Stephanie’s Vision for District 3.
“As someone who was born and raised in Orange County, I know what makes our community special: the small businesses that bring life to our streets, the parks and programs that connect our families, and the natural beauty that defines where we live. I believe that progress begins locally, with leaders who listen, act, and invest where it matters most. My priorities focus on strengthening our small business economy, improving access and infrastructure for every resident, and protecting the environment we all share. Together, we can build a stronger, more connected, and more sustainable Orange County that works for everyone.”
Strengthening Small Businesses and Local Economies
Orange County thrives when our small businesses do. Local entrepreneurs create jobs, keep our neighborhoods vibrant, and give our community its unique character. As Executive Director of Curry Ford West Main Street, I work with business owners every day and see both their potential and the challenges they face, from rising costs to outdated rules that slow growth.
I believe the tourism economy that brings millions to our region should also help fuel the local businesses that make Orange County feel like home. Supporting small businesses isn’t just economic development, it’s community preservation.
1. Simplifying signage rules and reducing approval costs to make it easier to open and improve local businesses
2. Create a new Business Assistance office to to provide grants, guidance, and direct support to entrepreneurs
3. Fight to implement the recently approved Orange Code that has been preempted by Tallahassee so that our county’s code is modernized and encourages smart business growth and innovation.
4. Using tourism revenue to invest in local infrastructure, jobs, and neighborhood economies.
5. Improving access to local businesses through better transit, flexible parking policies, and adaptive reuse of existing spaces
Building Connected Communities Through Access and Infrastructure
Strong communities grow where opportunity is accessible, where residents can enjoy safe, well-maintained parks, libraries, and recreation centers that bring people together. As a mother, I’ve watched my son and daughter grow up in these same spaces — playing youth soccer at Barber Park, taking swimming lessons, and making lifelong friends at summer camp at Fort Gatlin. These experiences remind me how vital these spaces are in shaping lives and building lasting connections. They are the backbone of the community, just as much as our schools. But connection also depends on infrastructure and transportation. When residents spend hours in traffic, whether it’s a teacher driving home after a long day or a carless cast member commuting across town, it limits their ability to enjoy the lives they work so hard to build. I believe in smart growth that balances new development with investment in roads, transit, and pedestrian safety, ensuring that every resident, from children to seniors, can access the programs and places that make our county feel like home.
As the daughter of a teacher and a supporter of educators through my work with the Boone Foundation, I know that thriving communities and thriving schools go hand in hand.
Provide safe, well-maintained streets, parks, libraries, and recreation centers that bring people together; collaborate on solutions to invest in and improve infrastructure and transportation, including roads, transit, and pedestrian safety; work with Orange County Public Schools to ensure the safety of our students and provide programs that nurture all Orange County children.
1. Conserve and expand out neighborhood green spaces and community gathering places
2. Improving walking, biking, transit, and school safety through better paths, sidewalks, crossings, and bus access
3. Increase the number of crossing guards and ensure that sufficient sidewalks are maintained to allow students to walk to school safely.
4. Expanding access to fresh food through incentivizing small grocers and farmers’ markets in underserved areas
5. Provide funding for community safety infrastructure, including lighting and neighborhood programs, and invest in competitive pay and training for public safety employees
6. Strengthening services and coordination to support our unhoused neighbors
7. Ensure that schools, parks, libraries, and public safety facilities are integrated into our new neighborhoods.
8. Increase access to our local waterways and lakes for recreational purposes.
9. Utilize our local public safety resources on increasing local public safety, not on enforcing discriminatory federal and state immigration policies.
Investing in Clean Energy and a Healthier Future
A cleaner Orange County is a stronger Orange County. By investing in renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, we can create good-paying jobs, support working families, and protect the air, water, and natural spaces that define our community.
From the lakes and parks that shape our neighborhoods to the industries that power our economy, I believe our environment is one of our greatest assets and one we must protect through smart, forward-thinking leadership.
Embrace renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure; protect Orange County’s natural resources; focus on smart development that prioritizes future generations.
1. Fight for the rural boundary and Orange 2050 by encouraging smart growth and increased density over sprawl
2. Strengthening stormwater infrastructure to prevent flooding and protect our waterways
3. Launching partnerships with OCPS, local colleges, and job training programs to prepare students for careers in clean energy
4. Investing in sustainable county facilities, including native landscaping, solar shade structures, EV charging, composting, and green grants for local businesses and neighborhoods