Three candidates vying for two seats on Cape Canaveral City Council

Tyler Vazquez, Florida Today
·5 min read

Two seats are up for election this year on the Cape Canaveral City Council, with three candidates vying for the two spots. City Council seats in Cape Canaveral are elected "at-large," meaning the city's entire voting population is able to vote for each member, rather than voting for only one member in a given district. Members then sit on the five-person board, which includes the mayor as a voting member.

Cape Canaveral City Hall. Two Cape Canaveral City Council seats are on the Nov. 7 ballot.
Cape Canaveral City Hall. Two Cape Canaveral City Council seats are on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Incumbent Don Willis, a retired executive and entrepreneur, is running to retain his seat, with two potential newcomers vying to join the City Council: Kay Jackson and Steven Stroud.

The other incumbent, Mayor Pro Tempore Angela Raymond, is leaving office after the end of her second term. City Council terms are three years each, with staggered elections. Next year's election will be held for the mayor, while the two remaining seats on the City Council will have elections in 2025 before the cycle repeats the year after.

Council members are limited to two consecutive terms, However, they are allowed to hold office as many times as they are elected by taking a year off between elections or running for the mayoral seat.

Salaries for the positions are $2,400 annually for council members and $3,200 annually for the mayor. There will be one polling places in Cape Canaveral, at the Cape Canaveral Community Center, 7920 Orange Ave. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 7.

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Here are details about the candidates and what they said about the major issues:

CAPE CANAVERAL CITY COUNCIL

(vote for two)

Kay Jackson

Occupation: Technology and property/rental management

Kay Jackson
Kay Jackson

Education: Over 60 technical certifications, Associate in Arts, and 10 hours toward bachelor’s degree.

How many years have you lived in Cape Canaveral: 19

Political/government/civic experience: In my career, I have worked extensively with Federal Communications Commission regulation, all federal governmental agencies on procedures and processes, as well as legislative regulations, and military regulations, as well as military vendors.

Campaign email: kay4council@att.net

Campaign phone number: 321-297-7559

Website, Facebook, other social media pages/links:

Website: votekayjackson.com

Nextdoor: Kay Jackson for Cape Canaveral City Council

In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Cape Canaveral, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?

Actions I will take include looking at ordinances for all agenda items, and past situations that create precedences on projects. I want our citizens, who are our stakeholders, heard and their feedback solicited for the desired outcomes.

I will focus on our budget and spending our citizens' money wisely.

I want to be involved with improving the health of our waters and environment, impacting that we are not developing at the expense of our fragile ecosystem.

Residents should enjoy a good quality of life, and have their wishes considered in projects.

Steven Stroud

Age: 67

Occupation: Served in U.S. military, trained for 38 years fire protection industry, estimator in both site development, heating/ventilation/air-conditioning systems.

Steven Stroud
Steven Stroud

How many years have you lived in Cape Canaveral: 18

Political/government/civic experience: Three years on the city Planning and Zoning BoardCampaign email: stevocc602@gmail.comCampaign phone number: 321-408-0914Website, Facebook, other social media pages/links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550622197671

In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Cape Canaveral, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?

  • Keep city on sound economic path with a budget needed to maintain infrastructure and services.

  • Address evolving state mandates.

  • Address lot split issues.

  • Improvements to the stormwater system.

  • Increase walkable, bike-able pathways.

  • City councils must work together as a “team," a place of joining ideas, and listening to the needs of our community.

Don Willis (incumbent)

Age: 67

Occupation: Retired business owner

Don Willis
Don Willis

Education: Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, University of North Carolina

How many years have you lived in Cape Canaveral: I have lived in Cape Canaveral for 13 years.

Political/government/civic experience: Serving on City Council of Cape Canaveral for the past two years. Served on the Business and Economic Development Board. I am currently serving on the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization Governing Board, the Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Board as an alternate, Florida League of Cities Transportation and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, and the City of Cape Canaveral Local Roads Committee.

I host bimonthly coffees in local neighborhoods with our law enforcement to promote trust and interaction on issues and concerns with residents.

I also organize and have hosted local educational events on personal safety, identity theft, and food bank drives.

Campaign email: don@donwillis.org

Campaign phone number: 321-588-1058

Website, Facebook, other social media pages/links:

Website: DonWillis.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonWillisforCapeCanaveralCityCouncil

In 100 words or less, what are the top two to three issues in Cape Canaveral, and what specific actions will you take to address them if elected?

We are responsible for the stewardship of our most precious asset: the ocean and the Banana River. With an infrastructure that is over 50 years old, my priority is to improve our infrastructure and reduce residential flooding and stormwater runoff.

Another major issue important to residents is our short-term-rental policy. I will actively defend the seven-day minimum and advocate for stricter code enforcement to protect our residents.

I am actively working with Florida Department of Transportation to make A1A a safe thoroughfare through Cape Canaveral for cars, pedestrians and bicycle traffic.

Tyler Vazquez is the North Brevard and Brevard County Government Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-917-7491 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: In Cape Canaveral, three candidate seek two available City Council seats