ORANGE PARK – There are two open seats on the town council following the resignations of Vice Mayor Susana Thompson and Councilman Daniel Cobreiro.

Glenn Taylor was geared up for his campaign for Orange Park Town Council Seat 3. He had more than $2,000 in professionally designed signs ready to be placed around town. He was ready to meet his soon-to-be constituents and make his pitch for why he should be on the town council. 

Now, he doesn’t have to. 

Taylor had two opponents. Both withdrew their applications. Madison “Maddie” Hilt withdrew her application to run for Council Seat 4 instead. According to Taylor, Hilt gave him a call to congratulate him and inform him of her decision.

Taylor said that her decision was made because she believed she had a better shot against Kenneth Vogel. 

Taylor reflected on his admittedly anticlimactic win. Now, he wonders what to do with the more than $2,000 worth of signs he purchased with campaign funds. 

“Yeah, no one ever got to see them. We never got to put them up. A friend has them in his barn. He said I could put a sticker to say ‘re-election’ and put them up. That’s three years from now,” he said.

However, he is nonetheless thankful for the opportunity. Saved the trouble of a campaign, Taylor can focus on his vision for when he’ll be seated at the dais in April. 

A key tenet of his campaign was securing sufficient compensation for first responders. With the collective bargaining agreements signed earlier this month, Taylor says he wants to ensure wages remain competitive. 

“Orange Park is so special because of our first responders who keep us safe,” he said. 

Taylor wants to manage the growth and development within the town by finding a balance between attracting businesses and keeping the community safe to raise a family. 

“I am a big believer in the importance of local businesses. It is important to find that middle ground between businesses and residents, especially with the safety of children in mind. I’m sure the business doesn’t want that (an unsafe community) either,” he said, referencing Blake Avenue. 

Taylor has been practicing law and accounting for nearly 30 years.

He graduated from the University of Florida School of Law in 1990, and he’s been practicing real estate law since 1997, he said. 

He said he wants to use his career experience to work with the citizens and local legislatures to obtain more state funding for local projects such as waste management. 

Most importantly, he said he wanted the voice of the citizens.

“I will listen to and be an advocate for the needs of the community,” he said.

Taylor has two sons, Justin and Joshua, who are fraternal twins. He raised them as a single dad. With his children now in their junior years at the University of Florida, he is ready to take on the responsibility of being a town council member.

“I have wanted to do stuff like this sooner. Now seemed like the perfect time to give back to the community that has blessed me and my family for many years,” he said.

His law office is at 462 Kingsley Ave., Suite 103, and he’s a member of the Orange Park Rotary.