Gary Carney is a democratic District 5 Seminole Board of County Commissioners candidate and a Sanford resident. He has worked as a sailing instructor, and in restaurant management and sales. Carney co-founded Anchor Promotional Marketing Inc. in 2001 and founded Shadrach’s Fiery Furnace Traveling Pizza Company in 2011.
According to his website, Carney’s platform includes expanding access to affordable housing, finding solutions to homelessness, advocating for responsible urban development and rural conservation, investing in public infrastructure, protecting Florida’s natural resources and supporting public education by providing competitive teacher salaries and autonomy in the classroom.
His campaign has been endorsed by the Seminole County Democratic Party. Carney has received $10,319.55 in monetary contributions and has spent $10,197.61. Learn more.
Carney did not submit a video.
OCN Q&A
OCN created a profile for each candidate and sent each candidate a list of questions that we created based on input from residents of Greater Oviedo and Winter Springs. Each candidate within a specific race got the same list of questions at the same time and had a 50-word limit per question. Answers were only edited for grammar and clarity.
Growth
Q: How do you feel about the idea of a densification zone in Seminole County where developers redevelop upward, rather than outward?
A: I support densification zones where infrastructure can handle growth, with adequate public transportation and easy access to community needs. I promote building up, not out, while encouraging walkable neighborhoods and vibrant downtowns.
Q: Once land is zoned for development, local governments cannot downgrade that zoning, meaning that local government has little power in the development of zoned land unowned by them. What do you think the local government can do, if anything, to preserve as much of the green space and charm of the area as possible?
A: Protecting green space and rural lands is a top priority. I will uphold existing zoning in rural areas to prevent sprawl, while supporting higher density only in areas where infrastructure and public transportation can handle it. This ensures balanced growth while preserving Seminole County’s natural charm.
Q: Residents expressed concern about increasing development density in more rural areas, saying they want more of the area’s green space and charm to be preserved. How do you plan to vote when a developer approaches the board about rezoning to a higher density?
A: My instinct is to deny any increase in density, though every situation is unique and one should “never say never.” Protecting Florida requires us to slow or stop development on new land, especially near rivers, streams, wetlands, and protected areas. I support keeping rural land rural.
Q: Some residents are concerned about a lack of notifications for key votes on development. What will you do to increase transparency in the development proposal process?
A: As a commissioner, I will advocate for better communication from county staff and push for localized mailers, internet notices, and printed legal notices. I will also work with my staff to create a district newsletter and offer evening town hall opportunities to keep constituents informed.
Taxes
Q: With Oviedo having a tax hike on the ballot, some residents worry that taxes being raised might be used to fund unnecessary projects. That’s a fear residents have in other cities like Winter Springs, where some have questioned the need for a pickleball facility while the city tackles water issues. Are there any projects that have happened recently in the county that you would have voted against? What would you do to add public input and transparency to these decisions by the County Commission?
A: I’ve heard concerns from voters about the penny sales tax being used for commissioners’ pet projects and excessive spending on building expansions at Five Points. I oppose selling the current public services building and other public property in Sanford, believing it should remain for public use.
Traffic and transportation
Q: Residents are concerned that development in the area is outpacing the infrastructure, including water, housing, schools and roads. For instance, back in 2022, OCN reported that Seminole County is responsible for grading road capacity locally and that it uses total daily traffic numbers instead of the numbers at peak traffic times to determine if they’re at capacity, which is why roads commonly show that they have capacity for growth even though motorists experience congestion. What will you do to ensure that population growth does not overburden local roads?
A: Long term, we must reduce reliance on personal cars and focus on accessible public transportation. Developers should provide covered spaces for rideshare services and buses, with safe walkways. Prioritizing urban core development over rural expansion is crucial.
Housing
Q: Some residents say they’re being driven out of the parts of the county by a shortage of affordable housing. According to the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies’ 2023 annual report, the statewide median single-family home price hit a new peak of $400,000 in the first half of 2023. Seminole County was in the third most expensive housing price range in the state with $400,000 to $499,000 as the median single-family home price. The graph below compares the statewide affordable/available housing supply to renter households for six income groups, divided by how much they earn relative to the area median income (AMI): 0-30%, 0-40%, 0-50%, 0-60%, 0-80%, and 0-120%. For example, if the area median income is $50,000, somebody earning $25,000 would be at 50% AMI. Somebody earning $60,000 would be at 120% AMI.
How, if at all, would you address that problem?
A: Affordable housing, and lack thereof, is the biggest issue we face in Seminole county with exorbitant home prices & rents, and we need a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to combat it, starting with getting Wall Street investors out of the single-family home business and limiting the rental units anyone can control.
Infrastructure
Q: With increasing resident concern about the availability of potable water, what will you do to help cut the county’s reliance on potable water for irrigation, cut down on septic system use and to improve the quality of the potable water we have?
A: Funding and expanding the septic-to-sewer program is a priority, as well as requiring homes not yet connected to the county’s reclaimed water system to update within a specified timeframe or upon sale. Additionally, collaboration with the DEP is crucial to protect Florida’s springs and aquifer through the updated BMAPs.
Public safety
Q: Rising costs for police and fire protection have residents worried about the county’s ability to fund its public safety. What will you do to ensure the city has adequate police and fire funding in the future?
A: In order to increase funds for both agencies is savings on employee benefit programs designed to reduce healthcare costs for both the county and the employees. I will introduce a wellness plan that can save the county over $500 per employee on health coverage while also increasing benefits and reducing fees for employees.
Q: What do you say to residents who argue that pedestrian safety is poor in Seminole County and that the county needs more uniform signage and safer crosswalks?
A: I say you’re probably right, show me what intersection you’re concerned about and I will see what I can do to get it fixed. Recent federal funding created the Vision Zero agency designed to study, fund and implement best practices in traffic and road design to insure safety and reduce accidents that I support.
Q: As local roads widen to cope with more traffic flow, will you push for more aggressive policing of speeders in the area? If yes, how will you make that happen?
A: I will need to and work with law enforcement and continue to study best practices. I don’t necessarily believe that simply cracking down on speeders is the answer. Again Vision Zero can be helpful in this regard.
Q: With increased instances of heavy rain and flooding in the area, what will you do to ensure that local government is taking the necessary steps to keep people, their homes and roadways safe, including improving stormwater drainage?
A: Limiting growth and development is key. Ensuring that the County is working hand in hand with all 7 cities regarding our water and drainage issues is paramount. I will work hand in hand with county staff to make certain the concerns and knowledge of those in the trenches is not overshadowed by the voices of the developers.
Environmental
Q: What do you say to residents who think that local parks are being mismanaged with chemical use, weed-whacked shorelines, etc.? If change is necessary, what would you do if elected to office?
A: I say I agree. I would advocate for cooperation between the Parks and Rec committee [Seminole County Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee] and the Florida Native Plant Society, along with other interested partners to develop a working plan for best practices in environmental stewardship for county properties.