State Representative Debbie Mayfield – Mayfield Minute 11/24/24

Nov 24 2024

State Representative Debbie Mayfield – Mayfield Minute 11/24/24

Good Morning!

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the many blessings in my life—and at the top of that list is family.

Holidays like Thanksgiving remind us of what truly matters: the loved ones we share our lives with, the traditions that bring us together, and the quiet moments of gratitude that ground us. I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good food, great company, and memories that will last a lifetime.

Thanksgiving also serves as a time to reflect and give thanks for the many blessings bestowed upon us and to open our hearts to those less fortunate and in need of our compassion, generosity, and volunteerism.

This holiday season, consider contacting local organizations such as Second Harvest, Daily Bread, or Aging Matters to find out how you can help feed the most vulnerable members of our community.

Wishing you and your family a joyful and peaceful holiday season!

I consider it a great honor to represent House District 32. Please share this link with your friends and family so they too, can sign up for the Mayfield Minute.

If you or someone you know needs my assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my temporary office number at (321) 312-0124. My staff and I are here to serve you!

Statewide Update

Organization Session

This past week, the legislature held our Organization Session in Tallahassee and I was officially sworn in as your State Representative. We also elected Speaker Designate Daniel Perez as our Speaker for the 2024-2026 term and Representative Wyman Duggan as our Speaker pro tempore. We adopted the House rules, and appointed Jeff Takacs as the Clerk of the House and Russell Hosford as our Sergeant at Arms.

During the Organization Session Speaker Perez addressed the chamber, setting the tone for his term as speaker. In his speech he declared that “We aren’t a debate society, and we shouldn’t be the House of Talk. We should be the House of Action”. To watch the full Organization Session, click here.

This week also provided an opportunity to meet and connect with my new colleagues. There are truly amazing leaders in my freshman class and I’m excited for what’s ahead.I will be returning to Tallahassee the week of December 2 for the House’s first of six interim committee weeks.

As a reminder, if you plan on visiting the capitol, please don’t hesitate to contact my office and we will be happy to assist you as you plan your visit.

Utility Scam Awareness Day

In recognition of Utility Scam Awareness Day, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody released some tips on how to identify potential utility scams:

Urgent Payment Demands: Scammers often claim that immediate payment is necessary to prevent disconnection;

Unusual Payment Requests: Requests for gift cards, prepaid debit cards or cryptocurrency are common red flags;

Spoofed Caller IDs: Scammers may manipulate caller IDs to make it appear as if a call is from a utility company; and

False Refunds: Bad actors may promise false refunds, free products or services but have stipulations hidden in a contract.

If you believe you may have fallen victim to a utility scam, contact the Florida Attorney General’s Office at 1(866) 9NO-SCAM or file a complaint online at MyFloridaLegal.com.

Law Enforcement Bonuses

The Governor announced that the state has provided 300 new bonuses for Law Enforcement Recruits as part of the ongoing Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program.

The program gives newly recruited officers a one time $5000 bonus after taxes. The goal of the program is to make Florida the most supportive state in the nation for law enforcement officers.

The latest round of bonuses were given to officers serving in areas that have been affected by recent Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton.

To date more than 6,400 bonuses have been dispersed. Recipients of the bonus have relocated to Florida from all 49 other states and two territories.

For more information on the program click here.

Agency Highlight

State Courts Administrator

Last week we highlighted the Florida Supreme Court and its justices. This week we will continue by discussing the management of the state’s judicial system.

The Office of the State Courts Administrator (OSCA) assists the Chief Justice with the administrative functions of the state’s courts, including the Supreme Court, 6 district courts of appeal, 20 circuit courts, and 67 county courts.

In 1972 voters approved a referendum designed to bring greater uniformity to the court system. In addition to creating the State Courts Administrator, the amendment set statewide qualifications to serve as a judge and relieved local governments of the cost of paying judges’ salaries. The administrator is appointed directly by, and reports to, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The current State Courts Administrator is Eric W. Maclure, who was appointed earlier this year.

