1. Nancy Epps
  2. age 57
  3. 127 Old Carriage Road, Ponce Inlet, FL 32127-6909
  4. H: 386-304-0451     C: 386-795-2310     W: 386-424-5219
  5. epps_campaign@yahoo.com
  6. mayor-nancy-for-district-2.com OR nancyepps.com
  7. Volusia County Council, District 2
  8. Education

          Master of Business Administration

          University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

          Colorado Springs, CO

 

          Bachelor of Science, Medical Technology Program

          Bethune-Cookman College (now Bethune-Cookman University)

          Daytona Beach, FL

 

          Associate of Arts

          Daytona Beach Community College (now Daytona State College)

          Daytona Beach, FL

         

  1. OCCUPATION, TRAINING and EXPERIENCE

 

Laboratory Administrative Director

          Bert Fish Medical Center

          New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168

 

          Training: see Education above.

 

Experience:

    • Employed in the healthcare industry since graduating from high school; supervisory and management positions for over 14 years
    • Councilwoman, Town of Ponce Inlet, three years
    • Mayor, Town of Ponce Inlet, three years
    • WAV (Water Authority of Volusia) Board of Directors
    • Bert Fish Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors
    • American Heart Association Community Board of Directors
    • Ponce Inlet Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, Inc., Past President
    • Charter Review Committee, Town of Ponce Inlet

 

 

As a business manager in the healthcare sector, I have been a leader in reducing expenses and increasing productivity in an industry that has experienced increasingly severe constraints on revenues along with escalating expenses many years before local government was impacted to the same extent. I have carried my fiscal conservatism and creativity with me to my role in local government, where my responsibilities have included approving expenditures and the municipal budget.

 

I have a proven track record as a consensus builder. As an example, one can look at my history of environmental consciousness while promoting responsible and needed development.

 

  1. The two most important issues that I believe are of concern to my district and how I would address each.

 

a. First, we must have strong economic development. Working with economic development staff from the county, cities, the Chambers of Commerce and others, and focusing on the diverse educational opportunities in the county, I will promote recruitment of new employers to all of our diverse neighborhoods with the goals of providing incentives for our residents to become trained, retaining our trained workforce as employees and bringing appropriate businesses to the community.

 

I believe we have great opportunities in education in Volusia County. We have diverse institutions of higher learning, including:

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; University of Central Florida; Bethune-Cookman University; Daytona State College; Keiser University; Phoenix College; Daytona College; Palmer College of Chiropractic and International Academy of Beauty. There are also programs to help small businesses, many staffed by volunteers.

 

Secondly, I believe city-county, public-private and interagency cooperation and collaboration will become increasingly important in the years to come in order to continue to provide the same services with shrinking dollars. For example, we want to maintain strong public safety through initiatives that will maintain the services we enjoy today in spite of shrinking revenues. My knowledge of public services will help me make creative decisions.

 

Other areas in which we can consider cooperative arrangements are:

    • solutions for the homeless problem
    • mental and physical health concerns
    • improved beach access and services via cooperation between the cities, county and vendors

 

I will continue to promote cooperation on all levels in Volusia County, and also partnerships and cooperatives to increase efficiencies and reduce expenses to taxpayers.

 

 

b. What is my position on the State Legislature dictating local government taxation and revenue policy? Defense of my position.

 

Each community has its own needs and wants and the local government should make the policy decisions with the strong citizen involvement that only occurs “at home”. The State has a history of imposing unfunded mandates on local governments and rushing to solutions that haven't worked. The result is that citizen confidence in Tallahassee is low.  Until the State gets its fiscal house in order, I do not believe the legislature should dictate local government’s taxation and revenue policies.

 

 

  1. Given the fall of revenue from state, federal and local sources, what roll should the County Council play in assuming services to the cities in Volusia County?

 

Every level of government is cutting their budget. There are no excess county funds to help other communities. That being said, more cooperation between county and local governments and private enterprise, with resulting economies of scale, could cut expenses for all. In both my public and professional life, these are the types challenges I routinely deal with.

 

  1. What transportation services are you willing to enhance to meet the needs of the lower income households and support fuel conservation?

 

Mass transit in Volusia County is an effective, less expensive alternative

mode of transportation for many Volusia County households. With fuel costs

high, it is an alternative we need to maintain for those who choose to use it.

 

Although the geography of the County doesn't support fuel conservation, mass transit can help move us toward that goal. 

 

I support maintaining the services of VOTRAN as they are today, although I recognize that some routes may have to be run with smaller vehicles, fewer stops, etc. I will support enhancing the services where needed.

 

Since we have no "Center City" where masses who could be served by public transit go to work or school, area employers, government agencies, colleges, etc., should promote car pooling at the times of day when many come and go at the same time.

 

I support the commuter rail project for long-term relief and would strive to bring it all the way to the Daytona Beach area.

 

  1. Name a specific issue that we have not addressed that you feel is important to your constituents.

 

I believe we must preserve the ecological corridor overlay (ECO) as a blueprint to guide development to make sure “Smart Growth” is not just a slogan. At the same time, we must make responsible development easier and use common sense.

 

The needs of the naturally occurring corridor do not necessarily follow political boundaries. We need to tie everything together with an understanding of the need to protect the watersheds in the middle of the county today to ensure that we can meet the water requirements of our future as well as the need for protection for the existing wildlife. As a former member of the Board of Directors of WAV (Water Authority of Volusia) and a nature lover, these concerns are very real to me. I believe we can accomplish both growth and protection with appropriate compromises.