Campaign Phone
8502843302
Education
High school graduate; self-educated builder, repairer, developer, grower, environmentalist, and community organizer.
Professional Experience
Professional driver and gig worker; Realtor; broadcast/media production worker; repairer; grower; maker; environmental advocate; community organizer; technology developer.
Community Involvement
Tallahassee-raised community organizer, artist, and poet with experience in community gardens, local food systems, sustainability and wellness education, environmental stewardship, civil rights and justice advocacy, neighborhood advocacy, and creative grassroots civic projects, including helping launch and manage the Frenchtown Farmers Market.
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/darfortallahassee/
YouTube
Tallahassee needs growth that protects people and place. I support more urban infill and permitting different housing options, such as duplexes, ADUs, and small multifamily homes, so people have affordable choices without pushing sprawl outward. I also support “vertical villages”: intergenerational, walkable, mixed-use areas that bring residents closer to jobs, small businesses, services, amenities, community, and transit. Development must respect neighborhoods, flooding, wetlands, tree canopy, native flora and fauna, traffic, and our aquifer while building a more resilient, connected city.
I would prioritize core services while growing revenue in smarter ways. Public safety, fire response, roads, sidewalks, parks, housing, transit, utilities, and neighborhood quality of life come first. I support an Evergreen Economy: year-round draws that create low-barrier entertainment jobs, help small businesses thrive, and encourage more to start, while strengthening hospitality and gig work. Recycling and composting initiatives can turn waste into worth; clean energy can lower utility bills; food systems, green jobs, and local rideshare/transit cooperatives can recapture money flowing to outside vendors. Tallahassee can become a sustainable, bustling city of small businesses, artists, makers, growers, entertainers and innovators.
Courtesy matters, but civility cannot mean silence when public trust is being harmed. The City, County, and Blueprint should hold regular joint workshops, publish timelines, share easy-to-understand data, and disagree without turning residents into political collateral. When transparency is blocked, personal or political alignment interferes with public service, or justice is delayed for residents, it should be called out clearly. We also need more public access to City Hall and commissioners willing to go the distance to hear those who may never make it there. Respect means truth, accountability, and keeping the room focused until the people’s work is done.
I believe people are not born criminals; they are shaped by conditions, opportunity, trauma, and how they see themselves in their community. Public leadership has a responsibility to give residents as many chances as possible to see a positive future and a place of belonging. I support a prevention-first public safety strategy that still responds seriously to violence: focused enforcement on people responsible for the most harm, plus housing stability, youth programs and childcare access, teen spaces, mental health response, reentry support, neighborhood enrichment, and entrepreneurial pipelines. Safety comes from prevention through strengthening the heart of the community: opportunity, security, accountability, community, and trust.
Campaign Phone
8505707252
Education
Bachelor of Science from Florida State University (AA from Tallahassee State College)
Professional Experience
U.S. Navy Veteran - Local Small Business Owner -
Community Involvement
Former Board Chair, Red Cross; Former Board Member, Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra; Former Board Member, Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Board Member, Winthrop Park Little League; Vice Chair, Goodwill Industries, Big Bend; Board Member, DISC Village;
Instagram
www.Instagram.com/VoteForTomDerzypolski
Tallahassee can manage new development and protect our neighborhoods and environment by focusing on smart, well-planned growth rather than unchecked sprawl. The question is not whether Tallahassee will grow—it will. The question is where and how we grow. We must protect what makes Tallahassee special—our canopy roads, neighborhoods, parks, and natural environment—while allowing thoughtful development that creates housing, jobs, and opportunity. We do not have to choose between economic growth and quality of life. With clear standards, better planning, and accountability, we can have both.
Every budget is a statement of priorities. As a City Commissioner, my responsibility would be to ensure every tax dollar is spent wisely, transparently, and in ways that improve the daily lives of Tallahassee residents. My first priority would be protecting the core services that every resident depends on. Second, I would prioritize investments that improve quality of life while making Tallahassee more resilient for the future. Third, I believe every budget decision should be guided by measurable results, not politics. I also believe the budget process should be transparent and include meaningful public input. I will support budgets that are fiscally responsible and protect the services residents rely on, while enhancing quality of life.
