- November 17, 2024
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Nate McLaughlin
AGE: 53
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Palm Coast
YEARS LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY: 20-plus years
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Music
FAMILY: Married to Kelly 35 years; three children, eight grandchildren
Explain how your professional career so far has qualified you for this position.
As a real estate broker, I have had the opportunity to work on several committees and in leadership positions building relationships and cooperation among many individuals to reach a common goal. I have also served on many other community and private boards, most notably the Palm Coast Planning and Land Development Regulation Board, of which I was voted to be chair four times by my associates on the board.
For incumbents, what votes or other accomplishments are you most proud of in your previous term?
I have many accomplishments that I have been a part of, that we can all look back and take pride in. A few of these are a safety trail for school kids to walk on State Road 100, our economic recruitment successes, chairing Feed Flagler, park and airport improvement projects and the millions in grant dollars we have been able to bring back to the community to offset property tax dollars.
But perhaps my proudest accomplishment has been a relatively small project that I personally helped implement and that enabled me to help a portion of our community struggling the most. Through a public/private collaborative effort, we were able to raise over $60,000 from private individuals, groups and corporations in cash, products, and labor to provide much needed public potable water for residents in need in western Flagler. We have a great community and a lot great things to be proud of.
What would you contribute to this office that you feel your opponent cannot or will not?
I feel I have continually shown an ability to work with my fellow commissioners, groups from the community, and businesses to get things done for the good of the community. I believe that specific ability (my ability to work together as a team for the good of our community), when coupled with my experience and my relationships with those in state government, make me more effective than any of the individuals running against me.
What are the three most significant challenges facing your constituents today? If elected, what would you do to address the challenges?
Challenge: Balancing the core needs of the community with rate of economic recovery.
Solution: Continue to get the most “bang for our buck” in budgeting for taxpayer needs.
Challenge: Economic development.
Solution: Continue in creating a “can do” attitude about Flagler County and reaching out and participating in those relationships that will stabilize existing business and entice other needed business to locate here. And support the efforts of our citizens who make up the Economic Opportunity Advisory Council.
Challenge: Maintain roads and infrastructure.
Solution: Continue to seek grants and other opportunities to improve our transportation infrastructure at safe and useable level. Review and work our strategic plan in maintaining county services.
Previous press coverage of Nate McLaughlin:
Click here to view previous Palm Coast Observer stories about Nate McLaughlin, here to view FlaglerLive stories and here to view Daytona Beach News-Journal stories.
