Candidate: Bob McPartlan

Campaign Website: VoteBobMcPartlan.com

1. Vision & Priorities

If elected, what would be your top three priorities during your first year in office, and what specific actions would you take to accomplish them?

If elected, top priorities in the first year would center on the same focus areas from 15 years of Sebastian service:

1. Fiscal responsibility and smart growth — Continue careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars while managing development that preserves Indian River County's character and livability. Specific actions: rigorous review of the county budget (drawing on 15 budget cycles), insistence on measurable outcomes for spending, and ensuring growth pays its fair share through impact fees and infrastructure concurrency before approvals.
2. Public safety and critical infrastructure — Prioritize support for law enforcement, fire/rescue, and essential roads/utilities. Specific actions: protect public-safety budgets, advance Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) transportation priorities (where he has served 15 years, including as chair), and accelerate septic-to-sewer conversions already underway in partnership with the county.
3. Indian River Lagoon health — Targeted investments that reduce nutrient pollution and improve water quality. Specific actions: expand septic-to-sewer projects, support regional/state restoration partnerships, and ensure infrastructure decisions explicitly protect the lagoon as an economic and quality-of-life asset.

2. Taxes, Spending & Fiscal Responsibilities

How would you approach taxation, government spending, and long-term financial planning to ensure fiscal responsibility while meeting the County's growing needs?

My principles are disciplined budgeting, living within our means, and treating taxpayer dollars with care. Services must be maintained, but growth in spending should be justified by clear needs and efficiencies rather than automatic increases. Balance is achieved by prioritizing core functions (public safety, infrastructure, lagoon protection), requiring accountability for results, and ensuring new development contributes its share so existing residents are not forced to subsidize it. This approach kept taxes reasonable in Sebastian while still delivering needed services.

3. Homestead Property Tax Proposal

Florida voters may soon consider a constitutional amendment that would eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties. If approved, how do you believe this would impact Indian River County's ability to fund essential services and infrastructure, and what strategies would you support to address any resulting funding gaps?

Eliminating non-school property taxes on homesteaded properties would create significant revenue pressure on county services and infrastructure. Impacts would include potential shortfalls for roads, stormwater, public safety, and lagoon-related projects that currently rely on ad-valorem revenue. Any resulting gaps would need to be addressed through a combination of expenditure prioritization, efficiency gains, alternative revenue sources that do not simply shift the burden unfairly, and careful long-term planning so essential services are not cut. The focus would remain protecting core services while seeking the most fiscally responsible path forward for all residents.

4. Growth, Infrastructure & Community Character

Indian River County continues to experience residential and commercial growth. How would you balance economic development with protecting infrastructure capacity, natural resources, and the unique character of our communities?

Growth must serve the community rather than overwhelm the small-town character that makes Indian River County home. Balance is achieved by requiring infrastructure capacity (roads, water, sewer, drainage) to be in place or funded before development proceeds, enforcing comprehensive plan standards, protecting environmentally sensitive lands, and preserving neighborhood character through thoughtful planning. Economic development should focus on quality jobs and targeted commercial investment that broadens the tax base without sacrificing quality of life.

5. Infrastructure & Resiliency

What infrastructure investments should be prioritized over the next five years, and how would you ensure the County remains resilient in the face of population growth, severe weather, and future environmental challenges?

Priority investments over the next five years:

• Transportation and roads guided by MPO priorities to reduce congestion and improve safety.
• Stormwater management and drainage upgrades for flood resilience.
• Septic-to-sewer conversions and water quality improvements that directly benefit the Indian River Lagoon.
• Public safety facilities and equipment to keep pace with growth.
• Utility and resiliency projects that strengthen the county's ability to withstand hurricanes and other emergencies.

These priorities should be funded through responsible budgeting, state and federal grant opportunities, impact fees where appropriate, and long-range capital planning. Every major investment should improve both today's quality of life and the county's long-term resilience.

6. Business Climate & Economic Development

What actions would you support to strengthen the local business climate, attract quality employers, and encourage entrepreneurship while preserving the character of Indian River County?

Support practical steps that make it easier and more predictable to do business: streamlining permitting processes where possible without sacrificing environmental or safety standards, improving customer service and responsiveness within county departments, maintaining clear and consistent regulations, and focusing strategic economic development on businesses that fit Indian River's character. The goal is a government that is professional, efficient, and helpful rather than an obstacle.

7. Workforce Development & Economic Opportunity

How can Indian River County better support workforce development and create economic opportunities for both existing businesses and future generations?