The Administrator’s office directs all aspects of the court system’s operations throughout the state. Additionally, the State Courts Administrator is the liaison between the court system and the legislative branch, the executive branch, the auxiliary agencies of the Court, and national court research and planning agencies. The OSCA’s legislative and communication functions are handled directly by the State Courts Administrator and his executive staff. This includes responsibility for preparing the Judicial Branch’s annual budget requests.

Many Floridians have been or will be called to serve on the jury of a court proceeding. The State Courts Administrator oversees the jury management system and sets policy for the jury selection process. They are responsible for implementing initiatives to make serving on a jury a more efficient process. Actual jury summons are coordinated by the locally elected clerks of court.

The Office of the State Court Administrator also operates the department of Court Services. They are responsible for training and certifying court interpreters and translators. This allows the court system to better serve Floridians with disabilities. The office also oversees the court system’s data, research, and assessment operations. They provide support to commissions which are responsible for ensuring performance and accountability for individual District and Trial courts.

The State Courts Administrator is also responsible for the Dispute Resolution Center. They inform Floridians of alternative methods of resolving disputes outside of a courtroom. The most common methods of alternative dispute resolution are arbitration and mediation. Unlike a trial which is overseen by a judge, arbitration is conducted by a third party arbitrator, who must be an attorney in good standing with the Florida Bar. Another difference is that arbitration is non-binding, either party can reject the decision of the arbitrator, and the case will go to trial. In mediation, the mediator will assist the parties as they talk about their dispute to help them find and explore mutually acceptable resolutions. If you reach an agreement through mediation, you avoid further legal proceedings through a trial or arbitration. Mediators are required to be certified by the State Court system to practice.

To learn more about the Office of the State Courts Administrator, click here.

Constituent of the Week

Dr. Laura Wilson

In recognition of November as Manatee Awareness Month we are highlighting Dr. Laura Wilson, a scientist and advocate for our local marine ecosystems. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and has always been passionate about science. Whenever she visited the coast as a child, she would hunt for shark’s teeth and wanted to learn everything she could about their place in the ecosystem.

This innate passion led Dr. Wilson to pursue an academic career that has taken her all over the country as she studied paleontology and geology. She earned her B.S. in Geology from Washington & Lee University, her M.S. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University, and her Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

After earning her Ph.D., she became a professor at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. In this position, she had the opportunity to study the fossils of ancient sea turtles and compare them to modern sea turtles to learn how their ecosystems have changed. At that time she also gained experience educating the public as the Chief Curator at the university’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History. After twelve years as a professor, Dr. Wilson realized that she wanted to do work with a more immediate impact. She began seeking out a role where she could apply her talents and education in advocacy of a mission she believes in.

That unique professional journey led her to Brevard County earlier this year when she became the Executive Director of the Marine Resources Council (MRC). Her leadership skills and experience studying ecosystem changes equipped her to take over the program, which is dedicated to monitoring and restoring the Indian River Lagoon. The MRC seeks to use a combination of Science, Education, and Advocacy (or S.E.A.) to achieve its mission.

The MRC operates a volunteer coastal litter cleanup each month to help reduce the amount of trash in our marine ecosystems. They also have a team of dedicated volunteers that take samples each week to test the water quality in the lagoon. The resulting data is compiled into an annual update to inform the public on the progress of water quality improvements in the lagoon. The findings in the 2024 update indicate some improvements over 2023, but the organization says that there is still much work that needs to be done.

Dr. Wilson is particularly excited about the expansion of the council’s study of mangroves. She believes that mangroves play an important role in the restoration of the lagoon, given their abilities to protect against coastal erosion, provide habitats for fish, and prevent harmful algae blooms.

Outside of work, Dr. Wilson enjoys spending time with her husband and son, including hiking and trips to the Brevard Zoo to share her love for nature

On behalf of House District 32, It is an honor to highlight Dr. Wilson for her contributions to maintaining and restoring our county’s natural resources.

District Highlights

New Brevard County Commission

During the organizational commission meeting of the Brevard County Commission on Tuesday, November 19 three new commissioners were sworn in. The new members are Commissioner Katie Delaney (District 1), Commissioner Kim Adkinson (District 3), and Commissioner Thad Altman (District 5).

