VOTE411 Voter Guide

As opinion editor of the Gainesville Sun, I published a wide variety of views from readers and talked directly with people before writing about issues affecting them. I would take a similar approach to being a city commissioner, by first listening to the concerns of constituents and then being transparent in explaining my decisions through social media and local news outlets. My experience with Gainesville for All showed me how a diverse group of residents can work together in developing solutions to longstanding problems in our community. Likewise, the City Commission needs to tap local knowledge and experience in identifying ways to address the challenges we face and build support for these policies.

Gainesville would benefit from a broader range of housing options beyond the student-oriented high rises that have dominated the landscape in recent years. The city’s community land trust program and encouragement of accessory dwelling units are a good start, but we must build on these efforts. In particular, we should increase access to starter housing for younger workers and housing for seniors who want to be able to age in place. The Gainesville Cohousing community with walkable streets and shared community spaces offers a model that the city should make easier to replicate. The city shouldn’t be giving developers special permission for projects that fail to address housing needs.

The property tax proposal was poorly designed and rushed through the Legislature with little understanding of its implications, much less planning for them. It is being sold by supporters as a tax cut but would really be a shift in the tax burden. Apartment complexes and other commercial properties that do not qualify for homestead exemptions would face higher taxes, with those costs passed on to renters and businesses. In order to keep those rates from rising, Gainesville would be forced to cut support for public safety, infrastructure, parks and other local programs. Changes to other funding options such as the fire assessment would also need to be considered. Voters should reject the property tax proposal to avoid these consequences.

As a bilingual commissioner, I know that meaningful engagement means meeting people where they are not only in Spanish and not expecting everyone to come to City Hall or navigate government in English.

I would communicate with constituents through a combination of town halls, neighborhood meetings, social media, and newsletters. I would work to ensure that City communications are accessible to residents with limited English proficiency by expanding translation and interpretation services and partnering with trusted community organizations that already have strong relationships with immigrant and multilingual communities. Every resident deserves to feel that City Hall is open to them, regardless of their language, income, etc.

One of the strategies we need to rethink is our zoning policies. In areas where the housing market is overwhelmingly driven by student demand, we should recognize that those neighborhoods operate differently than the rest of Gainesville. Student-oriented housing often commands rents that don't reflect what families can reasonably afford, and those market dynamics can spill over into surrounding neighborhoods. We should look into exploring zoning and land-use strategies that encourage student housing to remain concentrated near campus while protecting family-oriented neighborhoods and creating more housing designed for year-round residents.

If it passes the implications could be devastating, residents are feeling the strain of rising housing costs, insurance, and everyday expenses, I understand why property tax relief appeals to many voters. If this proposal passes, it will reduce revenue available to cities like Gainesville unless the state provides replacement funding.

Our city could face difficult choices. Essential services such as public safety, parks, road maintenance, affordable housing initiatives, and youth programs will come under financial pressure. My priority would be to protect the services that directly improve quality of life and keep people safe while looking for efficiencies before considering cuts. Leadership means being transparent about those tradeoffs.

Ultimately, as Gainesville’s District 2 City Commissioner I will use a wide variety of strategies to communicate with my constituents. From the more traditional methods that accompany the office like phone calls and emails to the more modern ones like short-form videos and social media posts, what’s most important is that I make myself as available as possible to the people that I represent. Meeting people where they are, speaking to them honestly, and treating them with the dignity and respect they deserve will always be the core of my strategy for communicating with constituents.

Gainesville has already taken substantive and positive steps toward addressing the affordable housing crisis. What is needed now is a Commissioner who can shepherd the City’s comprehensive plans around housing faithfully and honestly. As a Gainesville native who has lived in this beautiful city for over 30 years, I am deeply knowledgable of the history and make-up of our community. This gives me the background and understanding necessary to be a highly effective Commissioner who can balance the needs of renters with that of homeowners, new construction with the preservation of historic neighborhoods, and who understands that the term affordable housing means different things to different people.

I have been against this proposal from the beginning as both a private citizen and a candidate for Gainesville’s District 2 Commission seat. Specifically for the City of Gainesville, local officials estimate the measure would slash $12.6 million in revenue from the City’s general fund. No matter how adept you are at budgeting or how efficient you make your operations, there is no way to offset such a drastic cut from one year to the next simply by reducing costs. It is going to take bold, experienced leadership to help Gainesville traverse the treacherous waters stirred up should Amendment 3 become the law of the land, and that’s exactly what I bring to the table for District 2.