Going for the vacant seat: Candidates debate future for Leon County Commission District 5

The race to represent Leon County Commission District 5 is a toss up as four candidates vie for the vacant seat.

They made their pitches to voters and fielded questions Tuesday in a joint forum hosted by the Tallahassee Democrat, WFSU and the League of Women Voters. The incumbent, County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, is running for Tallahassee Mayor. 

The district stretches from downtown Tallahassee east to the Jefferson County line bordered by Mahan Drive and Tram Road.

Leon County employee and nonprofit owner Paula DeBoles-Johnson, accountant David O’Keefe, Public relations firm owner Jay Revell and small business owner Dustin Rivest are seeking their first term in office.

Watch the full forum here.

What is the No. 1 issue for District 5?

All four candidates said affordable housing, and associated issues, was the top priority for the district

DeBoles-Johnson: “Affordable housing and jobs. People need great jobs. They need jobs that pay them a living wage. We also need to look at crime. I don’t think there’s just one pressing issue.”

O’Keefe: "The No. 1 issue in our district is the No. 1 issue in our county is the No. 1 issue in our state. Affordable housing, affordable housing, affordable housing. Specifically, affordable rental housing. We have to employ all the tools available to us including making it a top priority when we’re making decision on zoning and comp plan changes."

Revell: “We have to grow in a way that works for everyone. The east side of town is where the growth is heading in the future of our community. There’s a huge, huge amount of growth and development that is going to be coming. Housing, jobs and economic disparity is going to be key in managing that growth.” 

Rivest: “Affordable housing and jobs and poverty are a community issue. I think we need to have a focus on how do we grow smartly and sustainably. I think that’s going to be a District 5 issue.”

What is one specific thing you would do to address homelessness?

DeBoles-Johnson: “Renovate old hotels where we can house our homeless. There’s lots of opportunity where we can use federal money and state appropriations. Draw that money down here in the county and use that to renovate some of these older structures so we can house our homeless residents.”

O’Keefe: “We need to build more temporary and transitional housing. We cannot continue to treat neighbors who live on the street as a nuisance. These are valuable community members who only need a stable place to transition into a permanent job, permanent housing and a permanent contributing member of our community.”

Revell: “If you think about the Big Bend, we tend to be isolated. We need to create a regional mental health facility.”

Rivest: “We need more case workers at places like the Kearney Center. If we look inwardly at the people who are experiencing this with boots on the ground, we’ll find some answers.”

Economic development and stance on Blueprint funding for FSU stadium repairs

Of millions of dollars in taxes collected through Blueprint 2020, 12% is devoted solely to economic development and cannot be spent on infrastructure projects  

DeBoles-Johnson: “I would love to see more of our funding go toward helping small and minority owned businesses. I would absolutely not have funded Doak Campbell Stadium. That was a want, not a need, especially in a time when people were hurting.”

O’Keefe: “The problem with the money being gone is it’s not just an issue we can move past. The issue is leaving our coffers empty. The issue is that we cannot provide affordable housing, we cannot provide affordable childcare, we cannot build sidewalks, we cannot do any of these community programs because that money is gone, and we will suffer in all of those areas for 10 years.”

Revell: “I would be a hard no on spending those dollars because I’ve seen what happens when we do spend those dollars the right way. I think about just down the road here, Danfoss Turbocor. They’re about to have a $45 million expansion. It’s cool to see when our community gets it right but unfortunately on the Doak vote we got it wrong.”

Rivest: “I wish our community would live and learn from it and move on. It's money spent and money gone. I don’t think we're clawing any of it back. I think what we need to do is increase the tax base and making sure our taxes don’t go up.”

What went through your head when federal charges against former Mayor Andrew Gillum and should the county be doing anything in response?

DeBoles-Johnson: “There are systems in place to ensure that people who aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do they will be held accountable. I think that you should let those groups that are responsible for handling those issues do that.”

O’Keefe: “I thought it was sad that we have to keep seeing this. This is not about one person or two people, this is about the way that a system of influence and political power work. Until we elect a completely new crop of leaders who do not come from that system and that network, we will continue to see this.”

Revell: “He must’ve gone through a really difficult time. He’s about to go through another difficult time. Our community deserves to have transparency and change. I think that we need to make sure that everybody in our community feels their leaders are there for the right reason. I think that we have a lot of work to do to get to that place.”

Rivest: “I don’t think our county and our community is past where this corruption and issue is at. I do believe a man is innocent until proven guilty. I don’t think the county needs to do anything besides keep a needle on the transparency.”

ANOTHER FORUM SET FOR THURSDAY

Tune in for a Q&A with candidates for Leon County Commission, at large (Group 2): Rudolph Ferguson, Sr., Josh Johnson, Nick Maddox, Dominique Danielle Zumbo.

Visit tallahassee.com or our YouTube or Facebook page to watch live at 1 p.m. Thursday. If you can’t make the live broadcast, watch a replay on-demand later.

This year, the Tallahassee Democrat is partnering with the League of Women Voters and WFSU in candidate forums for all the local races. Send questions ahead of the forum to news@tallahassee.com.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

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