ORANGE PARK- John Sgromolo believes his deep-rooted love for Clay County will make him a good Board of County Commission commissioner.

Sgromolo, who currently serves as Athletics Director at St. Johns Country Day School, said he boasts a track record of leadership with his extensive work in athletics and education. The former athletics director and teacher with the school district said his professional experience makes him a formidable candidate.

Overseeing more than 6,000 student-athletes and 300 coaches, Sgromolo’s experience with the district helped him learn to unite people and make fiscally responsible decisions. He said those two will be his strengths if he’s elected.

“I’m a strong fiscal conservative. I believe that taxpayer dollars belong to taxpayers, not the government or bureaucrats,” he said. 

Sgromolo identified three primary areas he would plan to address if elected. First and foremost, he emphasized public safety, ensuring that the county’s uniformed services, such as the sheriff’s department and fire rescue, have the necessary resources.

“We need to make sure that those men and women have everything they need to protect the community. I believe a great community starts with a safe community. We’re very blessed to have a safe community already here in the county,” he said. 

Sgromolo said he would address the concerns of the influx of new residents to the “Free State of Florida,” particularly Clay County.

Considering the population boom, strategic growth is a top priority for District 1 and the county.

“We have to be very smart and strategic about the growth coming to the county. We need to ensure that we continue to keep up with maintenance and roads as we see increased traffic, along with being smart with any new business ventures coming to the county,” he said. 

Properly maintaining infrastructure is critical in a district with aging roads and rapid expansion, he wants to collaborate with governmental partners and legislators to secure more appropriations for road projects in District 1 and throughout the county.

District 1 encompasses Fleming Island and portions of Middleburg. Mike Cella currently holds the seat. He will term out at the end of 2023.

Sgromolo, a Republican, currently is the only candidate who’s filed. If he runs unopposed by another Republican, he will advance to the General Election on Nov. 5, 2024. If he’s challenged, he has to win the Primary Election on Aug. 20.

“Ensuring our quality of life remains high by adding more options for people on their daily commute and improving intermodal infrastructure is something that we (would) look forward to doing,” he said. 

Sgromolo expressed deep-rooted ties to another one of his priorities, supporting veterans. “Veterans are very important to me and my family. My father is a Navy veteran, my father-in-law is a Marine Corps veteran, and all of my wife’s family are veterans of the U.S. Air Force. Supporting our veterans and making sure that they have a great quality of life is a cause that I am passionate about,” he said.