In June 2019, Brian Welch filed to run for Leon County Commission, District 4. Incumbent Bryan Desloge is also running for the position.
Welch is a social studies teacher at Chiles High School, where he has taught since 2007. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science and his master’s degree in Applied American Politics and Policy from Florida State University. He earned his master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of West Florida. Welch’s top goals include finishing the Northeast Park, monitoring the Welaunee development, and improving public facilities.
Questions
What motivated you to run for local office?
“I decided to run for the Leon County Commission, District 4 seat because I saw a void in the level of representation given to the residents of Northeast Tallahassee. As a school teacher and long-time resident of the northeast, I felt like my investment in the community and level of concern for its future warranted my stepping into the arena to give our community a choice it hasn’t had in 14 years. As a father, husband, educator and longtime resident, I want to ensure that we have an advocate in the County Courthouse who will prioritize the interests of the residents in District 4.”
What unique perspective would you bring to the position?
“As a 23-year resident and 13-year public school teacher in the northeast community, I have been uniquely positioned to work with and serve the people, neighborhoods, businesses and families that make up the fabric of northeast Tallahassee. I think I offer a service-oriented and community-centric perspective that can help northeast Tallahassee move into the future. I spend almost every day working with the people in our community and know the issues that impact their lives. I know northeast Tallahassee.”
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Leon County?
“I think the biggest issues facing Leon County, as a whole, are crime, poverty in 32304, economic segregation and the airport. I understand that some of these issues are not under the jurisdiction of the County Commission, however, as a community leader, I would be as involved as possible, in identifying solutions. Specifically, in northeast Tallahassee, the biggest issues continue to be the lack of a northeast park, the consistent residential development pressures being placed on established communities and the Welaunee development.”
What is your plan to address these challenges?
“I will work with and support our Law Enforcement partners at the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the Tallahassee Police Department to continue the downward trend in our crime rate and use my experience as a high school teacher to encourage and help them in identifying ways to reach our teenaged and at-risk populations. I will support efforts to recruit and retain officers and adequately fund efforts at crime reduction.
The key to improving the conditions in the 32304 is by providing a robust workforce development program and supporting local non-profits to address the needs of the working poor in the community. I would work with the administration at lively Technical College and the Tallahassee Chamber to both encourage enrollment in Career and Technical Education and entice businesses to come to Tallahassee and take advantage of our educational institutions, specifically our technically trained students.
I will support the Children’s Services Council, which, with the proper oversight, should make a marked impact on both crime and poverty.
In northeast Tallahassee, the need for the long-planned northeast park cannot be understated. The many neighborhoods and families of northeast Tallahassee desperately need adequate public athletic facilities and programs. District 4 provides a substantial percentage of the tax base for the entire county and the lack of public recreational facilities is shameful. I will make it a priority to aggressively advocate for the completion of this park. The northeast park has not been a priority under the current leadership, but under my tenure, it will be.
Another primary concern for northeast Tallahassee is the unrelenting residential development pressure being placed on the established neighborhoods and communities of District 4. Northeast Tallahassee is a very popular place to live and in order to allow for the proliferation of residential development, we must go above and beyond in engaging with our established neighborhoods to ensure that quality of life impacts are minimized. We must ensure that transportation and stormwater infrastructure is adequate. We must ensure that we have capacity in our schools. I will make it a priority to advocate for this infrastructure and protect the quality of life of my neighbors.
The Welaunee development will reshape the physical and cultural landscape of Tallahassee over the next 20 years and runs through the heart of District 4. As a resident of the Centerville Road corridor, I want to make sure that every precaution is taken to protect the character of our established neighborhoods and be their voice at the table when decisions are made. “
__________
Responsibilities of the County Commissioner position include making policies and setting budgets. The position has a four-year term length and an annual salary of $80,289.00. The deadline to file for the position is May 11, 2020, and the election date is November 3.
Website: https://welchforleon.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Welchforleoncounty/
Campaign contribution and expenditure information is available here.
Ahead of the 2020 local election season, Tallahassee Reports has asked all local candidates to answer basic questions about their candidacy. The answers to the questions are in the candidates own words.The goal is to get as much information out to voters as possible. More focused questions will be addressed as the election draws nearer.
Leon County Commission Candidate Profile: Brian Welch added by Lexie Pitzen on
View all posts by Lexie Pitzen →
Snidely,
You are evil indeed.
Welch is indeed a man with a wife and children contrary to your smear of him and of gay people.
Your know nothing stereotype of intellectuals is idiotic nonsense. Please remain under the rock you are under with your pathetic pseudonym.
I remember when total sales tax was 4% and the biggest concern in Leon County Schools was chewing gum. Now it is close to double and they want more $ to make things better? Let those who want to give money to special interests give it. Don’t call it a tax and take ours. Brian Welch also needs to take all of his illegal signs down in the right of ways along Meridian, Thomasville, and Centerville roads. You will notice Bryan Desloge has his properly placed on private property. I can send pictures for those in doubt.
Nobody cares about the placement of political signs Karen…
If you cannot provide food or cannot support them, then you do not deserve them.
It is important that voters vote for Desloge as he is the only credible commissioner serving.
He was instrumental in keeping the CSC scam-farce ridiculous Democratic Party nonsense at bay.
How much money has been wasted on this so far while accomplishing absolutely nothin The CSC is nothing more than the Democrats attempting to manufacture Humanity when really it is nothing more than PR fluff and wasting taxpayer money.
Desloge is the only one with any common sense and he will win because even Democrats are waking up.
