Candidate Profile: Marya Uribe

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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?

The number-one issue is affordability, which deals with both the high cost of living in this county and the need to attract higher paying jobs for our citizens.

Housing.  Housing costs, both rental and home ownership, have exceeded the 25- to 30-percent threshold of the average income of our residents.  

Growth of Homeowner Starter homes. For affordable housing that is owner occupied., we need to encourage, limit, or require a percentage of new houses be no more than 1500 square feet. We need to grow the inventory of starter homes for our kids and the younger generation to have the opportunity of homeownership.  

• Infill, transit interaction with new units, redevelopment of 1950s used car lots that stretch on existing state roads are the targets for townhome

• Recognize that we need more compact dense housing with readied transit.• My team will engage with the State and other states to develop and expand the financing of owner-occupied units.

The number two issue is transportation with environmental protection. On transportation, I support strengthening and modernizing the Lynx transit system to better meet the needs of a growing Orange County, but expansion alone is not enough without meaningful reform and improved service efficiency. We need a more reliable, user-friendly system that includes smaller and more efficient buses, improved digital and web-based scheduling tools, and better-connected transfer stations, especially in the Eastern and Southern parts of the county. We also need express routes that reduce travel times. Transportation funding conversation must be grounded in accountability and focus on tangible improvements such as pedestrian safety, lighting, intersection upgrades, green spaces and trails, better traffic signal timing, and critical roadway improvements in high-impact corridors.  We have  will improve the daily commute time by 10-15 minutes each way with simple smarter transportation solutionsOn environmental protection,  I strongly support preserving Orange County's rural boundary and have demonstrated that commitment through my votes, including serving as the deciding vote on multiple occasions to prevent urban sprawl. As Mayor, I will continue to lead efforts to protect our rural communities while promoting smart, responsible growth within our existing urban areas. Preserving our rural boundary also means protecting our wetlands, improving flood control, and safeguarding our natural resources with consistent, science-based standards across the county. It is time that we have one set of rules for wetland and flood control in Orange County, as those areas cross jurisdictional boundaries.

The number 3 issue is fiscal responsibility. While not glamorous, the third issue is maximizing the return to our citizens on their tax dollars.   We need to efficiently spend.   We need to live within our means.As Mayor, my budget priorities will begin with protecting core services that residents rely on every day, including public safety, fire rescue, corrections, transportation, and critical infrastructure. For example, let’s look at public safety. While it will always be a funding priority, the increased costs need to be minimized. I have no problem paying the deputies and fire fighters and jail guards appropriately. But, at the same time, we need to find efficiencies in those budgets. I believe we have a responsibility to ensure every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely. I will implement a “zero-based budgeting approach” that requires every department to justify its spending, identify inefficiencies, and eliminate waste rather than simply increasing budgets year after year. Instead of tackling the waste and inefficiencies in the system, many budgets were increased by 20-40% under the current Mayor. Under my leadership, this won’t happen again. I will also pursue greater operational efficiencies by centralizing and modernizing back-office functions across county government and exploring innovative approaches to reduce rising insurance costs, which now exceed $200 million annually for the General County Government, the Sheriff, Fire, Corrections and Constitutional Officers.

Why do you deserve to elected in this race?

I want to make Orange County a better place where our Children will want to and be able to work and prosper.  I support private industry.  I will hold people accountable in the spending of tax dollars. I challenged the status quo on tourism marketing spending, and they went after me for that when I simply thought they were granted too much money, and when two years later they would not return $20 t0 $40 million to the general fund that was improperly spent, I vote against giving them a free pass.  I am now raising my children here and have been a champion for people I know what it takes to make Orange County better with attainable housing, transportation, and good-paying jobs. I have made tough choices where my focus is on putting people first, not the Status Quo.    

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?

That is the Number 1 issue affecting our citizens. The cost of property insurance, transportation, and basic commodities is rising, making it difficult for working families, retirees, and young people to get by. As Mayor, I’ll prioritize growing the workforce and affordable housing, making permitting easier to bring down housing costs, investing in transportation solutions that save residents time and money, and promoting economic growth that brings more higher-paying jobs in varied industries such as tech, auto, and manufacturing. I will also seek to minimize unnecessary regulatory burdens on small businesses, strengthen workforce development partnerships, and ensure public monies are spent wisely and transparently. The County can’t solve every affordability concern alone, but we can make wise local decisions that bring down the cost of living, improve economic opportunities, and support Orange County as a place where families can afford to live, work and prosper.

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?

Florida's affordability challenges are real, and homeowners deserve meaningful property tax relief. I have yet to be provided in written detail on the effects on Orange County. As a homeowner, I support the raising of the homestead exception. And our County is better situated than Seminole or Osceola Counties with the amount of commercial taxable properties. But it is going to cause real problems in other counties and small cities within the county. I would have preferred an open discussion to provide offsets such as increasing taxes on tourism as the Governor mentioned. Our citizens want efficient government. Some past practices need to change, and efficiencies expanded. Constitutional votes are hard to take back. So, I am still uncertain as to whether we can govern with loss of revenue. I am waiting for more of the detail which has not been forthcoming.

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?

Affordable, reliable utilities are critical to our residents’ quality of life and Orange County’s economic competitiveness. The general public should not subsidize the delivery of energy to data centers. We need to make sure that residential customers aren't unfairly stuck with increased energy costs as demand for electricity increases from data centers and other major industrial users. I think utility regulators need to demand more openness in how rates are set, look hard at the long-term impact of large energy consumers and make sure those that create big additional demand are paying their fair share for the infrastructure expenses needed to accommodate them. At the same time, Florida should continue to invest in grid modernization, energy efficiency and robust infrastructure to improve dependability and help limit long-term costs. We should be supporting innovation and economic progress while not saddling families, elderly and small businesses from subsidizing those uses.

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

Balancing expansion with the conservation of our natural resources is one of the greatest environmental concerns facing Orange County. As our population continues to grow, we must maintain our lakes, springs, watersheds,  wetlands and drinking water, manage stormwater better and invest in resilient infrastructure that lowers flooding and protects our ecosystem.Smart growth implies combining economic development with conservation by protecting environmentally sensitive regions, increasing green spaces and ensuring new development is supported by the infrastructure needed to maintain sustainable communities. As Mayor not only is conserving our environment about conservation, it's also about protecting public health, improving our economy and preserving the quality of life that makes Orange County a great place to live, work and raise a family.  And, a hidden issue is that we need to protect our community’s water supply from development and for preservation of recreation.  This has been silenced. We need to acquire areas where our water supply is recharged. I will engage on this issue, and develop a plan and start such purchases.

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