Javier Gonzalez; running for Village Council

We have asked the Village Council nominees to send us a little something about themselves and their vision and their reason for wanting to be elected to the Village Council. Here is the next in the series, Javier Gonzalez:

I grew up on Secoffee St. in North Grove, and did the public school thing attending Silver Bluff/Carver/Ponce and Gables. For the past 17 years I have resided in South Grove with my wife of 25 years.

Most know me as a “casual, relaxed and stress free” local Realtor, others know my “feet”, some know me from my blog and some of you might have eaten my pastries…….

But what most don’t know about me is my extensive business background. Over the last 30+ years I have worked, managed and interacted with a diverse group of folks. My pragmatic methods are best reflected in my current volunteer position as President of the Royal Atlantic Condo Association. During my three years of service I have been able to maintain the same low Maintenance fees (one of the lowest in SoBe), lowered our operating cost/expenditures and stockpiled reserves to prepare for any unforeseen shortfalls.

In this past year alone during a Recession we have added over 70k of capital improvements for the membership without affecting our one million dollar budget. While these things alone do not qualify me as a candidate, it does allow me to bring a unique perspective on issues and concerns that pertain to our Village.

So, why am I running for council?

I have wanted to give back to the community and over the years have given it a great deal of thought…I feel now is the right time for me to pay it forward by supporting our Village which has been and continues to be my home and an integral part of my life.

As I mentioned before, we are privileged to live in a great place but we’re perceived by the general public as a bunch of spoiled brats. We need to change this perception, and that’s what I want to bring to the table.

I sell the Grove everyday as a real estate agent from our waterfront lifestyle, to our natural beauty, to our unique individualism…now let me do it as a Council member.

I look forward to answering any of your questions, and feel free to contact me to discuss issues and concerns. Website is here: www.vote4jav.com.

Other candidate bios published were: Stephen Murray, Renita Samuels-Dixon, Will Furry and Heather Bettner.