Re-ElectDana KnightFor Orange City Council At Large

FROM DANA

Listening. Showing Up. Doing the Work.

Over the last two years serving as Orange City's Council Member At-Large, I've learned a great deal. It has truly been an honor to represent our residents. I listen to people, I hear their concerns, and I do everything I can to help address them. I work hard to be a neutral, level-headed voice on the council — someone who looks at both sides of an issue, weighs the facts, and makes decisions based on what's best for our community, not on emotions or personal feelings.

As someone who spent their early years growing up with the Native American side of my family, I have a deep connection to the land and a strong appreciation for balance. I understand that growth is inevitable, but I also believe overdevelopment is a serious issue. I have regular conversations with our state representatives and state senators about home rule and how these decisions need to be returned to local governments. Not every municipality is the same, and not every city can handle the level of growth Florida has been experiencing. I've seen firsthand how infrastructure and rapid development can impact stormwater and flooding — my own home flooded during Hurricane Milton — and I am committed to continuing to work with our city staff to find solutions and fix these issues so our neighborhoods are better protected.

When the public began expressing strong concerns about panhandling, I took that seriously. I spent about a month researching what other cities were doing, reviewing the legal side, and working with our staff to create a safety ordinance that directly responded to residents' concerns while still protecting everyone's First Amendment rights. The goal was to address the behavior that was creating safety issues in our community without infringing on anyone's constitutional freedoms, and the ordinance has been successful in helping improve safety in the areas where these issues were occurring.

Service isn't just what happens in meetings. I've always made it a priority to respond quickly when residents reach out about issues with water, trash, or other concerns, and I follow up to make sure those problems are actually resolved. After one of our storms, my husband and I grabbed our chainsaws and helped a resident clear a fallen tree from the sidewalk so she could safely walk her dog. I also worked closely with an elderly gentleman who lost more than half his driveway during the Monastery Road washout, staying on top of the issue until his property was repaired.

This is what serving on the council means to me — listening, showing up, helping people, and doing the work. I hope to continue serving our community with that same commitment.