SPACE COAST, FLORIDA. The Space Coast Rocket invited candidates to answer a questionnaire in their own words. Below are the responses from Duffy Wagner, candidate for City of Cocoa City Council, District 1. His answers are published verbatim.
About the Candidate
| Name on ballot | Garrick Duffy Wagner |
|---|---|
| Office | City of Cocoa City Council, District 1 |
| Race | Nonpartisan |
| Incumbent | No |
| Held elected office before | No — this is my first run for office |
| Plans to seek higher office | No |
| Residence | Cocoa |
| Years in Brevard | 4 years |
| Occupation / employer | Retired — 32-year career in manufacturing leadership, ultimately leading a major international manufacturing division for a Fortune 500 company |
| Military veteran | No |
| Education | Degree in Industrial Engineering, University of Alabama; MBA, Vanderbilt University |
1. Why are you running?
I’m running because Cocoa isn’t just where I live. It’s where my family’s story started, and I want to help lead it forward.
Cocoa has been part of my family for generations. Both of my parents graduated from Cocoa High School in 1959, my mother lived in Cocoa Village for decades, and my wife, Alesa, and I spent years returning to visit family. When my career ended, I went home to Cocoa.
After 32 years leading teams and solving hard problems in the private sector, I believe I have the experience to help make Cocoa’s decisions wisely. I ultimately led one of a Fortune 500 company’s major manufacturing divisions—leading people, managing significant resources, and making decisions that affected operations and the long-term success of the business. That work taught me to study the facts, weigh reasonable alternatives, listen carefully, and be accountable for every decision I made.
Since moving here, serving as President of the Barclay Square Condominium Association has given me a close-up view of how City Council decisions affect everyday life—and how much listening, building consensus, and solving problems at the local level actually matter.
I’m running to bring everything I’ve learned—from the plant floor to Barclay Square—to City Council: evaluate the facts carefully, protect taxpayer dollars, and make decisions that serve Cocoa well for years to come.
2. What are your top three priorities?
Efficient, Thoughtful, Transparent Government
Before voting, I want to understand not just the staff recommendation, but the reasonable alternatives considered, the long-term financial impact, how each option affects nearby residents and neighborhoods, and why one option is being recommended over another.
Strong Neighborhoods and Quality of Life
District 1 includes some of Cocoa’s greatest assets—from Cocoa Village and the Diamond Square community to the many neighborhoods families proudly call home. Strong neighborhoods require safe streets, dependable infrastructure, well-maintained parks, and a City Council that listens to the people who live and work there.
Living in Cocoa Village, I see its potential every day. It’s one of the most walkable parts of our city—restaurants, a park, the waterfront, all within reach on foot—and it deserves the basics done right: safety, noise, landscaping, maintenance, and the overall appearance and livability of the Village. Get that right, and Cocoa Village becomes a place residents are proud of first—and one visitors naturally want to seek out. That’s why I intend to be its champion on City Council, while working just as hard for every other neighborhood in District 1.
Projects like the Michael C. Blake Subdivision, the Dr. Joe Lee Smith Community Center, and the revitalization of Provost Park show what that investment can do. Cocoa Village deserves the same. My goal is to leave every part of District 1 stronger than I found it.
Economic Opportunity
There’s a lot to be excited about on the Space Coast right now. The port keeps growing, the space industry keeps expanding, and Brevard County is on a trajectory most communities would envy. I want to see District 1 be part of that—new shops, restaurants, and employers that give residents more reasons to shop, eat, and work close to home. But new projects also have to make sense for the City’s bottom line: each one draws on resources the City already has to stretch—police and fire coverage, road capacity, water and sewer systems. Before I support any project, I want to know not just what it adds to the tax base, but what it costs the City to support it. That’s not an abstract concern to me—I saw it firsthand running a manufacturing division: a project that costs more to support than it returns isn’t progress, no matter how good it looks on paper.
That’s the lens I’d bring to District 1’s economic opportunity. Before backing any project, I’d want real evidence it’s the right fit. Brightline is proof of what Cocoa can accomplish when opportunity meets follow-through: securing the funding and bringing the partners together turned an opportunity into a real station. That’s the kind of results I want to keep bringing to District 1.
3. What is the biggest issue facing the City?
Efficient government starts with complete information. The biggest issue facing Cocoa is that City Council too often has to make decisions without the full picture: information that’s incomplete, missing the alternatives that were or weren’t considered, or presented in a way that doesn’t allow evaluation. That has to change. Before I vote on anything—a budget, a rezoning, a new project—I want the complete picture: not just the numbers that support the outcome being recommended, but the full trade-offs and long-term impact, explained in plain language I could take home and explain to a neighbor. That’s not a new standard for me; it’s the standard I tried to hold myself to throughout my career.
I saw exactly why this matters during a recent Council discussion over a $170,000 shortfall in a roughly $55 million General Fund budget—about three-tenths of one percent. Council members were being asked to find the savings themselves, without being presented with options showing where reductions could be made or what the impact of those choices would be, even though a small proportional reduction across the existing budget could have closed the gap. And the stakes are only getting higher: voters are currently deciding on a homestead exemption increase that would reduce City tax revenue, and a single major storm could reshape the City’s finances overnight. Council cannot prepare for challenges like these—or make responsible decisions when they arrive—without complete information, realistic alternatives, and a clear understanding of the consequences of each.
4. How will you communicate with residents?
Communication shouldn’t begin when the Council meeting starts, and it shouldn’t end when the meeting adjourns.
I’ll be accessible by phone and email, and I encourage residents to contact me before important issues come before the Council—some of the best ideas come from the people who live with the consequences of our decisions every day.
I’ll also hold regular District 1 town halls and informal “Coffee with Your Councilman” gatherings, and I’d like to offer email updates so residents can stay informed about important issues coming before the Council. After meetings involving major issues—like millage rate votes, budget approvals, big development decisions, or anything with a direct impact on District 1—I’ll send a short recap explaining how I voted and why—without residents having to dig through meeting minutes to find out.
My goal is to make local government more efficient, easier to understand, easier to participate in, and more responsive to the people it serves.
5. Why should voters choose you?
Every candidate brings different experiences to this race.
Mine taught me that good decisions come from asking the right questions, listening to different perspectives, weighing the alternatives, and accepting responsibility for the outcome.
I’ll come to every meeting prepared, ask tough questions, and decide based on what’s best for Cocoa—not on assumptions or preconceived opinions.
At the end of my career, I wasn’t judged by how many meetings I attended, but by the quality of my decisions and the results they produced. That’s the standard I’ll hold myself to as your Council member.
6. Is there anything in your record you’d like to address up front?
No. There is nothing in my personal or professional record that would affect my ability to serve on City Council. I welcome voters looking at my background and asking questions about my experience and qualifications.
7. Is there anything else you’d like voters to know?
Although I’m running to represent District 1, every vote I cast will affect the entire City of Cocoa. I’ll always advocate for my district, but I’ll never lose sight of my responsibility to the city as a whole—and I’ll carry that with me every time I cast a vote.
Campaign Links
- Website: duffywagnercampaign.com
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