This guiding principle has been the primary concern of residents, business owners and myself for decades. I have fought many battles over the decades to protect our City's character including:

• Successfully leading the effort to stop the construction of a monstrous new City Hall in front of our historic City Hall

• Leading the effort on City Council to renovate the Community Building

•  Helping lead the creation of the Wolf Branch Innovation District (formerly the Employment Center)

• Reducing our millage rate

These accomplishments have helped Mount Dora maintain its identity as a small historic town.

Today, we must continue these efforts. We face pressure from speculative developers and Lake County Commissioners to overdevelop the remaining vacant land around the City.

Mount Dora Government and my opponent have been entirely ineffective in stopping disastrous projects including the AMCO high-rise project and the Mount Dora Groves residential development. The City's failure to protect its residents from these speculative developments causes an increased burden on our tax base, infrastructure and utilities.

Proper City management and smart limited development would lessen our tax burden, preserve our infrastructure and decrease utility costs so that we have the resources to preserve Mount Dora's character.

I have and will continue to oppose these speculative and excessive developments. ~ James