Meet the candidates for Orange City Council District 5: Martin Harper and Fran Darms
In the race to represent District 5 on the Orange City Council, voters will choose between incumbent Martin Harper and newcomer Fran Darms.
Councilmembers serve four-year terms as one of seven votes on legislative and policy matters. They receive an annual salary of about $12,001.
The general election takes place Nov. 8.
Meet the District 5 candidates
Martin Harper, 78, is retired and currently serves on the Orange City Council. He's also served on the city's planning commission.
His top three priorities:
Engaging with my constituents, most of whom live in retirement communities, by making presentations, attending meetings with state representatives and volunteering in cleanup efforts.
Supporting the park ranger program, which I helped initiate, with recruiting, training, goal setting and sharing information.
Rather than complaining about taxes, it's important to develop a budget that serves Orange City residents well by providing services.
Fran Darms, 72, who said she's been politically active since her late teens, is retired and hasn't previously been elected to office.
Her top three priorities:
Determining town needs while avoiding unnecessary tax increases.
Deterring unnecessary further local over-development of green space.
Availability to constituents, recognizing and providing a springboard for their needs and concerns.
Candidates comment
The following questions were posed to each candidate with a request to limit responses to 100 words. Answers are presented as they were submitted, save for minor corrections to punctuation.
Why are you running?
Harper: I am running for office to serve the citizens of Orange City with integrity and in their best interests.
Darms: To be a solid voice for constituents; keeping Orange City one of the best towns to live in within Volusia County. I want the residents in my district to feel comfortable that they have a viable outlet to reach out to with issues they would like personally addressed.
What is a life accomplishment that illuminates the kind of city commissioner you will be?
Harper: While in the Coast Guard Reserve, I was selected to serve as command enlisted advisor and administrative officer. This demonstrated that I possessed the qualities of leadership required to serve in these capacities while the command showed confidence in my abilities.
Darms: As a customer service manager, it required regular assessment of constant business issues thus helping me to guide representatives on how to better assist with customer needs by providing recommended options. I will also regularly evaluate council issues in the same manner in order to determine the best course of action for each issue.
What is something about Orange City you will fight to protect? What is something you will fight to change?
Harper: I love the concept of serving as a municipality, the teamwork necessary to serve the people and the excellent staff serving the community, not only police and fire but also the parks, public works and water departments, etc. Orange City has a long history of serving, dating back to 1882. I am determined to help change the legislation coming out of Tallahassee working against Home Rule. There have been too many unfunded mandates, too many unnecessary new laws and too many anti-local mandates hindering the efficient operations of city government. Home Rule is what the people have shown we want.
West Volusia mayors to state: Let us hold onto home rule
Darms: I love Orange City’s classic hometown ambiance: The many parks, the many local businesses — both locally owned and commercially-run — and the neighborly environment are evidence of Orange City’s reputation and sustained success. Consequently, I'm concerned about over-development and how it can erode the local feel of the town. My concern is its potential influence on upending green space, affecting both wildlife and safe water resources. I would fight to change anything that would contrarily affect the quality of life in my town.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Orange City Council District 5 candidates share priorities, plans
