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Green Cove Springs City Council, Seat 1

Meet Tom Centracchio

Posted 3/26/26

Clay Today reached out to the candidates for Seat 1 on the Green Cove Springs City Council, and asked them the same three questions ahead of the Municipal Super Tuesday Elections on April 14. Here …

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Green Cove Springs City Council, Seat 1

Meet Tom Centracchio


Posted
For Clay Today

Clay Today reached out to the candidates for Seat 1 on the Green Cove Springs City Council, and asked them the same three questions ahead of the Municipal Super Tuesday Elections on April 14. Here are the results submitted by candidate Tom Centracchio.

What qualities distinguish you for Seat 1 on the Green Cove Springs City Council?

I believe the most important role of a council member is to be a careful steward of taxpayer dollars and to make decisions that reflect the needs of the people who live here.

I bring the discipline and accountability that come from my time as a Marine, along with decades of experience in the private sector, where you have to make real decisions about money every day. You learn quickly that you cannot spend what you do not have, and that every dollar has to be used wisely.
Our city has taken on a significant amount of debt in a relatively short period of time, and that deserves a closer look. We need to slow down, ask better questions and understand the full cost before we commit to it. I also believe that before taking on any new debt, the council should clearly state, for the sake of transparency, what our total debt will be, how we plan to pay it back, where those payments will come from and what percentage of our budget will go toward it, so residents and business owners understand the impact before a decision is made.
I have ideas for ways we can improve how decisions are made and how information is shared with residents and business owners, and I am ready to work with the rest of the council to put those ideas into action.
 

What are the City’s biggest challenges?

One of the biggest challenges right now is the rising cost of living in our city, especially when it comes to utilities. We recently saw a 12% increase, but the bigger picture is that rates have gone up around 60% since 2022. That is a significant shift for residents.

Part of the issue is how those increases have been handled over time. Adjustments that should have been made gradually were delayed, and now residents are feeling the impact all at once. We have gone from being in the middle of the pack for municipal utilities to among the highest, and that puts real pressure on households.
Moving forward, we need to take a more measured and consistent approach. That means avoiding large swings, understanding the long-term impact before decisions are made, and making sure we are not putting residents in a position where they are trying to absorb multiple increases at the same time.

What’s more important now — a long-term plan or tax relief? How do you balance that?

Right now, residents are already feeling the pressure from rising costs, so we cannot ignore that. At the same time, we cannot keep making decisions that lead to larger increases later.

The balance comes down to how we handle costs moving forward. Before approving any new fee, rate increase, or debt, we should be looking at the total impact on residents, not just each decision on its own.
We also need to avoid large swings. What we have seen with utilities is what happens when adjustments are delayed and then hit all at once. A more consistent and measured approach helps prevent that.
Growth should pay for itself, not be pushed onto the residents who are already here. That means clearly identifying the costs tied to new development up front and making sure those costs are not shifted onto existing residents through higher rates and fees. If we do that consistently, we can reduce pressure on residents now while still planning responsibly for the future.
 

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