Russell Holmes files to run for St. Cloud City Council Seat 3
Article from St. Cloud In The News Newpaper January 13 - 19, 2010
Russell Holmes, a resident of St. Cloud since 1979, has officially filed to run for City Council Seat 3 in the November 2, 2010 city election.
Holmes has been married to Michelle for 19 years and has two children ages 16 and 18. He attended St. Cloud High School and received his degree from Valencia Community College. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.
Holmes served 9 years in the United States Navy as an Electronics Technician, in the Adriatic Sea during the Yugoslavian War and performed a tour in the Persian Gulf. Russell worked for the City of St. Cloud for three years as the Audio Visual Technician / Webmaster.
Currently, he is employed by the School District of Osceola County as a Senior Programmer and Webmaster. Holmes said, “I understand the importance of communication and looks forward to improving communications between the City Council, City Staff, and the Resident of St. Cloud.
Holmes has suggested to the Council on multiple occasions that they could improve decision-making and communication by using online surveys or web forms on the City’s website. “While attending some of the recent Council Meetings, I noticed that some of the Council Members could do a much better job listening to the residents that take the time to attend these meetings.” Holmes is referring to the recent disbanding of CyberSpot, the City’s free Wi-Fi service, effective February 16, 2010.
“A majority of the resident present at each meeting appeared to be in favor of looking at ways to keep the service. A bid was put out to see if the costs could be reined in. Bid proposals were brought to the Council that would have saved the City about two-thirds of the current cost. I was shocked that some of the Council Members were against having the IT Director even look into it further.”
“If they were planning on turning it off anyway, they should not have wasted the time and effort of the City staff to put together a bid package. People that are currently out of work are relying on the internet to locate jobs. Many potential employers require applications to be filled out online now. Many residents cannot afford to pay for it at this time. We also have students that rely on it for homework and to attend the Virtual Online Schools. Many senior citizens and disabled residents expressed their interest in keeping the service as well. I would like to see the City provide an online survey to get more responses on the issue before discontinuing a service that all of us, as taxpayers, have such a large investment in.
Added by Russell Holmes: Share your opinion on CyberSpot Wi-Fi by taking Russell’s online Survey at http://voteruss.focusingonflorida.com
Holmes also points to the importance of public safety. “Although the tax base and budgets have shrunk, the size of the City hasn’t. We will still need to provide the current level of service in out Police, Fire, Water and Sewer, Streets, and other City departments to be prepared for the future. If elected, I would like to sit down with the Council and City Staff to figure out ways to keep St. Cloud’s level of service optimized for the residents.”
Holmes currently serves on the Code Enforcement Board and is a member of the American Legion Post 80. He also volunteers his photography skills for events such as the Christmas Parade, Memorial Day Service, and Veteran’s Day Parades. Find more information about Russell Holmes at http://voteruss.focusingonflorida.com or email him at russell@focusingonflorida.com.
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