Scott Nevins starts Palm Springs council campaign to help people 'get their voices heard'
At the Tuesday launch event for his Palm Springs City Council campaign, DAP board member and TV personality Scott Nevins pledged to help his neighbors “get their voices heard.”
“You may hear politicians say things like, 'I want to be your voice' or 'I want to be the voice for the voiceless,'” Nevins said. “But here's the thing: You don't need me to be your voice. You have a voice. You need your voice heard.”
Nevins, who said he lives in Escena and has resided in Palm Springs for 3½ years, filed paperwork to run for the District 1 council seat late last month. That seat is currently held by Grace Garner, who announced in February that she would seek re-election. DA Computers Owner Daniel Algazi has also filed paperwork to run for the seat.
Speaking outside city hall while surrounded by several supporters, Nevins promised he would push the council to go after “achievable, realistic goals together.”
“Identifying the problem facing our city is only the start,” said Nevins. “It is important that we have a representative come to the table with realistic ideas for solutions, as well as plans on how to make them happen. I have a track record of doing just that.”
Nevins said that track record includes the time he has spent as a board member with DAP Health and as chair of its annual Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards.
He also touted his work as an advocate for the LGBTQ community and those with HIV; his career as a TV personality on shows on Bravo and TruTV; and his upbringing in a family of firefighters and police officers in Queens, New York. Nevins said his childhood instilled him with an appreciation for diversity and a desire to stand up and speak out for the marginalized.
A new website for Nevins’ campaign, scottnevins.com, says he would address major topics including homelessness, housing and crime; work to bring free fiber-optic internet to the city; push for more resources for animals; and try to bring a food co-op tio what's now a “food desert” in north Palm Springs.
Nevins said Tuesday he would not be “a part-time councilmember” but would stay on the DAP board.
Nevins also said he was proud to start his campaign with endorsements from LuLu California Bistro owner Jerry Keller, local salon owner Read Brown and former Sen. Barbara Boxer.
Nevins, who married his husband earlier this year, could again give Palm Springs a council consisting entirely of people who identify as LGBTQ.
The city received national media attention when it elected what was believed to be the nation's first all-LGBTQ city council in 2018.
Garner, who is Latina, is the only person of color currently on the council and would be in line to rotate into the mayor position and serve as the city’s first Latina mayor if she wins re-election. District 1 is the only council district where the majority of the population and eligible voters are people of color.
Paul Albani-Burgio covers breaking news and the City of Palm Springs. Follow him on Twitter at @albaniburgiop and via email at paul.albani-burgio@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Scott Nevins of Bravo kicks off Palm Springs City Council campaign
