“I am a native Floridian, born in Pinellas County and raised most of my life in the Safety Harbor area. Like many of us do, after graduating high school, I left home in search of ‘bigger and better’ things. After living and working in numerous cities, as far away as Hong Kong and as nearby as Clearwater, I came to the realization that Safety Harbor was ‘home’ and that it truly is a wonderful place to live, work and play. There’s no place like Safety Harbor, we are centrally, and conveniently located to several of the top vacation destinations in the world! Why would anyone move away from the place that most people dream about? This understanding and passion for our great City is what has led me to run for City Commission. I want to assist our current leaders in upholding our City’s traditions and values. I feel the need to be a servant to our community and its residents. I want to be part of this great City and assist in keeping up with growth so that new families moving into the area appreciate and enjoy it as much as my family does. If you would like to discuss my election in greater detail, please feel free to contact me directly through the ‘contact page’ on this site, and in the meantime, I would like to share just a couple of simple items that I believe can make our city an even better place to live, work and play:
- Create additional streams of revenue for the city by promoting commerce and working with local business…(see an example here about how we can do this)
- Balancing the budget and reducing taxes…(see an example here about how we can do this)
- Get more residents involved in the city’s decision making processes…(see an example of how we can do this)
- Increase home values…(see an example of how we can do this)
- Develop a more “walkable” city – shape an environment that welcomes exercise and outdoor living…(see an example of how we can do this)
I look forward to learning more about your own personal goals for your neighborhood and your city. I’m excited to speak with all of you about your ideas, your concerns and your thoughts on our city’s current and future conditions.”
I appreciate the opportunity to serve you,
Richard Blake