Tonight, I had the pleasure of presenting a proclamation to some wonderful young men from NE Tallahassee who displayed poise and courage beyond their years in coming to the aide of a Deerlake teacher and coach who was in medical distress. Thank you to the Rudd, Hogan and Ribolzi families for raising such great young men and thank you to Parker, Cooper and Beckett for having the courage to step up and help when the moment called for it. Leon County is proud of you!

For years, reliable high-speed internet has been one of the top concerns I’ve heard from residents in Miccosukee, Chemonie Crossing, and surrounding rural communities. With the support of the Board, I made broadband expansion a strategic priority for the County, positioning us to help build and lead the team that supported Comcast's successful grant application. As a result, thousands of homes and businesses across rural Leon County will gain access to reliable high-speed internet, with nearly half of the project serving Northeast Leon County. This investment will improve opportunities for students, families, remote workers, and small businesses while helping ensure our rural communities stay connected and competitive for years to come. I’m proud to have helped move this project forward and look forward to seeing installation begin across our community.

Hurricane season is officially underway. While forecasts call for a below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, it only takes one storm to impact our community. Now is the time to prepare by reviewing your emergency plan, building a disaster supply kit, and staying informed through Leon County's emergency resources. The 2026-2027 Disaster Survival Guide is now available, and residents can access preparedness information, alerts, and training opportunities at LeonReady.com. Build your bucket today!

We've heard from a few folks about the broken lane dividers at Killearn Lakes' Kinhega Drive exit and have a brief update. FDOT is currently investigating alternative options after these have been destroyed multiple times. There is not currently a timeline as they intend on doing a full study of all possibilities for the intersection. Thank you to State Representative @AllisonTantFL and her office for their help getting this issue in front of FDOT.

Hey everyone, Here is the June update on @Blueprint_IA projects going on in Northeast Leon County. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any comments, questions, or concerns and we will follow up ASAP. Thank you.

Drone footage of the (not yet opened) NE Park multi-use trail. This loop is approximately 1 mile and will eventually join the 17 mile Welaunee Greenway trail. The trail consists of crushed shell and is beautiful, shaded and flat. It will provide a cool opportunity for passive recreation and for parents to walk while the kids are practicing or playing! Shoutout to Kyle Frost for the drone work!

Please join me today in remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Their service and bravery will never be forgotten.

Today we celebrate Emancipation Day in Florida. On this day in 1865, the Emancipation Proclamation was read on the steps of the Knott House in Leon County, declaring the end of slavery in Florida.

Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day!

For clarity: This is referring to the solid waste fee for operating landfills etc. which hasn’t been increased in 20 years. This is NOT referring to Waste Pro service.

Hey everyone, Here is the May update on @Blueprint_IA projects going on in Northeast Leon County. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any comments, questions, or concerns and we will follow up ASAP. Thank you.

I want to give a public thank you to Commissioner @StasiKamoutsas of the Florida Department of @EducationFL as well as the board of the @FHSAA for ensuring the appropriate consequences were applied to a Chiles student athlete who was ejected from the State Regional quarterfinal baseball game last week. Additionally, I want to thank Leon County Chairman, Commissioner @CCabanFL and Chiles Principal Joe Burgess for their advocacy and support for our student athletes. As educators, our job is to protect, nurture and teach our students, not be overly punitive when they fall short, but to make those moments teachable opportunities that build character and resilience. While poor behavior must carry repercussions, the true value of mistakes is in the ability to learn and grow. I’m grateful that heightened discernment was used in this case and a reasonable level of discipline was applied via the appeals process.

My buddy (and Lincoln grad) The @GregTish_ and I have made a little wager on the BIG regional semi-final baseball series this weekend pitting the Chiles Timberwolves vs the Lincoln Trojans. Both teams are perennial powerhouses in Florida high school baseball. If Lincoln takes the series, I will wear a Trojans hat in school on Monday. If Chiles wins, Greg will wear a Chiles baseball hat on his show on Monday. Either way, a local team with players repping NE Leon County will be heading to the Regional finals and hopefully on to the State final four. Game 1 is tonight at 7 at Chiles. Y’all come out to Dick Steed field and pack the house for some high-caliber high school baseball. Game 2 and 3 (if necessary) will be tomorrow.