The County should partner with educational institutions, workforce boards, and employers in the identified growth sectors listed above to expand training and career pathways. Support should emphasize practical skills, apprenticeships, and local talent development while ensuring that economic growth does not come at the expense of quality of life, lagoon health, or infrastructure capacity. High quality of life remains an advantage that must be protected.

8. Housing & Community Growth

What role, if any, should County government play in addressing housing affordability and workforce housing while balancing private property rights and community expectations?

County government has a role in removing unnecessary barriers and ensuring infrastructure can support additional housing, while fully respecting private property rights, neighborhood character, environmental limits, and fiscal responsibility. Tools include encouraging a mix of housing types consistent with the comprehensive plan, supporting septic-to-sewer and utility extensions where appropriate, and requiring that new residential growth pay for the infrastructure it needs.

9. Government Efficiency & Customer Service

What improvements would you make to County government to increase efficiency, transparency, and customer service for residents and businesses?

Support modernization that improves responsiveness and accountability: better use of technology for permitting and information access, clear performance metrics for departments, training focused on customer service, and regular review of processes to eliminate duplication or delay. All improvements must show value for taxpayer dollars rather than simply adding cost.

10. Tourism, Environment & Quality of Life

Tourism is a major economic driver for Indian River County. How would you support tourism while protecting our natural resources and maintaining residents' quality of life?

Tourism and the natural environment, especially the Indian River Lagoon, are intertwined economic and identity assets. Promotion of tourism should be paired with continued investment in lagoon restoration, water quality, and responsible access so that the resource is not degraded. Resident quality-of-life amenities such as parks, beach access, and trails should remain a priority so that tourism enhances rather than disturb our way of life.

11. County & Municipal Collaboration

How would you strengthen collaboration between Indian River County and its municipalities, particularly communities such as Sebastian and Fellsmere, to address shared priorities and improve regional outcomes?

As someone who has served 15 years on the Sebastian City Council with terms as Mayor and Vice Mayor and 15 years on the Metropolitan Planning Organization, I have built strong working relationships with elected officials across Indian River County and throughout the Treasure Coast. Those relationships are the foundation for effective collaboration.

I would strengthen coordination by:

• Maintaining regular, direct communication with city leaders so county decisions on infrastructure, economic development, and regional projects reflect the distinct needs of Sebastian and Fellsmere.
• Advancing joint projects such as the septic-to-sewer partnerships already underway between Sebastian and the County that deliver shared benefits while respecting each municipality's priorities and character.
• Ensuring early consultation on growth and funding decisions so municipalities have a real voice before plans are finalized.

Collaboration based on long standing relationships produces better results for residents and businesses than formal structures alone. I will bring that same proven approach to the County Commission.

12. North County Priorities

What do you believe are the greatest opportunities and challenges facing North Indian River County over the next decade, and how would you advocate for this region while serving the entire County?

The greatest opportunities are continued lagoon restoration progress, orderly infrastructure improvements such as more septic to sewer, and economic growth that fits the existing community scale.

Greatest challenges: managing growth pressure without losing small-town character, ensuring infrastructure keeps pace, and protecting water quality.

Advocacy at the County level would emphasize equitable infrastructure investment for North County, a strong voice for Sebastian and surrounding areas in regional planning, and consistent focus on the lagoon and fiscal discipline.

13. Transparency, Accessibility & Public Trust

How would you ensure transparency, accessibility, and meaningful public engagement in County government so residents and businesses feel informed and heard?

Steps include clear, timely public information on budgets, agendas, and major decisions; accessible meeting formats and online materials; responsiveness to constituent inquiries; and a personal commitment to listening across the district.

My experience on multiple regional boards has reinforced that trust is built through consistent presence, straightforward communication, and results that match promises.

14. Looking Ahead

What do you believe is the single greatest opportunity and the single greatest challenge facing Indian River County over the next decade?

Greatest opportunity: protecting and restoring the Indian River Lagoon while managing growth in a way that preserves the quality of life that attracts people here.

Greatest challenge: funding and delivering the infrastructure needed for that growth without overburdening existing residents or sacrificing environmental health.

Steady, experienced leadership focused on practical results is the way to navigate both.

Anything Else You Would Like Voters and the Business Community to Know That Was Not Addressed Above?

I am the only candidate with more than 15 years of direct elected experience as Sebastian Councilmember, Mayor, and Vice Mayor, combined with 25+ years protecting children and families at DCF and military service as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician. I bring proven local results on lagoon protection, infrastructure, budgets, and public safety and am ready to apply that same steady approach countywide.