Austin Gaylord

For West Melbourne City Council

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Austin with his dad Robert, and his dog Darla.

Meet Austin

Hi, I’m Austin. I’m a Florida native who left for six long years to serve as a civilian in the federal government. While there, I worked alongside some of the smartest people I’ve ever met, and probably ever will meet. I learned the value of fiscal responsibility amid budget constraints, how to communicate efficiently and effectively to people who may not want to hear the message you’re conveying, and how to negotiate effectively on behalf of both the federal government and the American taxpayer. I learned about the true meaning of patriotism. About the sacrifice our servicemen and veterans endure every day, and how their work is vital to keeping our country and our freedom secure. About how to be proud of not only who I am, but where I am. I’m proud to call West Melbourne my home. But I want to do more than just call it that.During my time here, I’ve met a community of driven and spirited individuals – many of them small business owners – who are passionate about what they do. Through the lens of my own small business, a photography and videography company, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with people working in an eclectic array of professions. From musicians and artists to food truck owners and accountants, I’ve seen how hard the people of this city work at achieving their dreams. More than anything else I want to utilize this opportunity to continue to foster and grow our small business community.But a city isn’t made up of just small businesses, it’s made up of people. People who deserve the right and the freedom to enjoy this place as much as I do. That means providing food, shelter, and rehabilitation services to the most vulnerable among us. It means filling potholes, patching up bike paths, improving our sidewalks, preserving our parks, and cleaning up our environment. It means making use of multi-use zoning, where practical and sensible. And it means ensuring this city can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone for generations to come.

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Issues

Infrastructure

I’ve been canvassing for the better part of 6 months now. And the one thing I keep hearing from constituents? Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. But what exactly does that mean? Roadway congestion. Apartment development. Single family home development. To alleviate these concerns, I will explore public transportation options while continuing to prioritize existing initiatives. I will focus on the development of the city’s infrastructure – the roads, parks, pathways, buildings, sidewalks – to ensure people can get to where they need to go when they want to go. I will work with the council and other leaders to increase communication concerning ongoing development. West Melbourne is sitting on an $11,000,000 unassigned surplus. The city could tap into a portion of this funding to accelerate infrastructure development without destroying its competitive financial advantage or raising taxes.At the same time, this continued expansion would of course need to be sustainable: the city’s continual development should not and cannot come at the expense of the environment. Finally, improving the city’s infrastructure also includes providing shelter and services to people living on its streets and sidewalks. This is important not only so that those areas are less congested, but also so those less fortunate individuals receive the help they need so that they can contribute to the same community building up around them.

Small Business Development

For the last 26 years – most of my life – my dad has owned and operated his own small business. As an engineer by trade, he’s no stranger to all things data and numbers. He understands the importance of encouraging small business growth, and it’s a lesson he imparted to me at a young age. I remember walking into his office late one night when I was a teenager and seeing him stress over finances, and the only thing I could do was reassure him that everything would be okay, and that it would all work out in the end. By continuously prioritizing small business development through the use of low/no interest loans, grants, and small business credits with respect to city contracts and other applicable work, we can ensure that firms just like my dad's, the ones serving as the backbone of our community, continue to grow and prosper in the city of West Melbourne.

Veteran Advocacy and Outreach

Both of my grandfathers served in the military. Both served during World War 2, and one of them served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Veterans are important to me, both on a personal level and a professional one. By continuing to strengthen our veteran outreach programs, we can raise community awareness about this often-neglected portion of our society. And the best part? Brevard already has services for veterans – like the PAWS program – that are tax free while additionally helping to rehabilitate those in the county’s judicial system. The problem is that most veterans don’t even know programs like these exist.

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