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. Yet too many of our neighborhood entrepreneurs face unnecessary obstacles, from restrictive signage rules to delays in code updates that slow growth and innovation. I believe that the same tourism dollars that draw millions to our region should also be invested in the local businesses that make our communities unique. As the Executive Director of Curry Ford West Main Street, I work alongside dozens of business owners every day, many of whom also live in the neighborhoods they serve. They represent the heart of our economy and the soul of our community. My husband is one of them, a small business owner and blue-collar green energy worker, and I’ve seen firsthand the challenges of keeping a dream alive while rents and costs continue to rise. Supporting our small businesses isn’t just economic development; it’s community preservation.
Empower community entrepreneurs, remove unnecessary obstacles for businesses, and drive economic development that preserves our local values, follows good policy, and is an efficient use of taxpayer money.
1. Simplify Orange County signage rules, streamline the cumbersome approval process, and reduce approval costs to encourage new businesses to open and mature businesses to refurbish outdated signs.
2. Create a new Business Assistance office to deal directly with small businesses and provide grants and business assistance funds to expand the business community.
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. Increase Tourist Development Tax rates and diversify the use of TDT revenue to support local businesses, improve local infrastructure, and stimulate local job growth.
5. Improve accessibility to our small businesses through multimodal transportation. Reduce or waive parking minimums to allow businesses to encourage adaptive and affordable reuse of current properties.
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 our neighborhood’s green spaces to serve as the community’s third space or “family room” for all residents, from children to seniors.
2. Construct walking/biking paths and build bus stops near libraries and parks to expand accessibility to public spaces.
3. Increase the number of crossing guards and ensure that sufficient sidewalks are maintained to allow students to walk to school safely.
4. Incentivize “mom & pop” grocery stores and farmers’ markets that offer fresh foods to open in food deserts.
5. Improve public safety by providing funding assistance to local businesses and communities for infrastructure such as lighting, cameras, neighborhood watch programs, and education on crime reduction. Increase pay and training for our public safety employees.
6. Address the unhoused population by providing resources like food, transportation, and mental health assistance, as well as increasing coordination between non-profit and public safety personnel.
7. As Orange County grows, ensure that schools, fire and police stations, libraries, parks, etc. 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 actually 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. Embracing renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure isn’t just good for our planet; it’s good for our people. Green energy creates well-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree, supports working families, and keeps our air, land, and waterways healthy for generations to come.
My husband’s work in green energy gives me a front-row seat to the opportunities these industries create for hardworking residents. And my love for nature, first sparked in elementary school learning about saving the manatees, drives my commitment to protecting the natural beauty that defines Central Florida. From Lake Conway, where I grew up fishing and boating with my dad, to the countless lakes and parks across our district, I believe our environment is one of our greatest assets and one we must protect through responsible, 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. Incentivize developers to embrace increased density over sprawl as Orange County grows.
2. Ensure that stormwater infrastructure is sufficient to prevent flooding and pollution of our local water sources.
3. Launch partnerships with OCPS, local colleges, and job training programs in order to train students for high-paying jobs in green energy.
4. Install native landscaping, rain gardens, solar shade structures, composting, and EV charging stations for cars and bikes at all county buildings and properties, and increase green grants that encourage businesses and neighborhoods to do the same.