Ozzy Angulo lives his life by the credo “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
The 30-year-old New York native may have lost the election for Gainesville mayor in March, but that doesn’t mean he’s any less determined to make a difference in this community.
This time around, Angulo is running for city commissioner of District 3, which encompasses southwest Gainesville. He has only one opponent in the race, local bar and restaurant owner Rob Zeller.
Angulo sees himself as the people’s candidate and hopes to usher in a new era of openness and approachability in local politics.
“I see myself as a representative of the working class in Gainesville,” he said. “I want to include as many people as I can into our structure and system.”
Though he’s never held public office, Angulo is no stranger to the local political landscape.
He’s currently drafting a piece of legislation that, if passed, would allow bars and clubs to stay open until 3 a.m., without altering the current alcohol cut-off time.
The intention is to cut back on the hectic congestion that follows when bar owners are forced to kick people out all at once, which interferes with police officers’ abilities to respond to calls in a timely fashion, he said.
Angulo said it would also help generate revenue for venue owners, who sometimes kick out patrons 30 or 40 minutes before 2 a.m., just to ensure everyone is out in time.
Angulo is still in the early stages of drafting, working with citizens, Gainesville police and the city commission.
“So far we’ve had a very positive response,” he said. “Our goal is to make sure we have something that’ll be approved. We’re taking every possible step to make sure everyone’s concerns are addressed.”
Angulo said, if elected, he’ll encourage people to voice their opinions on issues like maintaining neighborhood safety or increasing economic development in east Gainesville.
“I plan on being a very hands-on elected official,” he said. “If anything is affecting the city, I’ll have a hand in correcting it.”
Angulo spends much of his day at The Laboratory, 818 W University Ave., his de facto campaign headquarters. He can also be reached through his campaign website, voteforozzy.com.
“I want people to know I’m out there representing them 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. “I don’t think Mr. Zeller is doing that.”
Editor's Note: This version corrected Angulo's sentiment to represent 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
