If you care about things like going to the park, shopping at small businesses or recycling, you're running out of time to protect your interests.
Monday is the deadline to register to vote in the next election, when Jacksonville will pick a City Council member who will make decisions on those issues and more.
The winner will fill the City Council at large group 3 seat, vacated by the late Tommy Hazouri. As one of the city's five at-large members, the council member will represent all of Duval County in key decisions:
- Resuming curbside recycling.
- Resolving the debate over Confederate monuments.
- Healing racial divisions.
- Making downtown more lively.
- Making traffic more tolerable.
- Reducing homelessness.
- Cleaning up the environment
The candidates are Democrat Tracye Polson and Republican Nick Howland. Currently, Jacksonville's council has a Republican supermajority, even though the city has more registered Democrats among voters.
City Council plans during the next year to add public art, make small business corridors, increase funding for diversity initiatives and make a concrete plan for what to do with the city's Confederate monuments. (Mayor Lenny Curry's has promised to "take them all down.")
Also this year, council will decide how to spend the remainder of more than $171 million in federal COVID relief dollars and what communities deserve to benefit from the money.
Want to make sure your interests are part of these decisions? Here's what you need to know:
- Check out this guide on where each candidate stands on the issues.
- Register to vote at the supervisor of elections office downtown, at tax collector's offices, at any public library branch or online. Here's a list.
- If you're worried about COVID and voting in person, here's how to request a mail ballot (deadline is Feb. 12). And here's how to make sure your vote is counted.
We also asked candidates about upcoming events where voters can hear their plans in their own words. Here's what they said:
- Nick Howland:
Jan 24: First Coast Republican Club.
Jan 27: Mandarin Republican Club.
Feb. 18: Forum at the Tiger Bay Club.
Other February events TBD, including two televised debates.
- Tracye Polson:
Jan. 26: Local Elections Matter.
Jan. 31: Downtown Development Town Hall with Bill Delaney.
Feb. 5: Renter's Town Hall.
Feb. 19: Bike the Vote with Bike Duval.
