The Gainesville mayoral runoff election between former District 2 City Commissioner Ed Braddy and incumbent Mayor Craig Lowe is Tuesday.
Throughout the campaign, the candidates have landed on opposite sides of major issues facing the City of Gainesville.
The Alligator interviewed both candidates about issues affecting UF and Santa Fe College students.
1.) In your view, how would the soft closing of bars work?
BRADDY: If it’s implemented, it’s only because we have taken the steps to mitigate what might be negative impacts. Any policy change will bring both pros and cons, and I think for commissioners, what they would be looking for is will the pros outweigh the cons. I‘ve talked to some people about best-standards practices for the clubs and everything, and all of that may be too much to ask for right away. But if it moves in that direction, that’s where I think — at least where I would be, as well as probably other commissioners — is how do we mitigate or lessen the impacts so that such a change could be made?
LOWE: As it worked previously, there was a time at which alcohol sales were stopped, but the establishment could stay open for an hour or two after that, during which time nonalcoholic beverages could be sold — including water — and those that were there could dance or continue to talk to friends, socialize up until the establishment did have to close, according to the city ordinance. That is what a soft closing would entail. I have been a longtime supporter of soft closing. I think that it’s actually politically a high hurdle, and… it’ll be difficult to reverse what’s been in place for so long.
2) What is the biggest problem facing college students and recent college grads in Gainesville?
BRADDY: Well, I think the jobs outlook is still bleak. We’ve done a fine job with the high-tech, biotech push, and I was a part of it as a city commissioner. I led the way in clearing some of the regulatory hurdles for that, but not everyone can or even wants one of those jobs. Small businesses come up of all different varieties, and those are the No. 1 job producers in the country still — the small business. We’ve got to make sure government is a partner with the private sector in creating the atmosphere conducive to small-business growth and development.
LOWE: I think one thing is the economy. I think we’re approaching that in a logical manner. We’re seeing more companies come to Gainesville that can employ Gainesville residents, including University of Florida graduates, so that we don’t lose the talent that we develop here at the university or at Santa Fe College to other communities. And it also gives those students who are from … longtime families here the ability to go to the university and to find a job as well and stay with their families.
3.) What would you do to keep Gainesville grads in the local job market?
BRADDY: It’s a matter of creating the atmosphere. I’m not one of these people who believes government creates jobs. The best we can do is lower the barriers to entry. Those aren’t necessarily financial or even monetary. Sometimes, it’s just time-oriented. So, if we can do that, we create that atmosphere, that environment, then I think a lot of people, a lot of college students, would want to stay. It’s a great place to live. That’s what happened to me. I’m a college student, came here and never really left.
LOWE: We need to bring in companies that will hire University of Florida graduates and Santa Fe College graduates and allow them to stay in the Gainesville area and contribute to our local economy, and in turn create additional jobs in our community, so that all of our residents can benefit. Recent UF graduates, longtime residents of all levels of educational attainment can enjoy the economy that we’re developing due to companies that are locating to Gainesville because they recognize the high quality of life that we’ve built over the past decade or so.
4) Would you change transportation options for college students? If so, how?
BRADDY: No. We have essentially a two-tier transit system in the city of Gainesville, and the first tier works great for college students. I would propose no changes to that and in fact, support the incremental increases for the cost of service to make sure that we continue to attract high ridership there. What I brought up on the campaign trail deals with the second tier, the fact that you have, if you go east of Main Street, you have a lot of men and women who are absolutely dependent on public transportation for them to sustain their livelihood, and they are experiencing 45-minute to 60-minute headways. And so, they cannot reliably depend on it, and that’s just, it’s wrong. And that part needs to be addressed.
LOWE: I’ll work to enhance our transportation system including RTS to provide all of our residents with better transportation options including a shortening of wait times, especially in those parts of the city where they are longer and where UF students do indeed live, and also a long-term plan to implement enhanced transit such as what is now known as bus rapid transit in the community to allow people to get from place to place in our community, utilizing their transportation mode of choice, whether they be students or long-term residents.
5.) Why would you be the best candidate for students to vote for?
BRADDY: I want students engaged in the civic life of the city, and I’ve proposed everything from student internships to even setting aside kind of a student-oriented bid process. When we do things through our PR and through the communications wing and others, why not let students have the first crack at that, and not just the university, but also Santa Fe [College] students. We’ve got so much talent in this community. I would actually work to bring them into civic life, having internships at all different department levels, and then actually trying to tap into their creative ideas and utilize that to help benefit all of Gainesville. Imagine what it would mean for a student if they’re interviewing a few years down the road with a Fortune 500 company, and they can say on their resume, ‘Look. I did this for the City of Gainesville.’ So, that’s what I’d do. The incumbent has no such proposals.”
LOWE: I recognize that students are affected by the decisions that we make in city government, and while they may or may not be here in four to six years, they are voting on behalf of those who may come after. But the fact is, none of us knows where we will be in four to six years. And I am the candidate that encourages students to get involved in our community and to vote. And if you look at those who are supporting my opponent, they actually advocated for legislation at the state level with the very intent of keeping students from voting in elections. And that was actually inspired by the last mayor’s race here in Gainesville. There was a bill that was sponsored by Dennis Baxley at the urging of Stafford Jones to discourage students from voting. In particular, they cited Gainesville city elections. They don’t want students to vote, and I need students to vote to make our community a better place. Students, like everyone, look for a community with a quality of life, with a healthy environment, with abundant natural areas, with a high degree of public safety and also a very active entertainment scene. And in Gainesville, we’re looking to continue that and enhance that so that Gainesville has that high quality of life that all residents — including students — look for.
Left: Commissioner Ed Braddy. Right: Incumbent Mayor Craig Lowe. The Gainesville mayoral runoff election between them is Tuesday.
