Sen. Don Gaetz Highlights Affordability, Infrastructure and Workforce at Crestview Chamber Event
CRESTVIEW, Fla. – Speaking to local business and community leaders at the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning, State Sen. Don Gaetz outlined legislative priorities focused on making the “affordable state of Florida” for families, businesses and residents on fixed incomes.
Gaetz’s remarks followed an update from Okaloosa County Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel and came during a broader “Community Updates and Initiatives” program that highlighted infrastructure, economic development and local quality-of-life issues.
Robotics Program Creating High-Paying Jobs
Gaetz used a local success story to show how constituent-driven ideas can become state-funded programs with tangible results.
He described how a group of volunteers in Crestview launched Crestview Robotics, an initiative housed at Bob Sikes Airport that teaches students robotics, machining and other technical skills that are in high demand in the defense contracting sector.
With equipment donated from Eglin Air Force Base, and backed by a $250,000 state grant that Gaetz said he helped secure in partnership with Rep. Nathan Boyles, the program is already changing career trajectories for local youth.
According to Gaetz, students are now graduating from high school and walking into jobs paying $80,000 to $90,000 a year in the local community.
He noted that the average age of machinists on key defense projects on Eglin Air Force Base and in the surrounding area is around 60, underscoring the need to build a new generation of skilled workers. Crestview Robotics, he said, is an example of how small state investments can spur long-term economic benefits and create opportunities for students “who sometimes otherwise don’t get noticed and don’t get included” in school activities.
Road Projects and Millions in Infrastructure Funding
Gaetz also highlighted the progress of the Southwest Crestview Bypass and other transportation improvements across Okaloosa County.
He said that, working alongside local House members such as Rep. David Boyles, lawmakers have secured more than $70 million for infrastructure and road projects in Okaloosa County this year alone. Over the next five years, that total is expected to reach over $350 million.
Many of these projects may not seem high-profile at the state level, Gaetz acknowledged, but they are critical for the residents who depend on safer, more efficient roads, turn lanes and neighborhood access.
Property Taxes and Civic Responsibility
Looking ahead to November’s general election, Gaetz told attendees that voters may face important decisions related to property taxes, including proposals to reduce or even eliminate them.
While emphasizing that, as a politician, he cannot tell people how to vote, he urged residents who support lowering property taxes to also engage directly with city and county officials about government spending.
Gaetz argued that if voters choose to cut property taxes and thus reduce revenue, they have a civic obligation to:
- Attend city and county budget meetings
- Meet with commissioners and mayors
- Clearly identify which services or spending areas they are willing to see reduced, delayed or eliminated
He described property taxes as “rent from the government” and said that any move to lower them should come with a community conversation about what government can “do without,” “do less of,” or “postpone until tomorrow.”
Making Florida Affordable
Gaetz said the upcoming legislative session in Tallahassee will be marked by new leadership and a new governor, and that one of the most pressing overarching goals will be to ensure that Florida remains not only free but affordable.
He pointed to several “confounding variables” driving costs for residents and businesses:
- High utility rates
- High property insurance premiums
- High property tax burdens
These pressures, he warned, are making it harder for young families, military families, business owners and retirees on fixed incomes to stay in Florida.
“We’re proud to be the free state of Florida,” Gaetz said, “but my mission as representative is to do everything I can to make sure that… we work harder and harder to be the affordable state of Florida.”
