George Kruse files for seat on Manatee Commission. He’s an affordable housing advocate
Republican George Kruse has filed to run for the District 1 seat representing parts of Ellenton, Palmetto and Parrish on the Manatee Board of County Commissioners.
In a Thursday morning announcement, Kruse said his experience in finance and real estate makes him a more diverse choice on the board.
“Honestly, the board right now is a little universal. There aren’t that many different voices. You have seven people on the board with similar voices and ideas,” Kruse said in an interview with the Bradenton Herald. “We need better backgrounds and experiences.”
Kruse, 44, has spent much of his career in real estate and finance, and has long been an advocate for workforce and affordable housing projects. If elected, he hopes to bring a “conservative, free market view to the board,” according to a release.
His opponent in the Aug. 18 primary, Republican Commissioner Priscilla Whisenant Trace, said she looked forward to a challenge in the 2020 election. Trace was elected to a four-year term in 2016 and filed for re-election in July.
No Democrat has announced a bid.
“The more the merrier,” Trace said. “I’m happy to have an opponent.”
If elected, Kruse said he would fight for “smart growth” by considering the long-term impact decisions will have on the county, considering the trend of rapid population increases.
“We need a board that focuses on the key issues facing residents like reducing traffic, keeping taxes low, protecting our beaches, waterways and environment and growing smarter,” Kruse said in a prepared statement.
Trace is also known for speaking out and voting against developments in parts of the county that don’t have the necessary infrastructure in place.
Examining the county budget to spend more money on what taxpayers want to see like infrastructure, traffic and water quality improvements, is another top priority for Kruse.
“The county needs to look at the budget we’ve got and allocate it where to where it matters,” Kruse explained. “We need to look at the fluff and excess, and if water quality is the No. 1 concern for our residents, we should respect that by putting the money there.”
Kruse also has served on the city of Bradenton’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and is involved with the Bradenton Kiwanis Club, the Manatee Chamber of Commerce and other local organizations.
An affordable housing crisis is connected to other issues that plague the Manatee area, Kruse argued.
“One of the reasons our traffic is always tied up is because people have to drive in from Pinellas County because they don’t have affordable options here. That could be why companies don’t move their headquarters here, as well,” said Kruse.
“These issues branch out in more than one way, so we’ve got to stop putting up barriers and say that Manatee County is here to help those affordable housing developers and work with them,” he added.
