Former Orange County Commissioner Christine Moore said transportation connectivity, infrastructure coordination and conservation planning remain among the region’s biggest unfinished challenges as she reflects on nearly eight years representing Northwest Orange County. 

Moore spoke with The Apopka Chief this week about her time on the Orange County Commission, the projects she believes still need attention, and how her priorities have evolved since the campaign.  

Moore lost her bid for Apopka mayor in the April runoff election to Commissioner Nick Nesta, following a March general election in which both Moore and Nesta defeated two-term incumbent Mayor Bryan Nelson.  

Moore’s runoff loss marked a break in her nearly two decades in elected office. Moore served on the Orange County School Board from 2008 to 2018 before winning election to the Orange County Commission District 2 seat in 2018. She won re-election in 2022 before resigning to run for mayor of Apopka, effective April 28.  

“I don’t think the major issues in terms of transportation needs and infrastructure certainly haven’t changed,” Moore said. “We have to continue to look towards other means, meaning other than raising taxes to fund some of these things.”  

Moore said she is becoming more involved with Strong Towns, which focuses on financially sustainable development patterns and infrastructure planning. She said communities increasingly must balance residential growth with commercial and mixed-use development capable of generating enough tax revenue to support long-term infrastructure maintenance.  

During her tenure, Moore became closely associated with environmental and infrastructure initiatives in District 2, including a major septic‑to‑sewer conversion effort aimed at protecting Wekiwa Springs, large‑scale conservation land acquisitions, and a slate of transportation and safety projects across northwest Orange County.  

Among the accomplishments she highlighted were strengthening the county’s tree protection standards, requiring significant passive land to be preserved within new developments, and helping secure funding for key roadway, intersection and trail improvements. 

Still, Moore said many pedestrian safety and trail connectivity projects remain incomplete. 

“We definitely have gaps in the trail, and we have gaps in the safety,” Moore said.  

She specifically cited the lack of safe crossings along Park Avenue near City Hall and Kit Land Nelson Park, arguing that better sidewalks, ADA improvements and signalized crosswalks are still needed. 

“There is no crosswalk. That is so important,” Moore said of the downtown corridor near Fifth and Park by City Hall. “It is not safe to cross at all.” 

Moore also said collaboration between county and city governments remains critical because many transportation and safety projects involve overlapping jurisdictions. She pointed to Welch Road improvements and trail expansion efforts as examples requiring coordination between Orange County and the city of Apopka.  

Following the mayoral election, Moore said she plans to remain active in community initiatives, including bicycle advocacy and urban planning discussions connected to Strong Towns principles. 

She recently launched a local bike club and is organizing monthly rides, saying she wants to build traffic along the West Orange Trail as an economic development and health-and-wellness tool. 

Meanwhile, the Orange County District 2 seat remains vacant following Moore’s resignation to run for mayor. Several individuals have filed to run for the seat, including Kamia Brown, Wes Hodge, George Oliver III and Marsha Summersill.  

The governor’s office has not announced who, if anyone, will fill the vacant District 2 seat in the interim period and has not responded to requests for comment.