Historically our elected officials have zero accountability for the type of money bucket scams such as the Children’s Tax.
Sorry but everyone logically needs to continue looking at such things as a scam.
Why would anyone feel differently and be looking for a candidates promise to be honest?
All local candidates and elected Nannies need to be looked at as future criminals and its going to take many years of honest government to change that.
Anyone looking for an honest politician in Leon County or City Government at this stage is most likely a very gullible and uninformed person. Or a Democrat that expects and endorses dishonest politicians.
We could have had one good man but diving into the cesspool of local politics was not a decision Steve Stewart choose to make. Can anyone blaim him with the current political climate locally? I dont think so.
Still thinking an honest candidate should consider running as a Democrat to get elected then just govern honestly. Running as a Republican is guaranteed not to win and a total waste of time and money here at our little island of blue known as Leon County. Historically that statement is close to 100% accurate.
“I will support the Children’s Services Council, which, with the proper oversight, should make a marked impact on both crime and poverty. ” ************************ You lost me here. You need to read the Report written by Commissioner Desloge because it states that there will be NO Oversight and NO Accountability of the Members.
Both Deslodge and Welch express concern about school capacity. The North East will need a new High School, two Middle Schools and four new Elementary Schools over the next 20 years. Would they be willing to support our growth or give in to the present School Board behavior that if we do anything for the North side we must do equal or more for the SouthSide schools. The schools outside this district are under capacity. Hope they do not want to bus our kids and grandkids south of I-10. I wonder which of them will get Hanna support and HAA HAA money. Stay tuned.
Interesting dichotomy with respect to the depth of his answers here, as compared to the content on his website. Consistency in position and conviction is paramount for trustworthiness and believability in such a role.
I would concur with News Maven on the CSC matter. It’s easier to “sell” a tax idea when you exploit “children” in your sales pitch. An earnest investigation of like programs around the state would show the funds collected and allocated to such programs grows exponentially from year to year… yet the problems/challenges these programs are purported to address do not subside, and more often equally grow exponentially. The approach to these proposals should not be based on emotional desires and justified with claims of “proper oversight”… they should be considered, and only endeavored, if supported by empirical data and a realistic cost/benefit analysis that establishes achievable benchmarks and accountable results. Respectfully, Welch’s 1-sentence response on this important question is woefully inadequate, given the magnitude of the question/proposal itself.
Not particularly impressed with Desloge, so I’ll withhold my personal decision with respect to Welch, pending further research. However, his seemingly blind support of the CSC concept is troubling.
Excellent response! First paragraph, second sentence Wisdom!
Desloge is Republican that acts and speaks like a liberal. Is Welch a Democrat that acts and speaks like a liberal or a Republican that will truly represent the North East?
Good question, Alex.
Can we PLEASE list the party on these candidate profiles?
Or NPA, if appropo?
I would have included that in the lede ‘graf.
Regardless, he lost me on “I will support the Children’s Services Council…” Unless he wants to fund it out of his own pocket – I’m fine with that. (Try explaining that future tax assessment to someone in your district who hasn’t seen a paycheck two months.)
News Maven,
I also agree regarding the CSC. You are doing an excellent job of informing readers about the CSC.
Keep up the good work and please continue because there are a lot of candidates who support this and are using this as their platform.
Thanks Hope.
My idea of a CSC is the two parents who breed the child, and should therefore feed the child.
We’re already paying assessments on our property tax that go towards the betterment of children – even if we do not have any.
Did you go to school when you were young???? That’s why you pay school taxes now. You’re not paying for your children, you’re paying for your own education. You reaped the value of an education, now pay your fair share. What is it with people that can’t understand that? And by the way my kids will be in the community serving you when you’re old and need food, medical care etc. You’re welcome.
Because it is a nonpartisan position, they cannot list party affiliation. I have known Brian well for decades and he has been involved at the local level trying to better our community for decades. I am confident he will read all of these comments and take them into consideration. He has no agenda and truly wants what is best for the Northeast.
Respectfully, there is no such thing as a “nonpartisan” political office. That’s a ruse designed to confuse. However, there is such a thing as a “nonpartisan” candidate… and that can only be claimed by an individual who is actually registered to vote as a NPA (No Party Affiliation)
If any candidate for political office “claims” to be a “nonpartisan”, but is registered to vote as a D, R, I, C, G, L, et al… then they – in my opinion and with respect to my vote – are lying, and thus, automatically disqualified from serving or garnering my vote.
If they’ll lie to you in order to get your vote, then what do you expect from them if you give them your vote.
When searching for Brian Welch’s voter registration on voterrecords.com, no record for that name comes up in Leon County. The closest match is a “George B Welch” who is 41 years of age and is a registered Democrat. Is “Brian” his first name or middle name?
Alex do a second quick read of Bryan Welch’s degrees he earned in paragraph 2 of the above article.
Two degrees:
Degree 1. Poly Sci and Applied American Politics and Policy.
Degree 2. Educational Leadership and Administration.
Both of those degrees to anyone with common sense shout out loudly that Mr. Welch is an ultra leftist uber liberal. He’s probably got one of those tan tweed sport coats with those brown leather oval elbow patches and has nothing but bow ties in his closet.
In addition there is no mention of wife and childern “Not that theres anything wrong with that” as Sienfield would say to Elaine when discussing a member of what has come to be known as the LBGTQ communitty.
Yeah true Desloge is a disgusting spineless RINO so Snidely’s voting recommendation for District 4 is:
Dont waste your time over thinking this one. Flip a coin at the voting booth and let random fate select the lesser of 2 evils there in District 4.