Latest / Palafox Media Network / Meet Janet Hernandez
Transcript
- Greg Fink: Hello folks and welcome to the Political Matrix News. This is the ⁓ Meet Candid issue here today. ⁓ we are joined today by Janet. She's running for Village Indian Town Council, correct? Janet Hernandez: Yes, sir, Greg Fink: So not many people have ⁓ heard of where I Indian Town really is. Janet Hernandez: Yes, so V Village of Indian Town is the still the newest city in the state of Florida. was incorporated in December of two thousand seventeen. ⁓ was fortunate to lose it. ⁓ ⁓ I was fortunate to actually be one of the inaugural council members ⁓ the beginning. and so yeah, Village of Indiantown and I've lived here all my life. Greg Fink: Now where is that at? Where's that locate for people who are watching who are not familiar with the ⁓ the town? Janet Hernandez: Village of Indiantown is located in Martin County in the state of Florida. Greg Fink: Okay. And so that's down there in the so central southern part? Janet Hernandez: Yes. Like midway central central southern. Greg Fink: Right. so I mean, if a part of the inaugural ⁓ team everything and putting it together, you know, what's driving you right now to to get back in the rat race here of ⁓ representing the people over there? Janet Hernandez: Yes. ⁓ so two years of ⁓ hiatus, I actually and got my master's degree in December of twenty twenty five. Okay. in masters ⁓ of public And so I this this go round I'm ⁓ more prepared. and just trying to represent the the residents that feel like they're not being heard. Greg Fink: I guess w where are the driving issues that they don't feel like they're being heard on? I mean, what's, you know, driving ⁓ down there. Janet Hernandez: Currently, AI data centers is a huge hot topic in our community. you know, to ⁓ keep our community rural. just because we are in the western part of the county and so this is a rural community. we only have one stoplight. So that's how rural we are. We don't have a Walmart, We don't have like those big chain stores. So that you know, keeping it close knit, everyone knows each other. And I think ⁓ that to an even balance ⁓ on in of like new businesses coming into town ⁓ and construction. ⁓ So I that w one of my main reasons is transparency and communication with the residents because at the end of the day the residents do live here and they're they will be impacted with ⁓ the decisions being made. Greg Fink: Now with the ⁓ property tax issue on the ballot coming up this year and most likely it's gonna pass to cut property taxes for homestead ⁓ individuals, how is it gonna affect the economy in your area there and if you get elected, how are you going to address the deficits of funding for the ⁓ local services? Is there a mechanism to increase funding in other places or is it just gonna really hurt all around? Janet Hernandez: So the village of Indiantown they do depend on T P P which are basically the tangible property. ⁓ our biggest taxpayer ⁓ FPNL. ⁓ trying to even that out ⁓ bringing broaden ⁓ tax space within Indian Town has been challenging because one our water, and two, ⁓ well infrastructure. You You can't build if you don't have, you know, the capacity for water. So ⁓ I think that will be a huge challenge the next coming council because we depend on ⁓ on Greg Fink: Right. And so what's the population size in town? Janet Hernandez: ⁓ I think around the seven thousand two hundred we have been we b we ri really have been increasing small amounts. We've had construction, ⁓ have Terra Lago and we have River River Oak that are new two new developments. So that's bringing more property, or people ⁓ in our district. But yeah, we haven't it's been slow growth. Greg Fink: Now, do y'all see growth happening and ⁓ people waiting to move there? Janet Hernandez: Yes, we've actually been seeing ⁓ people move to our area, a lot of people from south us. ⁓ So West Palm Beach area, yeah, Miami area. Right. Greg Fink: Now what's the purview of ⁓ the position you're running for? Are y'all in charge of like law enforcement and fire safety and funding for all those types of services or? Janet Hernandez: No. So law enforcement is taken out of the MSTU from the county. So we don't we don't do that. The Morrint County Sheriff's Office does that automatically. It was ⁓ in the ⁓ when we became when we incorporated that was put in the in the passing bill. and for Fire rescue, it's the MSTU with the county. So we contract with the county. so that that's that's county. Greg Fink: Right. And so whenever they had the private duty toxic cuts, it's not gonna really affect those two issues on a on a municipal level. It probably will at the county level. It probably will at Martin County it'll probably affect it there. Janet Hernandez: Yes, I think the o it does affect it'll probably affect also our parks, because that's there is you know. Yeah, you have ⁓ you a division of parks and then you have