Stephen R. Deutsch is running for another term as Charlotte County Commissioner for District 4. He’s the incumbent, aiming for his fifth term, and he’s squaring off against Kim Amontree, who sits on the Charlotte County School Board, in the Republican primary. Whoever wins goes head-to-head with Michael Melton, running as an independent.
Deutsch moved to the area back in 2004 and jumped quickly into community life. He’s a Coast Guard veteran and shows up at every local veteran event. If there’s an event happening in Charlotte County, chances are Deutsch is in the crowd. He keeps a packed schedule, attending multiple gatherings every single day. He says he only grabs a few hours of sleep each night, but he’s always out there, working to improve life for people in his district.
The Englewood REVIEW interviewed Commissioner Deutsch to talk about his service since 2010, his vision for the future, and what keeps him driven to serve Charlotte County.
ER: Thank you so much for your time. You have the reputation for being the most active public leader in Charlotte County.
Deutsch: That’s what I’ve been told.
ER: How do you do it? What’s your secret?
To be honest, enlisting in the military at 17 is probably the best decision I’ve ever made. People tell me I’ve got a serious work ethic, and I can’t argue with that — serving the community is my top priority. Even though this position is technically part-time, I treat it like it’s a full-time commitment.
When I joined the military, I took an oath, one that included giving my life for this country. And let’s be clear, that oath still means everything to me, just like it does to every veteran I know. The similarity between that oath and the responsibility of public office didn’t hit me until later, but now I see it every day. The community has trusted me with this role, and I don’t take that lightly. I’ve never missed a meeting, never missed a vote. That’s just how I’m wired. I pick up every phone call, show up to as many public events and meetings as I can fit in, and I’ve never once refused to meet with someone, whether they’re frustrated or just want to talk, or even if they support what I’m doing. That’s the job, plain and simple.
But what really makes it all worth it is when someone calls or stops by my office because there’s a pothole, a tough zoning issue, a tree branch hanging over their house, or a broken stop sign, and I can actually help them. That’s where I find real satisfaction. I’m proud of being available and accessible, and I take this role seriously every single day.
I have to add, my background doesn’t hurt. I’ve spent my life building experience, whether it’s city and town planning, running a housing authority, overseeing community development programs, leading adult education, or managing the state drug education program. Before I moved here, I even served on a water authority up north. All those experiences have given me a solid foundation to lean on when I’m faced with today’s challenges.
Now, we’re in the middle of an election cycle, and you hear a lot of candidates making promises: taxes, traffic, the works. That’s easy talk. From the moment I first ran, I made one promise: to use all of my experience and education for the good of this community. I’ve got two graduate degrees, dozens of courses and certifications, and almost enough credits for a doctorate. I put all of that to work every day, and I’m proud to do it. That’s what I believe serving the community is all about.
ER: You do have such a diverse background, and it’s a perfect marriage of your experience to service right now for Charlotte County, which you have been doing proudly since 2010, for 16 years. It’s interesting what you said about being in the Coast Guard, because my father said the same thing. He was in the Air Force, and he said that it makes you a man. It set him up for life.
Deutsch: Thanks to Uncle Sam, and you’re right. I have never ever used an alarm clock in my life, number one, because I did high security stuff for most of my service time. I’ve never used an alarm clock, and whether I went to bed last night at 2:30 a.m., I’m up at 4:00 a.m. every morning. I only sleep about two hours a night. I’m with a great group of people that were sleepless, including Martin Luther King, Thomas Edison, and a myriad of others. Winston Churchill, very terrific. But there are a lot of people that would only sleep two to three hours a night or less. I get an hour and a half to two hours a night, and I’m able to push myself. My challenge came during the hurricane when I thought I was still 18 or 19 again, and I did two or three sleepless nights a week. That caught up with me.
I was a smart aleck street kid when I enlisted in the military. Six years later, when I received my honorable discharge, I had grown to be an “immature” young adult. But I developed a sense of discipline in my life, particularly because of the type of work I did in the service, that helped guide me in what I’ve done since then. It’s also why I’ve always been a champion of our first responders and veterans, and obviously I get very involved with them.
ER: Right, it’s close to your heart. And then you also served in elected office in Rhode Island, in addition to your many years working professionally as a planner.
Deutsch: I came here to retire. I was an elected official for 10 years in Rhode Island, and I served on a town council, as a state representative, and as a state senator. In both of those chambers, my colleagues elected me deputy minority leader. So, I came here to retire and be close to my mom. Then about 16 or 17 years ago, the local people found out, and they encouraged me to run for the county commission, and that’s what I’ve done since then.
When I first moved here, for the first several years, I was involved with my church. I volunteered at the Homeless Coalition, I volunteered at the YMCA, I worked a little bit with Habitat, and those were the types and kinds of things that I did and enjoyed doing in the community. But they encouraged me to run for the county commission, primarily because they felt that I had a great work ethic from what they had heard.
By the way, I’m in the history books in Rhode Island because I’m the only one, not only to serve in those positions individually, but in every one of them to never miss a session or a vote. I’m in the Rhode Island Manual for that, so I feel sort of proud of that.