During the meeting, Commissioner Feltner (District 4) was elected to serve as the Chair of the County Commission and Commissioner Goodson (District 2) was elected to serve as the Vice Chair. Both votes were unanimous.

For additional information on each of the county commissioners and the area that they represent, click here.

2024 State of The Port

Canaveral Port Authority CEO Capt. John Murray today delivered his annual State of the Port address providing a comprehensive recap of Port Canaveral’s 2024 performance with revenue growth in all business sectors. He also indicated a strong projected outlook for the coming fiscal year. The Port’s total earned revenue in 2024 was $191 million with cruise operations contributing $156 million, cargo $23 million and non-ship operations at $12 million.

Looking toward the future, in FY25 the port is projecting operational revenue growth of more than 12 percent. This projected growth is primarily based upon increased cruise operations. The port is expecting the addition of three new homeported vessels and new partnerships with Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises.

“Port Canaveral continues to be a strategic economic driver for creating jobs, helping local businesses to grow and prosper, and bringing more guests to experience all that our Port community has to offer,” stated Capt. John Murray.

To watch the full address, click here.

Dr. Dave Weldon Selected as CDC Director

Brevard medical doctor and former US Congressman, Dave Weldon, was selected by the incoming presidential administration to serve as the director of the Center for Disease Control.

The CDC is a federal agency under the US Department of Health and Human Services. It is the United States’ national public health agency and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information on the responsibilities of the Center for Disease Control, click here.

Congratulations to Dr. Weldon on this prestigious appointment.

Rescue of Brevard Manatee

An orphaned manatee calf sustained an injury to its head last week, in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The calf was rescued through a joint effort involving the Brevard Zoo and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. After the initial rescue, the manatee was transported to Orlando to receive medical treatment and rehabilitation at SeaWorld facilities.

November is Manatee Awareness Month, so click here for educational resources about manatees. When you enjoy a day on the water, be mindful of your surroundings so that we can avoid injuries like this one.

Local Boys Golf Team Win State Championship

The Viera High School Boys Golf Team won the State Championship held in Howey-In-the-Hills, Florida. This is the first time that a Brevard County High School’s boys team has won a state golf championship. Additionally Ryan Woodward, a Viera High School Junior, had the highest score in Viera High School history during the state tournament.

To view the final scores from the tournament, click here and locate the results for the boys 3A division.

Congratulations to all the players for your historic achievement and for a hardworking season.

Upcoming Events

Candlelight Shopping – Tree Lighting Ceremony

Melbourne Mainstreet is hosting candlelight shopping events from 4:00 to 8:00 PM each Saturday until Christmas. The events begin this Saturday, November 30 and will take place throughout downtown Melbourne with new attractions each week.

This week’s attractions are live performances, pictures with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a canned food drive benefiting the Brevard Sharing Center, and at 6 PM there will be a tree lighting ceremony in Campbell Park (929 E New Haven Ave, Melbourne).

For additional information on this event and future events, click here.

Annual Space Coast Turkey Trot 5k & 10k

The Running Zone Foundation will be hosting their annual Space Coast Turkey Trot 5k & 10k on Thanksgiving Day. The race will begin at 7:30 AM at the Front Street Civic Center (2205 Front Street, Melbourne).

Both walkers and runners are encouraged to participate. Registration ends at midnight on Tuesday, November 26.

Click here for more details and to register.

“Christmas at the Movies” Concert

The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra is hosting their Christmas at the Movies concert on Saturday, November 30 at 7:30 PM. The family friendly event will be held at Satellite Beach High School Performing Arts Center (300 Scorpion Court, Satellite Beach)

Visit the website for more information and to reserve tickets.

Green Gables Holiday Events

Green Gables Historic Home (1501 S. Harbor City Boulevard, Melbourne) will host two holiday attractions on Sunday, December 1.

In the afternoon from noon to 3:00 PM, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be present for photos. Each photo will cost $15 per child, which includes a holiday frame with your print. There will be crafts, cookies, and hot cocoa available for your enjoyment.

In the evening from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, return for the annual tree lighting ceremony. The Melbourne High School Chorus will sing the Songs of the Season. Cookies and cider will be served, but they ask that you bring your own chair.

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