No single elected official or governing body has a monopoly on good ideas. Whether the issue is public safety, infrastructure, housing, economic development, environmental protection, or emergency preparedness, many of our biggest challenges cross lines and require partnership, not competition. We must always remember who we work for. Residents are not concerned with which government gets the credit they want results. They expect safe neighborhoods, reliable infrastructure, responsible growth, environmental stewardship, and efficient services. Those priorities should always outweigh political differences or institutional rivalries. I will build trust, find common ground where possible, and keep the focus on delivering results for the people
First, I support ensuring that the Tallahassee Police Department has the personnel, training, technology, and community partnerships it needs to keep residents safe. Second, we should focus on the root causes of crime in our highest-crime neighborhoods. Third, I believe the City should continue working closely with the County, the School Board, neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, faith communities, and local businesses. No single agency can solve crime alone. I will support a balanced approach that combines effective policing, prevention, neighborhood revitalization, and strong community partnerships.
Campaign Phone
8509339235
Education
BA in English from Florida A& M and MSP in urban and regional planning Florida State University
Professional Experience
Executive Director of Good News outreach
Community Involvement
- [ ] Founder and president of the greater bond neighborhood association - [ ] Led on economic impact & resident empowerment section of neighborhood first plan which was awarded $6.4M - [ ] Tallahassee/ Leon housing leadership council - [ ] French town/ Southside CRA citizen advisory council - [ ] Leon county CDBG chair - [ ] Kids incorporated board member - [ ] Leadership tallahasse class 37 - [ ] KCCI catalyst cohort responsible for set of the box - [ ] Lead the greater art for greater bond project - [ ] Responsible for Habitat subdivision in bond community - [ ] Worked on the team to rewrite the mission vision and values for the city - [ ] Restored community cohesion after tony McDade murder - [ ] Community baby dropped off on door step - [ ] Florida A&M m graduation - [ ] Chaplin of Leon county chapter of NAA - [ ] Life Time member of rattler boosters - [ ] FSU graduate urban and regional planning - [ ] Executive Director of good news outreach
Instagram
@electtalethiaedwards
As an urban planner and community development professional, I believe new development should strengthen our existing neighborhoods, not come at their expense. That means making infrastructure investments before growth outpaces our roads, utilities, parks, and stormwater systems. It means protecting tree canopy, preserving our natural resources, respecting private property rights, and ensuring development is compatible with the character of surrounding neighborhoods.
We also need to focus growth where it makes the most sense by encouraging redevelopment of underutilized properties, supporting mixed-use development in appropriate areas, and creating more housing choices that are affordable for working families, seniors, and young professional
My first priority would be protecting the core services that residents depend on every day: public safety, reliable infrastructure, utilities, parks, mobility, and neighborhood services. These are the foundation of a well-functioning city and should be funded responsibly.
From there, I would prioritize investments that have the greatest long-term impact. Preventative infrastructure maintenance is far less expensive than emergency repairs. Affordable housing, economic opportunity, workforce development, and neighborhood revitalization are investments that reduce future costs while creating stronger, healthier communities. continue investing in resilience initiatives that address flooding, stormwater management, and aging infrastructure.
I believe the City and County should meet regularly around shared priorities like housing, infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and environmental resilience. We won’t always agree, but we should disagree with professionalism, transparency, and a willingness to listen. My approach is collaborative, data-informed, and focused on outcomes.
We need to support our law enforcement officers while also addressing the conditions that allow crime to take hold.
I support a balanced approach that combines effective policing with strategic investments in prevention. That means improving lighting, sidewalks, parks, and blighted properties; expanding youth programs, workforce training, and mentorship opportunities; increasing access to affordable housing and behavioral health resources; and partnering with neighborhood organizations, schools, businesses, and faith communities. We should use data to focus resources where they are needed most, hold programs accountable for results, and ensure residents have a voice in developing public safety solutions.
Campaign Phone
850-879-7755
Education
Florida State University, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, 2013. Tallahassee State College Associates Degree 2011. Lincoln High School 08, Swift Creek Middle School, Buck Lake Elementary School, Creative Pre-School. Born and raised in Tallahassee.
