was reduced by 40 percent.”
Siplin referenced the Professional Opportunities Program for Students (POPS), which she said has served hundreds of students. Founded by her husband, now former State Senator Gary Siplin in 2001, Victoria Siplin said, the non-profit works with students 16-18 years old to prepare them for future success.
“With a budget of $5 million we have helped motivate 430 at-risk students through mentoring, counseling and workforce development training,” she said.
Wallace, like Siplin, shared the view that access to jobs, was one way to help reduce crime.
Candidates lamented the lack of equity in the distribution of $2.5 million funding allotted annually, to arts and culture, particularly as regards smaller arts organizations. Whittington, who was very forceful on this particular issue said, the time was right to speak up.
“We need to speak up and not just be rubber stamping things,” she said. “We just can’t have a seat at the table; we must make sure we speak up and get our fair share of funding for arts and culture, as well.”
Candidates acknowledged that Orange County did have a serious problem with regard to its homelessness population and relatedly, inadequate affordable housing.
Wallace favored creating a Neighborhood Improvement District and taxing the entertainment sector to support affordable housing in the district.
Walton expressed her concern for the current displacement taking place. She said, earning an “adequate living wage” was key to ensuring that persons could afford their homes when neighborhood revitalization efforts led to increased cost. Like Walton, Whittington and Siplin agreed that jobs and job training were essential for ensuring that residents could sustain themselves and their homes. Underscoring the “toughness” of the problem, Hartage said, Orange County needs a program that helps transition the homeless into homes.
Responses varied as to whether or not the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority should be eliminated and a regional authority created. Currently, a bill is moving forward in Tallahassee that would see Orlando join Orange, Seminole, Lake and Osceola counties to create a regional authority to build roads in Central Florida.
“This issue is being fought in Tallahassee and it is about power and money,” said a thoughtful Whittington. “The Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority has been functioning for 50 years….If it is not broken don’t fix it.”
Hartage said a regional body might have some merit, but that the matter should be carefully reviewed. Walton said she could not support moving to a regional body and wished to see decision-making kept locally. However, she called for better regulation of tolls which she said varied considerably across the county. Wallace said he needed more information before he could offer an opinion. And, Siplin alluded to the bad publicity with which the authority was dealing, while referencing the grand jury report which found former authority board members leaning hard on contractors for political contributions.
The debate, generally mild, saw no sparks fly between the candidates, although Whittington pushed back against Walton, who said she was running to provide ‘continuity’ to the district. Walton, up until recently, served as the District Aide to the current District 6 Orange County Commissioner, Tiffany Moore Russell.
“The last time I looked up the word ‘continuity’ it meant more of the same,” Whittington quickly shot back in her closing remarks. “If you work hard and you pay your taxes, you should get what you deserve. … My agenda is the agenda of the people…. We have watched our district go by the wayside and we need a different kind of commissioner.”
Hartage told the audience he is a “proven leader” who will fight for the most vulnerable in the district. He scoffed at those candidates who touted the many boards on which they had served saying, “It’s good to be on a lot of boards, but the thing is, what have you done?” Siplin agreed, noting that people don’t care what boards you have sat on.
“I will work to preserve District 6 and will do what the people want,” Siplin vowed. “I ask for your vote and I won’t forget you.”
Wallace closed out the debate by reminding that, he had come from humble beginnings and understood what it meant to be poor. He said he has knowledge of the issues confronting the district, including inadequate transportation, affordable housing, lack of jobs and economic development.
“I understand what it is to build a successful business and will be very accessible,” he said. “Voters have a choice and I hope you will join me.”
Thursday’s debate was organized by the Orlando Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
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