Candidate Profile 2024: Chris Scherer For Pinellas County Commission

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — Republican Chris Scherer is running for the Pinellas County Commission District 1 at-large seat.

He faces one opponent, Democrat Joanne “Cookie” Kennedy, in the Nov. 5 general election.

Patch sent a questionnaire to both candidates in the District 1 race.

Find Scherer’s responses below:

Name:

Chris Scherer

Age:

59

Occupation:

General Contractor and Real Estate Broker

Political Party Affiliation:

Republican

Why are you running for office?

I’m running for Pinellas County Commission because I want to protect our environment, reduce regulations on small businesses, assist with roadway planning, increase our supply of affordable housing, expand vocational training, and deal with our homelessness problem. As a home builder, developer, employer, former Chairman of the Saint Petersburg DRC, father of two children, and a Pinellas County resident of 30 years, I feel my voice on the commission would provide unique insight that will help improve Pinellas County for everyone who lives here today and for our children tomorrow.

• Implement an environmental infrastructure reconstruction program focused on rebuilding our wastewater and stormwater systems to improve the water quality of Tampa Bay and our beaches.
• Lower real estate taxes and eliminate wasteful spending.
• Streamline the county’s Engineering, Public Works and Building departments to increase efficiency, speed permitting and cut departmental red tape.
• Implement a program of real estate tax credits to encourage affordable, market-based housing development.

What do you think are the top three issues the county is currently facing?

1. Degraded Water Quality . Wastewater treatment plant spills, untreated Stormwater runoff and a stalled beach renourishment program
2. High Real Estate taxes which make housing unaffordable for our first responders , teachers and service sector professionals.
3. Excessive governmental red tape which is crushing our small businesses and driving up the cost of living for all pinellas county residents.

Learn more about Scherer at his campaign website, on his Facebook page and on Instagram.