Professional Experience
I got my start in 2014 as a field organizer, helping flip a red North Florida congressional district blue. Over the next few years I built large-scale voter contact operations for Democratic and progressive causes, including a canvassing program that knocked over 139,000 doors across North Florida in 2016. I also spent time working inside Tallahassee's lobbying and political consulting world, which gave me a firsthand look at how decisions actually get made at City Hall and who they get made for. I used that insight to pivot in 2018 into documentary-style video journalism, reporting on our local government and exposing racial injustice in Leon County's criminal justice system, work that reached millions of viewers and helped flip our city government to a Democratic majority that actually governs like one. I also worked with the ACLU of Florida on civil asset forfeiture and juvenile justice reform. I have worked to elect progressive city commissioners to local government for the past
Community Involvement
Beginning in 2014, I served for years on the executive board of New Leaders Council Tallahassee, helping train the next generation of progressive leaders here at home. Lifelong Member of the Democratic Party. Before my career in politics, I worked working-class jobs around town, bagging groceries at the Mahan Publix and working as a dishwasher and back-of-house staff at Steak-Out, Gaines Street Pies, and Cabos Island Bar & Grill.
Twitter
www.x.com/maxherrle
Instagram
www.instagram.com/maxherrle/
YouTube
I've seen firsthand what happens when growth outpaces infrastructure. I've worked on the traffic and neighborhood safety problems in Killearn and Summerbrooke, and that's not an accident; it's what happens when development gets approved without the neighborhoods in mind. When we grow, developers should be covering the real infrastructure and environmental costs of what they build, not passing them on to existing residents in the form of flooded streets and disappearing tree canopy.
And neighborhoods need a real seat at the table before permits get approved, not a courtesy hearing after the decision's already made.
I bagged groceries at Publix and washed dishes at Cabos before I ever worked in politics, so I know what it means to make a dollar stretch. The City budget should work the same way: core services first: roads, stormwater, public safety, housing people can actually afford, before funding projects that mostly benefit whoever has the best lobbyist at City Hall.
I've spent time inside Tallahassee's political and lobbying world, and I know exactly how insider access can quietly bend a budget toward the connected few. I'd push for a participatory budget process residents can actually see and understand, where trade-offs are made in public, not in back rooms.
I've spent years working around both the City and County sides of Tallahassee local government, and most of what I've seen driving the friction isn't policy disagreement; it's ego and turf. Our focus as a new administration should be on creating a walkable, affordable, safe, diverse community, and doing so in a way that attracts other stakeholders to help us succeed.
Residents don't care which building made the decision; they care whether the roads get fixed, the water drains, and your electric bill doesn't keep going up.
Our elected officials owe each other and the public basic professional respect. That's how adults are supposed to work together.
Cut Down the Flocks. This is personal for me: I spent years working with the ACLU of Florida on civil asset forfeiture and juvenile justice reform, and I've spent the last several years producing documentary-style content exposing real racial injustice inside our local criminal justice system. What I've learned is that you don't fix high-crime neighborhoods with more arrests alone; you fix them by investing in the things that prevent crime in the first place: youth programs, job opportunities, stable housing.
Our current police Chief's priorities are misplaced, with our chief spending $150k of the department's money on a big red truck for himself. You deserve a TPD that keeps you safe and is effective with your tax dollars and privacy.
Campaign Phone
3212769481
Education
Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Florida State University
Professional Experience
I've been teaching high school for over 15 years. I taught world history and U.S. history at SAIL from 2010 to 2023. I sponsored four clubs, including chess, basketball, video production, and the after-school music program. I was also part of the Green team that put on Earth Day festivals every year. We partnered with vendors and environmentalists from the community to come to the school to do demonstrations and give talks. In 2023 I began working at Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, a dual enrollment school that offers students the opportunity to earn AA and AS degrees along with their high school diploma. At TCA I've taught world history, U.S. government, Spanish, and I built the after-school music program.
Community Involvement
After graduating from Florida State University in 2005 I worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA from 2006-2007 in the Apalachee Ridge Learning and Technology Center. We served the Apalachee Ridge Estates neighborhood by providing access to computers, tutoring, mentoring, and a community space for gatherings. It was through this experience that I was able to see how accessible our local government can be to the needs of neighborhoods when associations are organized and motivated. I've also been an active participant in the local music scene since 2004 through performing, booking shows, hosting out-of-town bands, and running after-school music programs. I've also been immersed in the basketball community through playing pick up around town and in city leagues, as well coaching both AAU and high school, and I've been a volunteer referee at First Baptist downtown.