ER: Now, you have been serving here for 16 years. Break down for me some of your highlights and accomplishments these last 16 years.
Deutsch: One of the things I would have to be proudest of is the William R. Gaines Jr. Veterans Memorial Park, where we honor all our first responders and veterans. The park is going to have national significance. I don’t know if you’re familiar with it or not, but I should make you aware. It’s named after a young man from Charlotte County who was killed in Beirut on his 21st birthday. We’re going to have a substantial memorial there. I feel proud because the whole thing really was my idea and my concept.
I’m really proud of what we’ve built at the park—it honors both our first responders and our veterans in a way that feels genuine. The playground, which everyone keeps saying is the most popular one in the county, stands out. Each piece of equipment represents a different branch of the service. The jungle gym is for the Marines; there’s a boat for the Coast Guard, and a ship-like structure for the Navy. Kids love it, and it actually means something.
We added a splash pad with big plans ahead. I want to see fire engines and sheriff vehicles where water sprays out the back of the fire truck. That idea isn’t done yet; there’s still more to come, and the park keeps growing. There’s a fully accessible kayak launch, a new pavilion going in as we speak, and we’ve got a public-private partnership with the William R. Gaines Jr. Veterans Memorial Foundation, which I now serve on, and the county. This isn’t just the busiest park in Charlotte County—it’s turning into something that could get recognized nationally. The sheriff runs his memorial program there, and now other groups are joining in. It’s a 40-acre space, and honestly, it’s one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of.
I feel the same about my work on the commission. Every meeting, every session, I try to bring feedback that matters. Last year, I made a real push to cut the county budget. I found more than $10 million in overspending and waste. I made a motion to cut those costs, but three of my colleagues—even though they admitted the idea had merit—didn’t think the timing was right, and I disagreed. After storms and floods hit so many families, people needed a financial break. I laid out specific savings and showed them where we could help but couldn’t get a vote. It’s frustrating when so many politicians just make promises—they say they’ll cut taxes or bring a chicken for every pot. My advice is simple: look at what I’ve actually done. When water rates were set to go up last year, I voted no. Not because the budget needed it, but because I knew people here needed a break.
At the end of the day, I’m here to serve this community. That’s what I focus on—not partisan politics, just real work for real people. The only promise I ever made was to use my experience and be as accessible and responsive as I possibly can. I try to listen, meet with residents, and bring their ideas forward. When I sit up on that dais, I don’t see myself as representing just me—I bring my experience, my education, and my commitment to serve. I’m here for the people who trusted me with their vote, and I take that seriously.
ER: I understand that you recently lost a dear friend, Marnie from the YMCA, who left you two of her dogs. Now there are two new members of the Deutsch family.
Deutsch: I will tell you, I never had a dog sleep in my bed, but he does now. They all weigh about the same, I think our poodle is the lightest at 6 pounds, and the Maltese are probably 8 or 9 pounds. One’s a little chubbier than the other, that’s Emma, and Emma loves chasing the ball. Cute, who was the poodle we had, the little one, he’s gotten territorial about the bedroom. He doesn’t like them going under the bed or on it. Other than that, they’re getting along great. They had a little bark over throwing the toy around late last night at each other, but it’s rare. And they knew each other, because he had visited the girls at Marnie’s house before she passed away, and they’d come over to visit. Three years ago, which is the last time I took any time out of the office, she watched him for four or five days when I went up to see my family. So, they knew each other, and they’re all the same size.
ER: That’s very special. The one thing you’re known for is always being available to the public. Someone made a comment on social media recently saying, “I’ve been trying to reach you.” And you responded, “Call me on my personal cell,” and it gave your personal cell number. “Call me, I’m always available.”
Deutsch: By the way, they did call. And I spoke to them at length yesterday. They were very concerned about some MSBU fees, and we’ll be discussing them tonight down in Spring Valley. But I listened to them, I heard what they wanted to talk about, and I’ve received several phone calls like that.
Or when we’ve been out campaigning door to door, we have volunteers with us, and we’ve literally taken the campaign to thousands. We haven’t hit every door in Charlotte County, but we’ve been to a good percentage of them, trying to talk to people.
I was sort of flattered how many people knew me, and how many people would say something like, “Thank you for your vote against the 10,000 extra units that Pulte wants to put in.” Someone else said, “I appreciate your vote on increased water rates.” People knew and were aware, because you don’t think most people keep in touch. But a definite 25% to 30% of the people at least were familiar with some of my votes and thanked me for them and for standing up for some of the things that I stood up to.
I’m trying to work things out with the Animal Welfare League, because I am a puppy person. I’ve had dogs all my life. I’m a softie! I don’t let people know it, but I am. I cry at the movies. I don’t go anymore because I don’t have time. I haven’t been in years, but I cry at the movies. I can’t watch the Hallmark Channel and think I’m a tough guy.
ER: There are so many important issues in our community today, development, environmental and growth issues. What do you think is the most urgent issue right now in your opinion?
