About the Candidate

Born in Galloway Township in New Jersey, James Sherman and his parents relocated to South Daytona when he was six years old, and he lived there until moving to Port Orange in 2002. James graduated from Spruce Creek High School in 2004 and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, where he served until 2008. Stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina, James served as a Personnel Administrator, where he was responsible for handling income and entitlements.

James moved back home to Florida after receiving his honorable discharge and attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. Graduating in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security, James remained at Embry-Riddle working as an Academic Evaluator and Advisor. He took advantage of the benefits of his academic setting and continued with his studies as well, earning a Master of Science in Aeronautics in 2016.

In 2016, James and his wife traded one tropical location for another, moving to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he worked for Hawaii Pacific University. He was quickly promoted from Veterans Coordinator to Assistant Director of the Military Veteran Center and then again to the Director of the Military Veteran Center. In his various roles, James worked personally with veterans, helping them realize their full educational benefits while keeping the university compliant with the Department of Veteran Affairs. 

May of 2019 found James and his family returning home to Florida, this time landing in Flagler Beach. Working first as an Academic Evaluator and then in his current role as the Assistant Registrar in the Admissions Office for Embry-Riddle’s Worldwide Campus, James manages the team that oversees all of the admissions transfer evaluations for the immensely popular Worldwide Campus. 

Flagler Beach Roots

Freshly acclimated to the civilian world after his service in the Marines, James met the love of his life, a Flagler Beach native named Jess with a winning smile and a personality to match. Spending night after night in Flagler Beach, James came to love the area as much as he loved Jess, even proposing to her on Christmas Day in 2011 at the Betty Steflik Memorial Preserve. The couple tied the knot at the Hammock Beach Resort in 2013 and called Flagler Beach their home from 2010 to 2016.

While in Hawaii, James and Jess welcomed their daughter into the world, and knew that it was time to return to the mainland and raise their family in Flagler Beach, prompting a cross-country move in 2019. Purchasing a home in Flagler Beach in May of 2019, James followed in his wife’s family’s footsteps, becoming the third generation to own a home in this beautiful area. After settling down and ensuring the health and safety of his family over the last few years, James knew that it was time to give back and serve the city that has given him and his family so much for almost forty years.

Responsible Fiscal Spending

One primary objective would be to develop a long-range strategic plan to maintain and improve our infrastructure, working with the City Manager, Commissioners, and Mayor to identify the issues that need to be addressed. It’s essential to draft a plan that’s easily accessible for all Flagler Beach residents to access and review, and the plan should include, at a minimum, an analysis of the following items:

• The existence of, availability of, and likelihood of success with any state of federal grants. It should be the highest priority of the City Commission to ensure that the City Manager review all grant criteria and application requirements to ensure that Flagler Beach has the highest possible chance of receiving those funds.
• The impact on our taxpayers. It will be key to analyze and assess the impact on taxpayers as far as income, time, and inconvenience are concerned.
• The lifespan of this investment. For example, when considering a new wastewater treatment plant with a 50-year lifespan, we need to consider the work that future city commissions will need to do in order to budget and plan for this significant expense.
• The ROI. What will this investment reap, in terms of financial benefit to the city, future savings, improved efficiency, higher effectiveness, and other essential factors?

The Environment

The preservation of the environment in Flagler Beach is paramount, and if elected, this domain will be a focal point. Key elements will include reviewing Flagler Beach’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan and educating residents in ways to contribute to a more environmentally focused Flagler Beach.

• The 2035 Comprehensive Plan: In the city’s plan outlining future goals, objectives, and policies, there is a section, Policy E.2 1.2, that covers alternative transportation methods. Putting this policy into effect, providing residents with a more environmentally friendly form of transportation to travel safely throughout Flagler Beach, will result in a positive environmental effect. In addition, by working closely with city officials, I can ensure that said alternative transportation has properly allocated parking and storage space throughout town.
• Education of Flagler Beach residents: When properly informed on the benefits of living in a more environmentally aware community, most citizens will wholeheartedly embrace the idea. I would suggest developing a quarterly topic on environmental protection that provides tips for residents to actively adopt in their daily lives. 

Community

Flagler Beach is a special place to live, and I plan to find more ways to preserve the quality of life for all citizens who call Flagler Beach their home. Adopting policies of open communication, more transparency, and higher resident inclusion are just a few ways I will improve, if elected.

• Open communication and more transparency. I feel that better communication needs to be implemented by the city, providing answers to the questions that residents have on a consistent basis. I support the creation of an official City of Flagler Beach page across social media platforms, providing unbiased facts on topics related to the operational concerns of Flagler Beach. 
• Higher resident inclusion. Flagler Beach is better when residents have the space to provide their input. For example, this summer’s committee meetings for Independence Day fireworks were held at an inconvenient time for residents, providing unnecessary barriers to their ability to voice their opinion. It’s important to break down these barriers as much as possible.

Conclusion

I think it’s important for City Commissioners to be future-thinking, service-oriented people who love their community and want what’s best for the city as a whole. As someone who is actively raising a child in Flagler Beach, I am committed to protecting our way of life for residents while planning for upcoming needs in the future. I want my daughter and her children and her children’s children to be able to enjoy this beautiful, vibrant, special place of Flagler Beach that I proudly call my home.