About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges of funding community infrastructure and services in Polk County with insights from Tom Phillips of Citrus Connection.

What happens when a growing community wants more infrastructure, more mobility, more quality of life, more workforce access, and more economic opportunity, but avoids the hard conversation about how those things are funded? In this episode of ElevatePolk, Dan Thumberg and Chrissanne Long are joined by Tom Phillips, CEO of Citrus Connection, for a candid conversation about public transportation, local infrastructure, and the real costs behind the services communities depend on. Tom explains how Citrus Connection serves Polk County, why transit matters for workers and businesses, and how funding decisions directly impact service levels. The conversation also explores the possible elimination of homesteaded property taxes in Florida and what that could mean for local governments, public safety, parks, transportation, and quality-of-life services. Chrissanne and Dan explore how outdated perceptions of Polk County continue to shape outside opinions, why business resources can feel fragmented or hard to find, and how resource mapping, ecosystem building, and intentional collaboration could help close the gap. They also discuss the importance of moving “beyond collisions” — beyond…

Topics covered

• public transportation
• local infrastructure
• funding decisions
• economic opportunity
• community development
• entrepreneurship support

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