Deutsch: When I first ran for office, I said we must make every effort we can to protect the Peace River. It’s our most precious natural resource, and I’ve worked to do that. That’s why I voted against Buc-ee’s. I’d love to go to Buc-ee’s! But I didn’t want Buc-ee’s and a hundred gas pumps right on the Peace River. I didn’t want it that close. I didn’t want the parking lot draining into the Peace River. We’ve got to protect it. I stood up and I cast that vote. I would have loved to see them build it on the other side of the road.
That’s the type and kind of thing that I’m proud of doing on the commission. Very often we have 4 to 1 vote, but I still express my opinion because I believe, more than anything, I’m there to represent the people of the community. The challenges we face, we try to stay ahead of the curve with development.
I should say this, I’m a constitutionalist. Long before I accepted running for the county commission in Charlotte County, particularly during the Tea Party days, I lectured on the Constitution, myself and Dr. Joyce Cream, who passed away two years ago and was a wonderful woman. We lectured to somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 people in Charlotte County on the Constitution. That was probably 20 years ago that we started doing it, during the Tea Party days.
People can say names, someone can put “I’m a conservative Republican” on a flyer, and if you do the research, you might notice that indeed they’ve been a member of other parties. I don’t have any problem saying that I am literally a lifelong conservative Republican. However, I’m a little more moderate on people’s issues.
But I was endorsed by the Tea Party, which was a very conservative group, when I first ran for office 16 years ago. I’ve recently been endorsed by another conservative Republican coalition group, and I feel good about that. It’s representing the people of the community. I don’t see the office as political or partisan. I see it as trying to provide the best service for the people who live in the county in the most efficient way possible. I’m going to be fighting as we go into our budget hearings, and we’ll be starting on the budget this week. I’m going to be fighting to keep that millage rate as low as possible and hopefully be able to reduce it, or certainly not let it increase.
Again, these are challenging times. We’re dealing with inflation, flat income, and all kinds of challenges. Hopefully we’ll go this year and maybe a couple more without a major hurricane so we can get ourselves back together again. The county has incredible challenges because of the storms. Dealing with federal agencies is always frustrating, whether it’s FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, or the VA when I’m trying to help veterans. Those three bureaucratic federal agencies frustrate the heck out of me. But we try to help people and the county navigate that process.
Everybody wants their park fixed first, their pier put up first, their street repaired first, or the seawall done here. We do too, but we always have a challenge because when we have the possibility of getting federal aid, I would much rather use that than take it out of our local taxpayers’ pockets. When you do that, you don’t get the stuff done right away and you have to be patient, so it takes a little bit longer to get a project finished.
ER: Many constituents really feel their voices are lost, especially when large scale developers come in, because development is a huge issue right now.
Deutsch: Let me respond to that and make it clear, as I started to with the Constitution. I believe in our constitutional right, which is part of what sets us apart from most other countries and makes us the greatest nation in the world. Part of our constitutional right is the fact that we can own personal property and have some level of self-determination on that, within the concepts of zoning. The Pulte development came in, and I think they were able, by right because the property was zoned, over the next 15 to 20 years to put 6,000 units on the parcel that they have. But they wanted to increase the density to 8,000 and add another 2,000 units. Most of us wouldn’t see those units because they’re way in the future. I told them I will not support it. I will not vote for it. I’m going to support people to develop the property they have for the purpose it is zoned for, but I am not going to destroy or undermine the integrity of a neighborhood or a local community by allowing increased density.
That’s how I approach developers. Some people make promises. My promise is I’ll support someone’s constitutional right to utilize their property, but I am not going to support increased density because I believe it challenges our natural resources, whether it be water, sewer, septic systems, or serving the community. I’m not going to keep increasing density. I think it’s important that we maintain the quality and stability of our local neighborhoods. So that means very simply, if there’s a vacant lot next door to you, I have no problem with the person building a single-family house there. I’m not going to support a multi-family house, two or three houses, or a high rise on that lot. Not if it’s in a residential community, it doesn’t belong there.
And it’s not just in my vocal cords, it’s what I do. That’s why I cast the votes I’ve cast, and I try to do that across the board and deal with the issues that we have as pragmatically, realistically, and representatively as I can for the people in the county. The only promise I made is that I’ll use that experience and background to be accessible, available, and responsive to the people in the community.
ER: Before we close, is there anything that I haven’t asked you that you’d like to share with our readers, or anything you’d like to end with?
Deutsch: I’m proud of my service. My family isn’t as happy as I am, for some unknown reason they’d like to see more of me, but this is a responsibility that I accepted. I think in part it came from growing up. I was rather poor, and I kid about it, but I don’t think I slept in a bed until I was 10 or 11 years old, and we didn’t have a TV set until I was 12. But that was good because I learned how to deal with issues very young. The one thing that was planted in my mind was that it’s important that we give back and try to make this place a little bit better for our kids and our grandchildren. That’s what I’ve really spent my entire life trying to do, to make this place a little bit better for the next folks coming down the road. I’m not sure I’ve succeeded at that, but that’s what I try to do every day.
ER: Thank you so much for your service and thank you for your time.
Click here for the official Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch website.
Or call Commissioner Deutsch on his cell phone at 941-628-0348.
