St. Augustine City Commission Seat 4 candidate Cindy Golos-Guergawi said her decision to run for office stems from a longstanding desire to serve her community and apply the leadership skills she developed during her tenure in nonprofit management, fundraising, event planning and technology and organizational leadership.
Golos is a candidate for St. Augustine City Commission Seat 4. She is running against Ashleigh Barnes and Ko Robbins in a nonpartisan election for the seat occupied by Cynthia Garris, who has been elected mayor without opposition.
Unlike the Seat 5 election between Matt Brown and Julie Settle, this three-way contest will appear on the Aug. 18 primary ballot. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote, then the top two vote-getters will face off in the Nov. 3 general election.
Golos, who moved to St. Augustine from Washington, D.C. several years ago, believes that her experience managing large organizations, budgets and complex projects will serve her to govern for America's oldest city. Confident that she can build partnerships and lead diverse teams, Golos said that she likes the idea of serving something greater than herself.
"I like having a mission," she told the St. Augustine Record. "I want to give back to the city that feels like a vital part of who I am now."
Kicking off with Nights of Lights, Golos said the city can better manage tourism without framing the issue as residents versus tourists.
Golos said that because "massive amounts of cars just driving around looking for parking is a problem," she supports expanded park-and-ride systems, additional shuttle service, more parking options and pedestrian-only walking areas during all major events.
She emphasized the need for disseminating marketing materials early so residents, tourists and business owners have a working knowledge of how best to navigate crowds descending into a relatively small area.
"Planning is key," she said. "The city needs to make sure people have every opportunity to think about where they're going to park ahead of time. Other flashpoints include trash, law enforcement and customer service for the volume of people that are here. I agree that it seems like this has gotten slightly of control, but that doesn't mean it can't be fixed.
"The city needs to do a better job to address crowding, traffic and quality-of-life issues facing those who live in the city," she said.
Golos also expressed concerns about how last year's changes impacted local businesses while underscoring the importance of studying and learning from the data.
"I understand that reviews were made, but I would ask to go further because some of the concerns have become public safety issues," she said.
She described the use of barricades as a 50-50 issue.
"Some businesses were affected positively by the use of barricades while others were affected negatively," she said. "I will agree that last year's changes had a positive impact on the event overall, but more work needs to be done. By analyzing the data, we can make more informed decisions."
Asked about the rise of short-term vacation rentals and their impact on neighborhoods such as Lincolnville, Golos acknowledged the concerns many longtime residents have raised.
"If I lived in Lincolnville, I would feel devastated," she said.
Describing the area as having a cultural heartbeat, she specifically cited concerns about the loss of the neighborhood character and the weakening of relationships among its residents.
"I would like to connect neighbors with each other, including those who have lived here for a long time and the new owners coming into an area with a significant historic footprint," she said.
However, she stopped short of calling for major new restrictions for newcomers wishing to restore or rebuild deteriorating or condemned properties. While supporting stronger enforcement of existing regulations, she suggested that reversing many of the changes already underway may not be realistic.
"We can't turn back the clock," she said, "but again, we can better manage the geographic boundaries for everyone."
With flooding and rising sea levels defined as major issues, particularly through the city's low-lying areas, Golos said she's already met with city staff responsible for resiliency and infrastructure planning.
"I am so impressed by my discussions with city engineers and planners," she said. "While I don't believe flooding can ever be fully eliminated, I'm confident with the city's current resiliency efforts. No one's going to completely eradicate flooding."
Golos also emphasized a long-term approach to infrastructure planning.
"I am always thinking 20, 30 years down the field," she said.
Golos said that she admired Mayor-elect Cynthia Garris and looks forward to working collaboratively with returning and newly elected city leaders.
"I work well with everyone," she said.
She praised Garris' rise through city government and said different commissioners will each bring unique perspectives to the table.
"I think a well-rounded team of leaders is important," she said.
Golos also expressed her support for investing in historically underserved areas, including West Augustine.
"A city is only as great as all of its people," she said.
Given her background with a conservation-focused nonprofit, Golos earmarked environmental issues as a priority. She admitted that not enough is being done on all fronts ― the city, the county and the residents –― to protect natural lands from increasing development pressure.
"I think everyone can do a better job with strengthening protections for our natural spaces," she said. "I also believe in public advocacy. People must use their voice."
She also connected issues surrounding affordable housing with the city's lack of transportation.
"If people don't have transit to be able to come into and interact with the city, you're only solving half the problem," she said. "We need greater transit options that connect outlying communities with jobs and services in St. Augustine."
She also said the city is underutilizing existing commercially zoned property that can increase revenues and prospects for new businesses.
Golos described the city as being "way behind" in its efforts to retain young professionals and entrepreneurs. She wants the city to create more opportunities for younger residents to start businesses, build careers and remain in the community.
When discussing property tax proposals, Golos emphasized voter education over political rhetoric. She supports allowing voters to decide significant tax questions but also believes that residents must clearly understand the consequences of those decisions, that is, "what services will be affected."
"I think voter education on this is going to be very, very important," she said. "I have to be the person that provides the information that makes decision-makers, which are always voters, good arbiters of the decisions that we make."
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature have placed an initiative on the Nov. 3 general election ballot that would raise the homestead exemption on primary residences from $50,000, as it is now, to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. If passed by 60% of voters, it will significantly impact traditional revenue of local communities.
Golos described St. Augustine as idyllic, a "city that everyone wants to live in."
"St. Augustine has few rivals for beauty and charm, history and unending opportunities for fun," she said. "My family has been welcomed in a way we've never experienced, and I'm confident in a bright, shared future if we make impactful and timely actions required to preserve and prosper."
This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: What Cindy Golos-Guergawi hopes to do on the St. Augustine Commission