Gainesville City Commission, District 2

Four candidates are seeking votes for the City Commission in Gainesville, District 2. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the August primaries, the top two will face each other in the November general election.

News4Jax sent a questionnaire to each candidate to find out their background and their point of view on several questions. Scroll down to read responses from those asking for your vote – in their own words.

To note: Responses are sorted alphabetically and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4Jax staff.

Jo Lee Beaty

This candidate did not respond to email and phone invitations to submit the News4Jax Candidate Questionnaire.

educational book

Party Membership: Impartial

Occupation: Police officer

Age: 58

Your family: Wife Lori and 2 adult children, Daniel and Alexandra

Education: Masters in Education

Political experience: None elected. Appointed Chief of Police.

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What do you think are the top three issues you are likely to face in this role?

1. Civility – treating everyone with respect and courtesy.

2. Fiscal accountability and responsibility that will fund basic services such as excellent roads and safe travel corridors for all forms of transportation, exceptional parks and recreation spaces, and public safety and first responders.

3. Addressing challenges such as poverty, equity gap and homelessness, affordable housing/living and maintaining residential zoning.

How can you help voters in ways that other candidates for this office cannot?

• I have a great ability to get things done while collaborating with everyone. I already have significant budgeting, employee and management experience and I am respected throughout the county. I have proven myself working with many other people to complete successful large-scale projects.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

• That I served with ethics and integrity. I was fair-minded, listened actively, and followed agenda items that are important to voters, not my own specific interests. When I leave office, I want voters to be proud for supporting me and believing that I was practical and served with common sense. Finally, that I “got things done”.

Campaign website: bookforgnv.com

Campaign social media site(s): Facebook – bookforgnv | Twitter @EdBook4 | Instagram- educational book | LinkedIn- educational book

James Ingle

This candidate did not respond to email and phone invitations to submit the News4Jax Candidate Questionnaire.

Michael Raburn

Occupation: Pastor

Age: 51

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Your family: My partner Amy, our two daughters, two sons in law and three sons

Education: PhD Duke, 2013, Ethics and Public Policy

Political experience: First candidacy for elections

What do you think are the top three issues you are likely to face in this role?

1. Restoring democratic listening to the government of the city of Gainesville

2. Growing sectors of our local economy that are not dependent on UF

3. Affordable housing and zoning/development issues

How can you help voters in ways that other candidates for this office cannot?

• I have broader experience: running small businesses, community organizing, serving people in need, and training to understand the complexity of the issues we face.

What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?

• That everyone in Gainesville has experienced being heard and included in all decisions that affect them. That Gainesville has a stronger democracy, a thriving and diverse economy, and that our infrastructure has no longer been maintained and neglected.

Campaign website: raburnforcitycommission.com

Campaign social media site(s): linktr.ee/Raburn4gnv