Thanks, Patrick, for responding to our candidate questions. As a reminder, the ACLC does not endorse candidates. We have provided these questions to all of the candidates and will be posting their responses as we receive them.
Alachua County Labor Coalition City Commission candidate questionnaire
Please keep each response to 500 words or less.
- The Gainesville City Commission and Alachua County Commission have made significant progress on providing living wages for municipal workers, including part-time, temporary, seasonal, and contracted workers. How do you propose we achieve similar wage and benefit gains for workers throughout our community?
Use the wage plan as a guideline for private business. In addition, make restaurant an retail workers a protected class from violence, as well as offer a Restaurant and Retail Worker retirement and disability fund.
- If you are an employer: Do you pay all your workers a living wage and how do you define a living wage? If you do not pay a living wage: how are you making an effort to do so? [If you are not an employer, “N/A” is an acceptable answer.]
As a former NY restaurant owner, I paid my staff a living wage and NOT restaurant wages in addition, let them keep their tips.
- The City of Gainesville recently passed a comprehensive rental housing ordinance. What will you do to see that this ordinance is properly implemented and what measures would you propose to keep the City accountable to these protections? What are some additional policies the City of Gainesville can enact to improve access to quality, safe, affordable housing in our community?
It’s a start though some areas may be over-restricted? Rent control whether mandated or voluntarily is also needed to encourage landlords to lower their rents?
- Do you support a local hiring preference that includes the use of certified apprenticeship programs for taxpayer-funded projects?
Yes, I do! The taxpayer took on the burden for training and the hiring will pay back many times over.
- Do you support making RTS free for all Gainesville residents at the point of service? How can the City of Gainesville improve public transportation for people who rely on it but aren’t affiliated with UF or Santa Fe?
A previous questionnaire made me aware that rideship is only 3% of RTS revenue. While making rideship free for student and senors. I would like to see RTS to include FREE rideship for everyone. A better partnership between rideshare companies and RTS, for example on home game days, rideshare drops off passengers at a designated drop off location where RTS can then take the passengers closer to the stadium.
- What would you do to advance equity in healthcare outcomes throughout our community?
Governor Rick Scott introduced budget billing which stopped the practice of surprised billing. Next we need to stop the practice of healthcare discrimination.
- What steps can the City of Gainesville take to address unequal access to quality food?
Additional farmers market at accessible locations for all residents.
- What will you do to ensure UF is a better corporate citizen in Gainesville (e.g., payments in lieu of taxes, moving more services to GRU, helping to ensure better access to quality housing, etc.)?
If an entity takes away from the city, they must offer a greater benefit to the residents! An example, during home game days, disrupt the flow of traffic and directly affect business and residents lives, then UF would be required to offset RTS and GPD expenses.
- What will you do as a City Commissioner to help GPD keep people out of jail unnecessarily? For instance, civil citations in lieu of arrest. How will this issue play a role in your selection of a new City Manager?
We must have a strong, technologically advanced and educated police force to avoid controversies while in the performance of their duty. GPD already has a very low use of force percentage. Technologically advanced to help the officers cite more than making arrests. Restore the production of GPD-TV.
- Given all the turmoil at City government in recent months, what reforms would you like to see to our local governance structures that would improve local government’s effectiveness while maintaining transparency and accountability?
My dispute resolution and team building skills that I acquire through years of corporate work, will help to bring order to the commission. Ensure all commissioners are proficient on parliamentary procedure, ethics and the sunshine law.