Candidate Profile: Chris Messina 2026

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If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

Low median wages stifle economic opportunity for many Orange County citizens.   Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data ranks Greater Orlando as #49/50 of the 50 largest metro areas in the US, with a median wage of $45,410 in 2024.  We'll address this by diversifying our local economy, with a focus on attracting High Tech/Space Tech businesses, to bring a range of great jobs to compliment those we have now.  A centerpiece of our Space Tech recruitment efforts will be to bring the first military academy in the South - The Space Force Academy- to Orange County.   The Space Force Academy alone will generate a minimum of $1B in local economic activity.

We need to keep our kids safe; they are our future!  As one indicator of the scale of the attacks on our children, leaders affiliated with organizations such as the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children say that Greater Orlando is #3 in the country in child sex trafficking. The USF Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Lab 2024 State Report estimates that there were 100,000 trafficked children in FL, with Orange County in the top group.  In addition, there is a rise in large group teen crime, such as the April 2026 "Icon Park Takeover."Our approach to keeping our children safe will be multifaceted.   We'll focus on every environment that our children find themselves in.  This includes get rid of environmental toxins, providing more sports opportunities and playing fields, and sensibly regulating eBike use.   Above all, we will focus on fostering a culture of responsibility, accountability, and opportunity.  A major initiative which we plan to launch is our Orange County Works program.  This provides a subsidized trade school education to every qualified citizen in Orange County who wants one.  Eligibility will start junior year in High School and run through middle age, addressing the local shortage of qualified trades workers, while providing a hopeful path to those feeling stuck in a "dead end" job.  After finding a trade job, the recipient will have 5 or 10 years to pay ½ of the subsidies back.  This  will help keep the program evergreen.

We need to get rid of waste, fraud & bureaucracy in County government.  That way we can invest where needed- such as better transportation & affordable housing - without raising taxes (& potentially while cutting taxes, if the ballot initiative to reduce homesteaded taxes passes.) We'll utilize a forensic audit team, zero-based budgeting, and fiscal discipline to cut $200M/ year in programs which are unnecessary, inefficient, or both.

Why do you deserve to elected in this race?

My combination of Experience, Education & Vision is ideal for the role of Orange County Mayor.

Experience

1. Building high tech businesses, trade associations & foundations that have cumulatively created thousands of great jobs

2. Solving problems with technology

3. Community service - Vice Chair- Orange County Watch, volunteer OC High School Football Coach, Big Brother, Special Needs Ministry founder.

Education

MBA, Harvard; Masters in City & Regional Planning (Rotary Fellow)

Vision

1. Bring the SpaceForce Academy to Orange County, lead OC to be the US center for SpaceTech.

2.  Fund a Trade school education (Orange County Works) for every OC citizen who wants one.

3. Transform the Lynx system using technology to right size it, making it a more reliable/efficient point to point system.

4. Revitalize our blighted Strip malls, create vibrant housing (including affordable), commercial & residential centers.

5. Partner with the City of Orlando & local builders to develop Church Street into a mega-sports entertainment complex, including e-sports and giving local residents an equity stake.‍

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?

1. Bringing in additional great jobs.  "Affordability" is mainly a function of earnings ability.2. Facilitate educational paths, especially in the trades, which provide opportunities for economic advancement.3. Cutting the per capita cost imposed by local government on its residents.

Will you vote Yes or No on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions?

I will vote Yes to lower property taxes by increasing the Homestead exemption and am encouraging everyone to vote accordingly.  The total from tax on homesteaded properties is 2.5% of Orange County’s budget, assuming no growth.  The impact of the proposed amendment on Orange County’s budget is likely to be less than a 2% reduction, again, assuming no growth.  With growth, Orange County budget revenues will be neutral to positive even if this amendment takes effect.Any shortfall will be addressed by economic growth, combined with fiscal discipline.  It's important to note that non-homesteaded residential and commercial properties are both larger County ad valorem revenue categories than all homesteaded properties.  

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond?

Although this issue is largely addressed at a state vs. a county level, there are a number of important considerations.  First, I don't believe that hyper-scale data centers are right for Florida, especially because of the risks to our water supply.   Second, I believe that the Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) should discontinue incentives for inefficient large scale utility solar fields & wind turbines and instead encourage clean coal and small scale nuclear to provide stable base load power.  In addition FPSC should incentivize investments in commercial & residential roof top solar by mandating net metering (1 for 1 utility bill credits) and cash payments for the net energy those installations send back to the grid.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida?

We need to reduce pollution across the board- water, air & land- starting with threats to the Florida Aquifer.  That's why I oppose hyper-scale data centers in Florida generally and Orange County specifically.. These hyper-scale centers are currently cooled by massive amounts of water.  That water is chemically treated with glycols, phosphates, nitrates, biocides, and sodium hydroxide, among other additives, all of which will end up back in our water supply.  

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