Leon County Commission, District 3: A voter's guide to the 2022 primary election

Christopher Cann, Tallahassee Democrat
·5 min read

Basic info

Type of race: Non-partisan

Who can vote: All registered voters residing in District 3

What's next: Any candidate who wins 50% plus one of the vote will be elected. If no one tops 50%, the race will proceed to a runoff election in November.

How much does this position pay: $83,945

Campaign coverage

Candidates

Joey Lamar

Age: 35

Profession: Call Counselor at Florida Abuse Hotline (DCF)

Qualifications: As a Leon County District 3 resident, I saw homelessness and crime taking over. I’m new to politics. When elected, I’ll work for you.

Website: helpjoeywin.org

Joey Lamar
Joey Lamar

Q1: What makes you the ideal candidate to tackle the problems of the moment?

A: My entire campaign is rooted in listening to people in our community to learn first-hand their issues. The people are concerned about homelessness, crime, $27 million to Doak and investing more money for local infrastructure. I have not spent my time fund-raising. Instead, I knocked on more than 10,000 doors. This is more than any other candidate. I attended neighborhood meet and greets. I talked to homeless people in the streets. I organized trash clean-ups and a variety of other activities to listen to your concerns. Having listened and learned I’ll be ready to serve on day one.

Q: How would you assess quality of life in the North Monroe Street Corridor and what new initiatives would you champion?

A: Things have been going wrong for way too long. Over the past four years, homelessness and crime exploded in the district. To address homelessness we must provide housing. Then, we offer services for substance abuse and mental health issues. The goal is to get people back on their feet and move from temporary to permanent housing. To prevent crime, we need to address the contributing factors: lack of education, low-paying wages and unstable housing. Each issue must be addressed individually to achieve the collective result. But first, we need a real leader in office to solve these pressing issues.

Rick Minor

Age: 54

Profession: County Commissioner

Qualifications: CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank (2016-2019); Chief of Staff, Tallahassee Mayor’s Office (2010-2014); Public Policy Developer, (2002-2008); Business Consultant (1991-2000); MPA, Harvard’s Kennedy School (2001).

Website: rickminor.com

Column from the candidate: Real results for District 3 and Leon County | Rick Minor

Rick Minor
Rick Minor

Q1: What makes you the ideal candidate to tackle the problems of the moment?

A: Leon County is a great place to live, and there’s no place I’d rather raise my daughters. Like many communities, however, we’re facing challenges: poverty, crime, homelessness, affordable housing shortages, and rising costs. I’m the only District 3 candidate with the proven leadership, experience, and qualifications to address these problems. For example, I spearheaded a new program to reduce food insecurity in our hungriest neighborhoods. I’ve also cultivated cloud-computing skills development so workers without a degree can earn $50,000 or more.

Q: How would you assess quality of life in the North Monroe Street Corridor and what new initiatives would you champion?

A: The North Monroe corridor is Tallahassee’s #1 gateway, but crime, homelessness and blight are rampant. Working with neighbors, businesses, my Commission colleagues, and others, I’m leading REAL progress by: Obtaining full funding for Blueprint’s North Monroe improvement project; Creating the North Monroe Citizens’ Task Force and incorporating their recommendations into Leon County’s five-year strategic plan; Funding free, online anti-human trafficking training to fight back on human trafficking along North Monroe and throughout the County; Calling for the creation of a new CRA for North Monroe, so we'll have more dedicated funding for infrastructure, without raising taxes.

Damon Victor

Age: 52

Profession: Orthotist

Qualifications: Certified Vocational Technical Trainer; Small business owner of 16+ years; vendor for FSU College Medicine; Philanthropic Grant Writing for international medical service trips; licensed realtor.

Website: victorforleon.com

Damon Victor
Damon Victor

Q1: What makes you the ideal candidate to tackle the problems of the moment?

A: The problems are the consequences of years of ineffectual representation. Political musical chairs resulted in top-down leadership treating District 3 like a consolation prize. Our residents have become a footnote in planning. We’ve seen what happens when corporations and politicians collude to manipulate our market, our labor pool, and our sense of community. When donors and public relations groups dictate what is “ideal,” remember some will not find me ideal because I am challenging their interests. I am the ideal commissioner for these times because I am one of us and I will finish unfinished business in our district.

Q: How would you assess quality of life in the North Monroe Street Corridor and what new initiatives would you champion?

A: It’s become a humanitarian crisis. Backdoor deals, top down decisions, broken promises — we are suffering because too many in charge exacerbate social problems for profit and political gain.  We don’t need new initiatives, we must have leaders with the initiative to carry out the will of the voters. Levying another tax on the backs of our poorest communities is not an option. Taxpayers already bailed us out once: The North Monroe Blueprint Gateway was deprioritized repeatedly for almost a decade while outrageous luxury developments like Welaunee skipped to the head of the line. I will champion what residents need.

Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Election 2022: Leon County Commission, District 3: A voter's guide