By Kelly Shoemaker, Deputy County Administrator, Charlotte County
When I read the article Eleven Signs a City Will Succeed my brain went in a number of different directions. James Fallows’ article in the March 2016 issue of The Atlantic summarized his 54,000-mile journey around America in a single-engine plane. In his experience you can tell how a city measures up based on 11 standards. I think this exercise is a little different for counties compared to cities, so I put together a list of What Makes Charlotte County Special.
Charlotte County is a community invested in quality of life. The voters of Charlotte County first approved a local option sales tax in 1994. Since that time the voters have approved an extension of the tax four times. Charlotte County now has regional parks, sidewalks, fire stations, a jail and roads due to the more than $350 million collected. This community has shown just how important quality of life, public safety and infrastructure are by approving the referendum over the last 20-plus years.
Charlotte County is a community invested in partnerships. One example is our relationship with the Tampa Bay Rays. We are their spring training home and they are a wonderful partner. When Charlotte County lost the Texas Rangers to Surprise, Arizona our stadium sat vacant for a few years. A few teams visited, but until the Tampa Bay Rays began serious discussions with Charlotte County officials, we had an empty stadium with an uncertain future. Now we have a renovated stadium with a boardwalk ringing the outfield and partners, including the Minor League Stone Crabs team, which reaches out to the community through the schools and non-profit organizations.
Charlotte County is a resilient community. We are a region built by General Development Corporation. In the 1960s, GDC created a nice little downtown in the middle of the county. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a large enough space to accommodate the commercial needs of the community, so many of the businesses spilled over to U.S. 41., which runs through the middle of the county. In many ways we look like Anywhere, Fla. We now have a group of dedicated volunteers who are working to achieve a major redevelopment with the help of county staff.
Charlotte County showed resiliency with the repairs and renovations required after Hurricane Charley in 2004. Tough decisions to harden county structures that were in the middle of construction during the hurricane brought the community back stronger.
Charlotte County has a small town feel despite its population of more than 160,000. We have a relaxed feel with our boating, fishing, sand-in-your-toes crowd. Our beautiful coastline beckons visitors from far and wide, many of whom choose to move here due to the affordability. We are a hidden paradise that is not overcrowded. If you want that rushed big city feel, go north or south, because in Charlotte County we are laid back.
I’m always interested in reading or hearing what other public sector leaders think makes their communities special. There’s a special pride public servants take in the accomplishments of the cities and counties they serve and many of those success stories can be applied elsewhere. I’d love to hear from you. Please call me at 941-743-1944 or email me at Kelly.Shoemaker@CharlotteCountyFL.gov.
