OCALA, FL (352today.com) – It’s moving day for outgoing Mayor Kent Guinn from an office he has occupied for the past 12 years.
While it may look like a mess, the mayor says he just has the “small stuff” left to pack. On Monday, he wasn’t in his usual suit and tie. Instead, he had on casual clothes – as anyone who was moving would. He was apologetic about his appearance and wouldn’t let us photograph him but as we asked him to reflect on his years of public service, he made no apologies for his actions while in office.
Top 10 safest city
Guinn says when Ocala Police Chief Sam Williams abruptly resigned just days into his tenure as mayor, he was immediately faced with recruiting a replacement for the city’s top cop.
He reached out to Greg Graham, an experienced friend of the force. Graham had been deputy chief in Ocala for more than 20 years. Guinn successfully lured Graham from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to return to head up the police department. “I knew what kind of department I wanted, and I knew Greg was the guy to do that,” recalled Guinn.
He says that move set the department on the course that landed the city where it is today being ranked #10 in the U.S. News & World Report Safest Places to Live in the U.S. in 2023-2024 which just came out last month.
“We have probably sworn in more than 200 officers over the 12 years. It’s been a complete transformation of the police department,” said Guinn. He said they attacked crime using the Broken Window Theory. “It’s all about taking care of the little things before they become big. It was cleaning up vagrancy, graffiti, public intoxication,” reflected Guinn. “It is the things that make people not feel safe. We dealt with all that and it worked. From a livability perspective it is probably one of the most important things we did.”
The mayor says he doesn’t like to use the word ‘I’ when discussing the success because it was a department and community effort. “We got it working,” stated Guinn.
Downtown master plan
Guinn recalled in his council days bringing up the idea to creating a master plan for downtown development and revitalization.
“They asked for planners to submit proposals from all over the country. One of the first things we did was save the Marion Theatre,” said Guinn. “Some on council at the time wanted to tear it down or sell it. The business community came together.”
He says they worked the plan from there and while the downtown is still evolving, he’s proud of the transformation.
What’s ahead?
Guinn says he will continue running the insurance business he has had for more than 40 years. We wondered if some form of public service was still a possibility.
“I am not going to say that it might be. Every time I say that I get myself in trouble,” said Guinn. “I love serving people. I love being an advocate and a voice for people that often times don’t have a voice.”
He recounted compliments from citizens about his leadership and the risks associated with being an elected official. “That pretty much sums up my political career. It didn’t matter to me if I was going to get criticized for a position I would take. As long as it was the right thing to do, that is what I would do and let the chips fall where they may. Usually, they fell pretty good and I don’t think you ever get in trouble doing the right thing,” said Guinn.
He said he took the responsibility of the office very seriously. “When I got sworn in, I pledged to protect and defend the constitution of the United States of America and that is what we do,” said Guinn.
Wednesday starts a new professional chapter for Guinn. “People tell me I should write a book of all the experiences I have had in public service,” said Guinn. “I probably will.”
Ben Marciano will be sworn in as the new mayor of Ocala on Tuesday.