Michael “Mike” J. Harris • Age: 64 • Resides: Kingsland • Marital status and immediate family: Married to Lisa A. Harris • Previous elected office: None • Education and military service: Blackshear High School, 1977 BS, University of the State of New York Master in Public Administration (MPA), Valdosta State University U.S. Navy Submarine Force 1978-98 (20 years) • Occupation and employer: U.S. Navy Submarine Force 1978-98 (20 years). Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) 2004-21; Facilities Operations Branch Chief and Program Analyst Retired November 2021 Church and community affiliations: Before COVID-19, First United Methodist Church Kingsland. Since COVID, Lisa and I enjoy Paster Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Church online. Introductory Statement Michael “Mike” J. Harris, a resident of Camden County for over 30 years, is a candidate for County Commissioner, District 5. Now retired, Harris says he is ready to “Focus on the Future” and give back to his community. Mike was born in Waycross and grew up in Blackshear, graduating Blackshear High School with honors in 1977. He has seven siblings, five brothers and two sisters. Mike is married to Lisa Harris. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Blackshear until he joined the U.S. Navy in 1978. Since COVID-19, Mike and Lisa now enjoy the spiritual leadership of Pastor Gary Hamrick of Cornerstone Chapel online. They are blessed with five children and seven grandchildren (with one on the way!). Harris’ professional background and education are noteworthy. During his adult employment of 41 years, Mike served in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force, was a consultant for Orion International in Jacksonville, Fla., and succeeded as a Facilities Operations Branch Chief and Program Analyst at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. While serving in the Navy, Mr. Harris completed his Bachelor of Science (The University of the State of New York) and Master in Public Administration degrees (Valdosta State University). Mr. Harris is optimistic that Camden is poised for healthy growth with the right leadership. He maintains that he was taught the value of servant leadership from a young age and asks for your support in focusing on improving the business tax digest with the intent to reduce resident property taxes, the initiation of a healing process for the spaceport missteps, and making Camden County a second amendment sanctuary. What is the most pressing concern in your district and how do you intend to address it? Two words – property taxes. The valuation for timber property alone this past year was 100%! Nuts! The business to resident tax digest ratio is currently about an 85/15 split. Unsatisfactory. We can work with the Joint Development Authority, the Chamber of Commerce and other entities to form relationships with state agencies and interested parties to formulate a plan that will attract industry to Camden. We have a wealth of resources to offer, and it baffles me how unsuccessful we have been with bringing industry to our area. Glynn county does it. Jacksonville does it. I present three things to consider toward addressing our property tax issue. First, we need to build and improve infrastructure to leverage our resources and entice businesses to locate to Camden. Second, educate ourselves on tax valuation processes to make more informed decisions. Third, work on building longterm relationships with state agencies to attract business to Camden. To build long-term relationships we need to improve our system for selecting the chairman of the board of commissioners. He e is currently selected by the board members and serves a one-year term, which is not conducive to building relationships. The chairman should be elected by the county at large to serve a four-year term. We might learn a few things from our neighbors to the north and south along the I-95 corridor. Let me say this as well: The political environment in an area plays into a business calculus whether to invest in any area. So, the citizens play a role in attracting industry. What business wants to locate where there is local political turmoil? The political missteps with the spaceport are an example of a volatile political environment that is unattractive to industry. What do you plan to do as a commissioner to bolster economic growth in Camden County? In the previous question I mentioned our neighbors to the north and south attract business better than we do. So, this begs the question: What are they doing or what do they have that we lack? The fi rst thing that comes to mind is an airport and/ or a seaport. I was initially against building an airport in Camden because we have relatively close access to both Jacksonville International and Brunswick airports and Brunswick seaport. I couldn’t see spending taxpayer dollars on an airport just to say we have an airport. However, after researching this I have learned that the cost to the taxpayer of building an airport in Camden will be minimized; 90% of the cost would be funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and 5% would be funded by the state. So, this warrants a closer look as I’m not sure of any “attachments” that may come with the fi nancial assistance. After all, if it is on an industry checklist as one of the items they prefer in order to locate to our area the return on investment might be realized in short term. These are the types of things we should research and consider. Further, we need to support businesses locally. Many complain about the closing of the bowling alley, skating rink and movie theater. Business cannot survive without local support, period. So again, Camden residents have an infl uence on business success in our county. Buy local. Camden Spaceport remains a much ballyhooed project and a topic of discussion in Camden County Board of Commissioners meetings. What is your stance on the future of the spaceport and how do you plan to address it if elected? The future of the spaceport should be decided by voters during a general election where maximum voter turnout is certain. The referendum in March 2022 resulted in less than 17% voter turnout (5,788 of 34,137). That is hardly a mandate. The 2022 general election had a 51.05% turnout and 2020 general election realized a 68.05% turnout. General elections are where we obtain a genuine understanding of what Camden voters want. Further, a referendum should have language easy to understand where a “yes” vote means one is “for” the spaceport and a “no” vote means one is “against” the spaceport. When the spaceport was fi rst proposed many residents were excited! There was an energy in the air with the prospect of companies doing business here providing a boost to the economy and improving the tourism industry in Camden. The county board and administration, however, failed to manage expectations concerning the longevity of the project. Over time, the excitement waned and energy diminished. Unlike a Costco or Sam’s Club, a return-on-investment cannot be realized in two or three years. In addition, the perceived secrecy and behindthe-scenes meetings further eroded public trust. We have spent over 10 years and approximately $12 million invested in this venture. We have EPA and FAA licensing. We are on the precipice of being able to realize a return-on-investment. My understanding is that we could entertain a launch today if an interested party leased the property and leased Camden’s license. I challenge the current Board of Commissioners to hold town halls (plural) to inform the public of the current status and include a “simple language” referendum on the 2024 general election ballot. Do we accept a $12 million loss with no prospect for a return-on-investment or move toward lift off? Let the voters decide!