Candidate Profile: Mike Crabb

For Mike Crabb, 59, serving Orange County has been the defining work of his life. The candidate and former Orange County Sheriff's lieutenant traces his career in law enforcement back to a ride-along with his brother-in-law in 1989 that inspired him to become a reserve deputy. Six years later, despite taking a pay cut, Crabb left the private sector to become a full-time deputy, a decision he describes as answering a calling to serve the community.

Crabb is one of five candidates, and the only Republican, vying for the Orange County District 2 commission seat in the nonpartisan Aug. 18 election, alongside Wes Hodge, chief of staff for Orange County Commissioner Kelly Martinez Semrad; Ocoee City Commissioner George Oliver III; family law attorney Marsha Summersill and former State Rep. Kamia Brown. County commissioners serve four-year terms and earn $127,320 annually.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Crabb on July 31 to the Orange County Commission to fill the vacancy created when former Commissioner Christine Moore resigned in April to run for mayor of Apopka.

A 36-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Crabb currently oversees the agency's traffic unit and legislative affairs. He is also the owner of The Shirt Shop USA, a screen-printing business he started in his garage after long nights working off-duty security jobs as a young deputy to supplement his income. The business, now based in downtown Ocoee, employs two full-time workers, including his son, Trenton, whom Crabb hopes will one day take over the business. Married to his wife Pamela for 39 years, Crabb has one other son and a granddaughter.

Crabb told VoxPopuli his campaign is centered on strengthening public safety and improving infrastructure. If elected, his goal is to leave District 2 "stronger, safer and better prepared for the future" by investing in roads, stormwater systems, sewer conversions and other long-term infrastructure projects.

Here, Crabb answers questions from VoxPopuli and the News Collaborative of Central Florida. Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.

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

1. Public Safety. Champion quality of life by ensuring public safety is a priority.

2. Infrastructure. Prioritize critical infrastructure projects, including water, wastewater, stormwater systems and transitioning homes near the Wekiva Basin off septic tanks. Also, target roadway capacity for widening key lanes and improving highly congested intersections.

3. Economic Affordability. Reduce wasteful spending and focus county tax dollars on essential duties: public safety and infrastructure. Create a business-friendly climate that will attract businesses with high-paying private sector jobs.

Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?

My entire adult life has been dedicated to protecting and serving the residents and visitors of Orange County. This is where I plan to retire, and I want Orange County to be as great in the future for everyone. This decision to run is not to start a political career; it’s about correcting some directions that I believe are off. I’m also running because I believe we need principled leadership and service-minded leaders.  A 39-year marriage to Pamela, who is the principal at a West Orange elementary school, and a 30-year career serve as powerful proxies for reliability, loyalty, and ethical stability — qualities I would bring to the Orange County Board of County Commission.

As the owner of The Shirt Shop USA in downtown Ocoee, I understand what it takes to balance a budget, meet a payroll and manage a team. I carry that same responsibility into my role at the Orange County Sheriff's Office, where I manage personnel and section budget. Balance sheets, leading teams through life-and-death decisions, and managing complex public expectations have prepared me to hit the ground running. I bring a robust blend of private-sector business sense and public-safety leadership needed to serve as a county commissioner.

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?

My solution starts with fiscal responsibility. First, we will audit the county’s bloated budget to eliminate waste and redirect tax dollars back to core priorities: public safety and infrastructure. By streamlining government and capturing the organic revenue growth of a booming local economy, we can actually lower the tax burden on everyday citizens. Finally, we will build a business-friendly climate that attracts high-paying, private-sector jobs so local families can thrive, not just survive.

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 believe in a stable, conservative approach to property taxes and do not support disproportionately hiking commercial property taxes to offset residential gaps, as doing so harms job creation and small business growth. If residential property tax revenues drop, the county should prioritize balancing its bloated budget through rigorous audits, eliminating internal inefficiencies and prioritizing public safety and infrastructure.

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?

The recently signed Senate Bill 484 addresses the core of this issue. By prohibiting utility companies from shifting the high electricity and infrastructure costs of data centers onto residential and small business customers, this legislation safeguards everyday Floridians from unfair rate hikes. It ensures that large-scale energy consumers pay their fair share, effectively protecting local families and small businesses.

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

In Orange County, our most urgent priority must be funding critical infrastructure projects, specifically our water, wastewater, and stormwater systems. For District 2 in particular, a vital environmental and public health necessity is developing a viable plan to transition homes near the Wekiva Basin off septic tanks and onto centralized sewer systems.

Do you support using Tourist Development Tax (TDT) dollars for needs beyond tourism, such as roads or housing?

I do support having a conversation about that, and the conversation needs to be had with the stakeholders. Mine would be in a very limited fashion — limited to public safety infrastructure, and only in tourist areas.

Are there any county programs or services you would prioritize to fund or cut?

I'm not going to say anything specific. Government, whether local or state, has two commitments to taxpayers: public safety and infrastructure. Everything budget-wise that I'll be looking at will be laser-focused on those two priorities.

