Most Important Issues
August 16, 2018//
- Raising our quality of life and our health rankings across Putnam County.
- Countyhealthranking.org states:
“Putnam (PN) is ranked among the least healthy counties in Florida (lowest 0%-25%)” - Putnam County is ranked #66 out of Florida’s 67 counties. We have fluctuated between the 64th, 65th, and the 66th spot for the past 11 years. Yet, we border the #1 county in Florida; we should be taking advantage of this!
- Countyhealthranking.org states:
- Encouraging the development and growth of local businesses to serve our everyday needs.
- We have plenty of industry available such as fishing, forestry, agriculture, and manufacturing, and we have an overabundance of discount stores.
- It’s time to start focusing on the product, retail, and service sectors in our area.
- We need pedestrian friendly collections of retail boutiques, restaurants, etc.
- We should encourage our existing residents to start internet-based businesses that will generate income from outside of Putnam County.
- This is income that could potentially stay in the community to further support local businesses.
- We need to strengthen our workforce that’s needed to staff the businesses of Putnam County. We need to make available workforce training beyond high school.
- We should push to bring in schools that offer technical and career training that will compliment, in addition to offer continuity to the programs provided through the County’s high schools.
- 46% of our workforce commutes long distances to work. We should work toward bringing this number down.
- A need to push harder for reliable, highspeed internet through out the rural areas of Putnam County.
- Reliable, high-speed internet has proven to offer better health, to make higher education levels more achievable, and to lower unemployment rates.
- By raising the education levels of our citizens through online studies as well as through trade schools that are more accessible to county residents, we create a stronger workforce for existing and for incoming businesses.
- We must make sure our vast natural resources are being properly maintained and protected, while at the same time using them to our benefit as an attraction.
- Using something as simple as a spruced-up boat ramp or a properly operating and maintained ferry will help bring our county back to life in a cost-efficient manner.
- In addition, it will serve our communities as far as raising our quality of life, encouraging more engagement in recreational activities, and providing more employment opportunities.
Posted in Issues
