Although the town has been successful in legalizing golf carts, beginning the long-awaited process of restoring Johnson Slough and kicking off memorable events like Orange Park After Dark, Benefield said there’s so much more to do. And keeping the momentum going is key. 

Benefield is looking to retain his spot on Seat 1 following the results of the Super Tuesday Municipal Election. Months of campaigning will culminate on April 14. 

Benefield has a deep history with the town. He moved to Orange Park when he was 8 years old. As he got older, he began to truly take in the majestic nature of the town—from its community atmosphere to its scenic opportunities. He’s seen it from all angles, a place for families to land and one for businesses to thrive. 

That’s one thing he said he will bring to the forefront if given more time on the dais.  

“I’m fully invested in this place and the success of it. Like the sustainability of it. Everything that I’ve put in motion relies on Orange Park needs to be a nice place. And it needs to be taken care of,” he said. “It’s worth taking care of.” 

Benefield’s history with local government stems from years of chance connections. Once when he ran into Mayor Randy Anderson, he was encouraged to join the town’s Culture and Recreation Committee. He then transitioned into the Police Pension Board and later the Finance Committee.  

When a council seat opened in 2022, Benefield put his name in the hat. He sat on that term for seven months before it was time for reelection. He said he’s choosing to run again because he feels his work isn’t done. 

“The only way I could figure out how to fix it was just to be involved in the conversation.” 

As the owner of Elevate CPA, an accounting firm on Stiles Avenue, he said his work there has helped him with having tough conversations and finding out what truly matters to those he’s serving. He said that’s what sets him apart.  

Some of the town challenges Benefield hopes to address include fiscal responsibility, storm water and the water quality in Doctors Lake. 

Another one, he said, is traffic. In Orange Park, there are at least 100,000 cars that travel down the corridor of U.S. 17 daily and half of that on Kingsley. Although the town is motivated to create things that cause people to stop and interact, he said it’s important to maintain roadways and find all opportunities to make them safer.  

“I’d like to see a school zone on Kingsley at the St. Johns Classical Academy. Kids walk to that school.” 

As of now, the town is also taking a deeper look into the fiscal effects of the potential implementation of House Joint Resolution 203, which would make homestead property exempt from all ad valorem taxation as soon as 2027. 

Benefield said this could be a hurdle he and the council will need to jump over. Financial cuts are a possibility, and the town is currently planning as if they will lose revenue, he said. Benefield added that the town could lose around $900,000 within the first year. 

“The difficult part is that those revenue dollars are connected with services. And when you flush your toilet, you want it to work. And when you call the police, you want them to show up.” 

Benefield hopes to tackle the issue firsthand. 

If he succeeds in the election, Benefield said additional things he also looks forward to accomplishing include moving forward with the Johnson Slough project and fostering more community engagement.  

“I never envisioned that I would be here when I was saying yes to the Culture and Recreation Committee. Now that I’m here, I’d really like to get some more stuff done. It’s just worth fighting for.”