The budget has gotten huge. It's bloated. I want to open the hood and take a look. There may be some things government shouldn't be involved in that are better suited for the private sector. There may also be things we're spending money on that are nice to have if you have the money, but we need to focus on public safety and infrastructure first, then see what's left over and appropriately apply those funds.

What is your plan to address local traffic congestion?

See previous question. I know what the role of a commissioner is, and I know that the mayor presents the budget, but I have a conservative voice for this. It goes back to prioritizing infrastructure. If we focus funding on infrastructure, we can spend more money on roads and fix congestion problems.

At the Sheriff's Office, I'm assigned to the traffic section. We're projected to receive nearly 7,000 traffic complaints this year after more than 6,000 last year. Many involve speeding, but a lot are caused by people stuck in traffic. And I live here, trust me, I know. If we focus that money on infrastructure, we can definitely resolve some of these issues. Even Public Works is significantly behind on repaving roads because infrastructure hasn't been prioritized.

How would you improve public transit options?

LYNX needs help. SunRail needs more ridership. I'm supportive of public transit because it plays an important role, but every solution costs money. I think we have to balance improving public transit with prioritizing major infrastructure road projects that are just so behind right now. Public transit also needs a better funding source than it has now, and if we prioritize infrastructure overall, there may be opportunities to find funding once we take a closer look at the county budget.

District 2 includes some of Orange County's fastest-growing and most rural communities. Where should growth occur, and where should it stop?

That's a tough question because Orange County is a great place to live, work and play. People are going to keep moving here because it's a great county. If our county sucked, nobody would want to move here and we wouldn’t have this issue.

I'm in the middle on this issue. I'm not a developer candidate, and I'm not an anti-development candidate. I support smart, planned growth.

One major problem is how impact fees are used. Developers pay impact fees to address the infrastructure their developments create, but because the county is behind on other projects, those fees are often spent somewhere else. The new neighborhood gets built, but the roads don't improve, and existing residents are left waiting longer to get out of their neighborhoods.

One of the first things I'll insist on is that impact fees collected for a development stay with that development and are used immediately. Infrastructure needs to either precede development or at least keep pace with it. We can't stop building because people are going to continue moving here, but we need to balance growth with the needs of existing neighborhoods. We can't put gates at the entrance of Orange County and say no more people are welcome. So, since we can't do all that, then let's balance it carefully with the existing residents so that they're not frustrated trying to get out of their neighborhood, and let's spend the money where it's supposed to be spent properly.

What steps should the county take to increase affordable housing and reduce homelessness?

Those are two really huge subjects in one question.

On affordable housing, I think we're doing an okay job. Developers are using Sadowski funds and the SHIP [State Housing Initiatives Partnership] and SAIL [State Apartment Incentive Loan] programs from the state, so I think we’re on track with that. I'll continue supporting state funding for those programs.

Where I think we have a bigger issue is workforce housing. Those are people with great careers who still can't afford to buy a home. I think it’s important that we look at smart zoning near major employment corridors and streamline the permitting process. Every extra day a builder waits for permits costs money, and those costs ultimately make workforce housing more expensive.

On homelessness, I'm still learning more about some of the county's projects, including one planned on Goldenrod Road. I’m going to dig deeper into that, but I feel like I’m a decent collaborator. We need to provide services and have places where people can go, and all of that costs money.

What are your priorities for protecting Wekiwa Springs and surrounding waterways?

One of my top priorities is converting septic systems to sewer. We've been trying to get state funding for that project, and I think it's critical infrastructure. If we can't get enough state funding, then we need to start dedicating county money each year to chip away at the project because it's one of the most important things we can do to protect the springs.

Do you support the state and federal government's approach to immigration, including Section 287(g) agreements?

People need to follow the law. That's first and foremost. I support the original intent of the program, where someone who commits a crime and is in the country illegally is deported. I believe all the counties in the state should have agreements that allow ICE access to local jails so individuals arrested for crimes can be sent away.

As for these large enforcement operations where agents go into communities and broadly check people's status, I’m not super excited about it. But I do support following the law. Ultimately, immigration policy is a federal issue. It's not something a county commissioner can control, but it does need to be addressed at the federal level.

What government transparency measures do you support?

Any of them. Everything. You'll get a straight shooter from me. If someone comes into my office about an issue coming before the county commission and I tell them I don't support it and explain why, then when I get to the dais, my answer will be exactly the same. Sometimes people change their positions once the cameras show up. That won't happen in my office. I 100 percent support complete transparency, and the county should be transparent as well.

Serving on the commission could require standing up to Tallahassee, even if it risks removal from office. How would you handle that?

I'll follow the law. I understand how the legislative process works because I have been very involved with legislative affairs for Sheriff [John] Mina, and I spend a lot of time in Tallahassee. I'm very familiar with the process. If [Tallahassee] got something passed, then it went through quite a process to get there, I may not necessarily agree with it, but I'm going to follow the law. I honestly can't think of an issue that would put me in a position where I'd be worried about being removed from office.