Let’s go! The NE Park is coming along great. It won’t be long now until this space comes to life with kids and families. This is where life happens! Shout out to JBE Sitework for the dirt moving and drone work! Video from JBE Sitework LLC on Facebook.

Please listen to my comments about the future of the North Florida Fairgrounds. First: let me be clear. NO ONE IS TRYING TO CANCEL THE FAIR. Rather, to the contrary, the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency is trying to leverage a valuable publicly-owned asset by investing $30 million dollars in its improvement. The fairgrounds are operated by a private not-for-profit organization called the North Florida Fair Association (NFFA) that has existed since 1941. They conveyed the property to Leon County in 1954 and began leasing it for $1/year in 1959. Obviously, over the last 85 years, the make-up of the fair has changed drastically. What was once a simple agricultural exposition is today, a multi-million dollar entertainment event that generates substantial revenue. The NFFA is run by a board of 15 members and they employ 6 full-time staff, which makes up the bulk of their expense. Recently it was revealed that the board rewarded its outgoing Executive Director with an approx. $30k dollar watch as a gift, resulting in the resignations of 4 board members. This is on top of the approximately $130-$150k annual salary. In the meantime, the NFFA has made it clear that they do NOT want the $30 million dollar Blueprint investment that is being considered because it would require a lease modification that would bring with it more accountability and oversight from Leon County and it’s elected board. Bottom line: The goal here is to make a generational investment in the fairgrounds that would help bring the property up to its potential and make it an attraction for better, year-round uses. With infrastructure improvements that could potentially lead to the construction of a hotel and/or other commercial ready locations on site. (Who wouldn’t want a hotel at the fairgrounds so vendors and visitors could actually stay on the site?) This would serve to revitalize both the property itself and the South Monroe corridor. Currently, the fairgrounds and its numerous buildings and facilities are experiencing “widespread natural wear, requiring various levels of repair across multiple buildings” according to staff analysis. If you have been to the fair, you know the bathrooms alone are an utter embarrassment. Yet, the NFFA currently sits on $2.67 million dollars in cash and investments. Yet again, the NFFA resists any increased oversight from Leon County, who actually owns the property. My suggestion is that we ask the Legislature to dissolve the NFFA and allow Leon County to run the fairgrounds, so that we can make the much needed investments to bring the fair, its facilities, it’s operations and its mission, into the modern era. However, that would require breaking down an 85 year old paradigm that is very hesitant to outside direction. My suggestion is simple. We CAN do better at the fairgrounds and our community deserves it. m.youtube.com/watch?v=6yLBrM…

Please listen to my comments from this weeks Commission meeting in regards to the “historic harms” item being considered as a Leon County Charter amendment. I will always support polices that uplift ALL people in our community, especially in areas of need, neglect or disinvestment. I supported our recent County resolution apologizing for our history of slavery. But this is not a resolution, this is about policy. I can not in good conscience, support an effort that builds a framework to deliberately and specifically direct funding to “individuals or communities” whose “ancestors” were harmed by historical injustices. The amendment as written is clearly about reparations, taking from today’s tax payers and redistributing that revenue deliberately and specifically to people whom they didn’t harm. That effort is a non-starter for me and is bad public policy in my opinion. Especially if that policy jeopardizes all of the good work and investment we are presently making to uplift and improve our entire community. We are making great strides in Leon County and in the 32304 zip code specifically. This effort would not heal old wounds, it would only serve to create new ones. m.youtube.com/watch?si=c-I2r…

Now open on Kerry Forest Pkwy across from the Red Elephant shopping center, CareMed has moved into the former Patients First facility. Welcome to the neighborhood!