Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor and challenger C.B. Lorch highlighted differences over taxes, government spending, economic development, public safety and infrastructure during a Sept. 21 candidate forum ahead of the November general election.
Minor, who has represented District 3 since 2018, is seeking a third four-year term on the County Commission. Lorch, a Tallahassee business owner and first-time candidate for public office, is challenging the incumbent in the Nov. 3 election. The County Commission contest is nonpartisan and will be decided by voters who live in District 3.
The hour-long forum was held at WFSU’s studios and was sponsored by the Tallahassee Democrat, WFSU, the League of Women Voters and media partners participating in the Capital Region News Collaborative.
The Candidates
Minor was first elected to the District 3 seat in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Before joining the commission, he served as CEO of Second Harvest of the Big Bend and as chief of staff in the Tallahassee Mayor’s Office. He also previously worked as a business and information technology consultant.
Minor holds a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. During his eight years on the commission, his stated priorities have included economic development, crime reduction, environmental protection and improvements to northwest Leon County, including the North Monroe corridor, Tharpe Street and the Lake Jackson Greenway. He previously served as chairman of the County Commission.
Lorch, a Tallahassee native, is making his first run for elected office. He has owned a local video production business for approximately 20 years. His campaign biography says he was born and raised in Tallahassee, attended Leon High School and has raised his family in the community. His campaign has emphasized controlling property taxes and government spending, encouraging economic growth and protecting established neighborhoods.
The race offers voters a choice between an incumbent pointing to eight years of county initiatives and a challenger arguing that District 3 needs a different approach to spending and economic development.
Fiscal Policy: Taxes, Budgets and Rising Costs
Fiscal policy provided one of the clearest differences between the candidates.
Lorch advocated tighter fiscal management and questioned the growth in county spending. He argued that county government should look for opportunities to reduce spending and consider the rollback property-tax rate while protecting essential services.
Lorch said he doesn’t support Amendment 3 but was critical of recent county spending, noting that that over the past three years, the county’s budget has increased nearly 30%.
Minor countered that increases in county spending have been driven in part by higher costs for employee health benefits, construction materials and other operating expenses. He argued that reducing revenues to the levels proposed by Lorch could require cuts to county services.
The disagreement reflects a broader theme in the race: Lorch has made limiting government spending, and property taxes a central part of his campaign, while Minor has defended county investments and argued that some spending increases are necessary to maintain services and accommodate growth.
Economic Development: Amazon and Small Businesses
Economically, Lorch says the people of District 3 aren’t?doing any better than they were four years ago. He claims the economic state of the community is in decline.??Lorch said more jobs related to the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory have not materialized years after they were discussed.
“We can talk about a lot of metrics, but when you drive down Monroe Street, I think the windshield test is the best test,” he said. “I wouldn’t feel safe having my family walk down Monroe Street, so I think it speaks for itself.”
Minor disagreed, touting efforts by the commission to bring new businesses and more jobs to the area. He said crime is down, along with homelessness. “We need to focus on making sure that we help our workforce develop or find jobs, high-paying jobs for the workforce. But things are markedly better in District 3 and throughout the county.”
Minor also pointed to the recruitment of large employers, including Amazon, as evidence that long-term economic-development planning can expand the local employment base and generate additional commercial tax revenue. He argued that major economic-development projects often require planning over periods of 10 to 20 years.
Lorch placed greater emphasis on creating an environment where existing businesses and entrepreneurs can expand. He has argued that the private sector should be given more room to drive economic growth, with county government concentrating on core responsibilities such as infrastructure, public safety and environmental protection.
Blueprint Infrastructure
The allocation of Blueprint infrastructure sales-tax dollars was another point of disagreement.
Minor pointed to millions of dollars in county and Blueprint investments in District 3, arguing that projects involving roads, parks and other infrastructure demonstrate progress during his tenure.
Lorch questioned whether northwest Leon County and District 3 have received an adequate share of infrastructure investment, highlighting issues with Tharpe Street. He argued that long-standing needs in the district should receive greater priority and raised concerns about the pace at which some projects move from planning to completion.
Infrastructure is particularly significant in the District 3 race because the district encompasses much of northwest Leon County, where transportation, redevelopment and growth issues have been recurring topics before county government.
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