Longstanding challenges call for a new direction | David O’Keefe
Down-ballot races don’t always get the attention they deserve. It's a funny thing, because local government is the government closest to you. It has more power to address the cost of your housing, decide where and what means of transportation should be created, and is best situated to address the increasing impacts of climate change.
At a time when state and national gridlock breed complacency and ineffective governance, look to your local leaders for solutions that match the urgency of our community’s issues. The Leon County Commission decides the priority of infrastructure, how zoning will shape the future of neighborhoods, and how our public dollars should be spent to attract new jobs and businesses.
Here in Leon County, we’ve struggled to address our most pressing concerns. Good enough is just no longer going to cut it. Good enough has gotten us where we are today, putting out fire after fire just with barely enough time to tend to the next crisis. New ideas, new solutions, and a new direction is the only way to get us to a better tomorrow.
We need elected officials who are willing to move quickly, be bold, and charge forward with new ideas. We need leaders who will fight tirelessly so that all of our neighbors can thrive.
As you look at your ballot, pay attention to those down-ballot local races. You have a chance to elect forward-thinking and creative leaders into the government closest to you.
David O’Keefe is a candidate for Leon County Commission, District 5, and a resident of Old Town. He is a Certified Public Accountant and most recently served as CFO of WFSU.
(Editor's note: Candidates on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election are allowed one Opinion column this cycle. The Democrat will not publish columns after Friday, Nov. 4.)
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Longstanding challenges call for a new direction | David O’Keefe