wastewater, so Greg Fink: Right. Cool. And so ⁓ when's the ⁓ election coming up? Is it gonna be in you're having a primary election or are you going right to the general? Janet Hernandez: it's a primary election. So it's a nonpartisan election and there are three seats up for grabs. ⁓ So all could potentially vote three three in three different seats. ⁓ So I am ⁓ for seat five. Greg Fink: Okay. Now how is there an accompany you're running against? Janet Hernandez: Yes. Greg Fink: they're not doing a good job. Janet Hernandez: You know, I think that the communication is not there. we more communication. There needs to be transparency. There needs to be more being with the residents and not with the small interest groups. You know, there are or there a small interest group that they're all developers and so residents don't feel heard and I think that was one of my biggest pushes ⁓ for running ⁓ because there is no communication, there is no transparency. Greg Fink: Awesome. So how can people find out about your campaign? Is there a website they can go to or Janet Hernandez: Yes, there is a website. It's Janet for Indian Town, the number four dot com. And so they can go and see my issues. They can go and ⁓ if they want, you know, to donate, if they want to volunteer, they can go do all that on my website. Greg Fink: Right. So ⁓ I mean we we talked about you were part of the the team that the inaugural approach of getting Indian town set up. I mean, but you know, you you seem like a pretty pretty young person. So how how long have you been waiting to ⁓ get involved in public service? I mean, obviously you're you got your masters in public administration and you're part of this here in the beginning, but when did you really get the bug? I mean, what really drives you to ⁓ to do this? Janet Hernandez: biggest bug or my ⁓ biggest motivation was my dad. ⁓ dad was always involved with like ⁓ was a neighborhood association, and was a lot of ⁓ local households that would gather around and you know, pick up garbage every month and they would ⁓ meet up and talk about you know, things that would help ⁓ the community. they would bring in they would inform their ⁓ their about like voting wise and bring ⁓ potential and it asked them, you know, important issues that were ⁓ dear the heart to those ⁓ to membership. ⁓ And I always saw my dad very active in that and also active in voting. My dad does not miss like one voting ⁓ election primary general and my dad is there. The super voter. Yeah. So like think that that pushed me into ⁓ into public service ⁓ one and ⁓ and know, just being active in the community and talking to people and ⁓ and when the first time they started candidates were starting to ⁓ file and I didn't see anyone, you know, that I knew. So I was like, let me just let just put my name in the in the and I did. ⁓ And y I was six and it was hard but ⁓ know I it. So Greg Fink: Yeah, well that's great. And that's actually what makes the best public servants are people who actually understand what public service is about. not who are just trying to get elected to get a job or get their next leg up or next foot up. And so I mean I think ⁓ you know, you sound like you got the right approach and the whole right reasoning for ⁓ ba basically serving your community through a lot more transparency and a lot more growth that's gonna be happening 'cause I I mean this is ⁓ the fastest state as far as growth wise go in the country and I live up here on Palm Coast area between St. Augustine and Daytona and the whole stretch between here and Martin County. I mean, it's just growing and blowing up like crazy. Janet Hernandez: yes. And so I think also during my ⁓ year on the village council I ⁓ I how to advocate ⁓ and for certain issues. So ⁓ I that really gave me ⁓ like, know, ⁓ the reason to get things done is by encouraging people run for office, encouraging people to ⁓ to that a passion, ⁓ to actually believe in themselves and advocate for what they believe in. so I think in this next coming go if I elected or not, I still will be doing the advocacy. I recently went to DC and so I I think going advocate with ⁓ our legislators in DC helped with you know Bringing it back home trying to teach people Greg Fink: No, no, no. There's nothing good in DC. Okay. Janet Hernandez: ⁓ do it it could it it is a mess, but like at the end of the day, ⁓ people ⁓ ⁓ the doors even if you feel like you're not being heard is worth it. ⁓ yeah. Because you know, if if you show up you're you're you're putting a face to ⁓ email, you're putting a face to ⁓ Greg Fink: It is a mess. That's true. You are. Janet Hernandez: to everything. So I think those personal touches help. So I do think advocacy does work. And I did win it does. during my six year tenure, I did win Home Rule Hero for the Florida League of Cities. so I I do believe in ⁓ advocacy help. ⁓ And for the residents I I I don't ⁓ I want them to feel discouraged.