Kirby Smith Commissioner & Chairman, District 3 Lake County

In an interview with Invest:, Kirby Smith, Lake County District 3 commissioner and chairman, talked about the importance of active tourism and water sports for the county. He also discussed the county’s efforts to preserve farmland and protect rural areas as well as to enhance affordable housing and promote technical degrees in high schools to support trades. 

What have been the most important achievements for Lake County in the past two years?

We have been focused on preserving our Rural Protection Areas (RPAs) as well as on protecting our agricultural industry. I like the direction in which we are heading with our trails and natural resources. We are working hard to restore and enhance our natural resources because –– together with trails –– they are a huge economic driver for Lake County. We are also focusing on active tourism, which is sports tourism including skiing, biking, hiking, volleyball and softball. We have secured several national championship tournaments and have invested a lot of capital into attracting Division I teams, the Olympic rowing team or the Olympic trial track team. We are also working on our infrastructure. Lake County is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, so we need to keep up with our infrastructure and strike the balance between work-life-play in the county.

What are the unique features of Lake County that attract visitors to the region?

We are very active in the recreational and sports tourism sectors because we believe that people need to disconnect from electronics. Parents and kids need to get out and enjoy what nature offers and tourism is one way to do it. We hold the Spring Games, which is a Division I level softball competition. We also have Hickory Point Beach Volleyball Complex, which is the second largest volleyball complex in the United States, as well as The Big House, which hosts numerous Amateur Athletic Union basketball and volleyball events. Lake County also offers water sports and other water recreation activities while providing access to four historic downtown areas. We have hosted world water skiing and rowing championships in the southern part of Lake County and regattas in the northern part in the City of Eustis. Around 70 regattas happen in Lake County including competitions of different sailboats and different age groups. 

In terms of topography, Lake County is unique in that it has hills due to its location along the Florida ridge. This makes it attractive for people who bike. Additionally, the Harris Chain of Lakes is great for recreation and competitive fishing. As an example, we are going after the  Bass Elite Pro event. If we are the successful bidders for Bass Elite Pro, this competition will feature 102 anglers seeking to qualify as the Top Fishermen. Whoever wins in that event goes to the Bass Masters for season 2025.

What practices is Lake County implementing as part of its conservation efforts related to its RPAs?

The Board has approved a referendum to be held in November seeking voter approval to obtain funding to purchase conservation lands. If the referendum is approved, we can renew our Public Lands Program in 2026. From the development side, the County has transitional zones,between urban areas and rural areas so that high density development isn’t put right next to homesteads or farmland. We try our best to help the municipalities understand the importance of preserving our farmland and rural areas for our community whenever the municipalities annex land. 

What is the strategy of Lake County to address the need for affordable housing?

Commissioner Leslie Campione is our best advocate for affordable housing in Lake County and she works closely with other community partners, including New Beginnings, Homes in Partnership and Habitat for Lake and Sumter Counties . We are certainly diving into what we can do to help our younger generation and our military veterans afford to stay here in Lake County. We have approved a project on county-owned land that will provide 16 affordable housing units and have committed the donation of other county-owned property to Habitat for a larger-scale affordable housing development. As a person who was born and raised in Lake County, I am aware that a $400,000 home is not affordable for young people like my son. 

We continue to investigate different avenues to encourage the development of affordable housing such as providing incentives or impact fee waivers for people who build workforce housing so that our teachers, firefighters, police officers and younger generations can enjoy having a home in Lake County. There are also opportunities in the build-to-rent communities, which offer another affordable opportunity to those needing housing. That model has not hit us in full swing yet, but there are a lot of younger people who might prefer to rent a single-family home rather than buy one. 

What are some of the challenges to achieving meaningful change in Lake County?

Florida is the fastest-growing state in the union and Lake County is the sixth fastest-growing county in the state. Because of that, we need to learn how to balance population growth, economic development, and preservation of our natural resources. The county commission just approved raising the transportation impact fee to 95% of the maximum allowed. A consultant showed us that our transportation impact fee needed to be set at $4,000, but we were only charging $1,000. We bumped that so that when new projects come in, we can take care of our infrastructure. We are also launching a Municipal Services Benefit Unit (MSBU) that will charge each lot in a residential community a small annual fee the County will then use to maintain the roads inside that subdivision. Everything takes time, which people generally do not understand. We need to pass the football, let someone catch it, and see what happens.

What initiatives toward improving the education sector is Lake County implementing?

I am a huge proponent of technical schools because not every kid needs to go to college. Students can now go to Lake Technical College to get a technical certificate and make just as much money or probably more given the lower debt, than someone with a four-year degree. I have been pushing for career and technical programs in our high school and to expand our programs offered at local technical schools. 

How are partnerships supporting workforce development in Lake County?

Lake County Schools offers career and technical education certificates starting in middle school and even more opportunities for certifications in all our public high schools. For example, Leesburg High School offers a program for high school students interested in learning the construction trade. Students can enroll into the construction academy at that school and get hands-on experience as they work with Habitat for Humanity to build a house. To become a building contractor, an individual needs either two years’ experience with a four-year degree or four years’ experience. High school students taking advantage of that program can graduate with two years’ experience on their resumes, which gets them closer to obtaining their contractor’s license. Aside from that, we also have electrical programs, aviation and drone programs in Umatilla and Eustis, and culinary programs in Tavares. High school graduates can get jobs that pay $25 to $35 per hour right out of high school without a college degree, which is fantastic. 

What is your outlook and top priorities for Lake County over the next two to three years?

Our natural resources are the number one concern for me. I have been working hard on improving our waterways and protecting our rural areas and agricultural industry. The Lake County Water Authority was recently converted from an independent special district to a dependent special district under the County which allows the Board to put professionals into the Water Authority Trustee positions, so we have a good team of experts governing that agency. Aside from that, economic development and high-wage, high-quality job creation is a priority for our county. A diversified tax base and varied career opportunities for a skilled workforce will help make Lake County resilient for the future.