Business owner C.B. Lorch is running for Leon County Commission District 3, challenging incumbent Commissioner Rick Minor.
WFSU’s Tristan Wood spoke with Lorch on Candidate Convos, a digital series of one-on-one interviews with local candidates in Tallahassee and Leon County ahead of the August primaries.
You can watch Lorsh’s full appearance on Candidate Convos here:
During the conversation, Lorsh said economic growth in Leon County depends on allowing the private sector more room to operate, while ensuring government focuses on core responsibilities like safety and environmental protection.
“Coming from the business community, oftentimes businesses just need government sometimes to be out of the way,” he said. “Government shouldn't be an obstacle to a business. We need to certainly look out for things like public safety (that) the government does. We, they need to be looking out for the environment, they need to be looking out for all these things, but their biggest job is, or priority should be, letting those things happen within the private sector."
He also pointed to permitting and development processes as areas where he believes businesses face challenges.
“I think on the development side, in terms of the permitting side, you talk to people who are within the development community in terms of construction or different things, and they'll tell you that there are hurdles in their way,” he said.
When asked about fighting between the Tallahassee and Leon county commission’s lately, Lorsh said politics and term limits often drive division in local government.
“Politics. I think it's at the root, I hate to say it, but when people start thinking in the scheme of, and the space of politics and what, what's best for a next election, or what's best for me and my political career, versus what is really the best for the citizens and the people in our community."