Instagram
www.instagram.com/pjfortally/
We need to make sure that growth and development pay for itself. Our recent trend of subsidizing urban sprawl and luxury student housing comes at the expense of our environment, our solvency as a city, and our ability to provide affordable housing closer to transit. We need livable communities that benefit people of all ages and life stages. These communities need to be safe and secure, affordable, feature reliable transportation options, access to needed services, and offer opportunities for all residents to engage with one another in community spaces for social participation and inclusion. Residents should have a voice in shaping growth during the process so development reflects community values and preserves the character of our city.
Every dollar should be tied to clear outcomes, and we must be willing to reevaluate spending that isn’t delivering results or long-term value. With the dysfunction at the state and national level, people have a distrust in government. I believe the budget process should be community-driven and transparent. Government should ensure that every resident can meet their basic needs, like safe and affordable housing, reliable infrastructure, and economic opportunity. Strong cities should be maintaining the infrastructure we already have before expanding outward. We should be prioritizing investments that strengthen our local economy, support small businesses, and create more financially resilient and walkable neighborhoods.
Public safety, housing, transportation, and environmental resilience don't stop at city limits. Much of the friction between the two bodies happens outside of public view, in back channels and private negotiations. Residents deserve to understand why their County and City are in conflict so I recommend joint public workshops in the sunshine as the best courtesy enforcement mechanism. The fire services fee dispute is a case study in what happens when institutional pride overrides the public interest. The people with the least power in the dispute end up paying the most. Disagreement between the City and the County is sometimes legitimate and healthy, but when it becomes unproductive, it must be dealt with in public in front of residents.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Data has shown that concentrated poverty, income inequality, educational disparities, and substance abuse are all major contributing factors to people committing crimes. Cities should focus their attention on developing programs that address the root causes of criminal behavior. Issuing civil citations instead of criminal ones do more than save time and money; they also promote public safety. We need to look at poverty reduction as a strategy for crime prevention. By treating people, especially youth, as individuals who can be rehabilitated, we can reduce costs, improve public safety, project a style of governance that values the potential that all of us have to pursue happiness.
Campaign Phone
7274588288
Professional Experience
Norm brings to the table wide-ranging experience in both the private and public sector fields; highlighting a diverse career, strong and successful professional growth, staff development, relationship building, community involvement and client services with a focus on economic development, a firm proficiency in budget oversight and analysis, effective problem solving, and applying practical deliberating methods to address operational and service challenges. As a former County Commissioner, Norm was Honored as Public Servant of the Year and Recognized as One of Florida’s Top 20 Leaders. In addition to serving as County Commissioner, Norm also brings to the table successful experience gained while holding numerous important community roles.
Community Involvement
In addition to serving as County Commissioner, Norm also brings to the table successful experience gained while holding numerous important community roles to include: * Chairman - Public Safety Coordinating Council * Chairman - Value Adjustment Board * Board Member - Early Learning Coalition * Board Member - Licensing Board for Children’s Daycare Centers and Homes * Board Member - Health & Human Services Coordinating Council * Board Member - Election Canvasing Board * Level 2 Volunteer for Public Schools
Twitter
@NormRoche44784
Instagram
normroche
Our Comprehensive Plan is key. As a former County Commissioner, I have successful experience in this area. We can grow with a guiding principle of doing so while protecting and preserving Tallahassee’s unique ambiance, character, and environment. Neighborhood and environmental impacts and input are paramount in making these decisions.
Essential needs such as public safety, adequate infrastructure, quality of life issues and must lead the mission here. Allocating funds to meet those needs, while also providing funds - even limited if necessary - for non-essential wants can also be achieved by keeping a focus on Our Community and our future.
The City of Tallahassee and Leon County are inextricably connected on many fronts, and it's imperative that we pool our resources and ideas to address our mutual challenges. Electing experienced leaders can address this. I've had the great honor of serving as an At-Large County Commissioner in the most densely populated county in our state that included 24 separate municipalities within its borders. I understand the role of the County Commission, additionally, I worked for our city for nearly six years and studied our city operations, commission, and budget from within. I believe that puts me in a unique position to help bridge, mend, and strengthen our relationship and partnership with Leon County.
Getting off the back of our Law Enforcement, rejecting the villainizing of our Law Enforcement, and providing them the support and funding they need to do their jobs is key. Violence is a growing issue throughout our country, and all of us - elected leaders, the media, social media platforms, violent video game developers, et al - must recognize that we all have a role in addressing this growing problem. Additionally, providing opportunity and alternative outlets for all who live within our city is paramount as well.
