by Jaritza Butler
Special to the Daily Record
City Council member Dr. Gwen Chandler made it official Wednesday, filing to run for property appraiser.
Chandler filed her paperwork at the Supervisor of Elections Office and also submitted a campaign treasury report listing $3,860 in contributions during the second reporting quarter.
Chandler is one of five Council members who can’t run again because of term limits — Alberta Hipps, Ginger Soud, Jim Overton and King Holzendorf are the others — and is running for the office currently held by Ernie Mastroianni. Once a term limit casualty himself, Mastroianni could run again thanks to a recent Florida Supreme Court ruling eliminating term limits for Duval County constitutional officers.
To date, Mastroianni has given no indication that he will pursue the office again next spring or honor the voter-imposed term limits.
Chandler said she’s interested in the job because it presents an opportunity to remain an elected official and work in a capacity that intrigues her.
“This is a decision that is available as a result of me coming out of office,” said Chandler. “I have a vested interest in the property value and in making sure that people understand the awareness of what the property appraiser is.’’
Because she is currently a member of the Value Adjustment Board, Chandler believes that experience could be valuable if elected.
“With the knowledge I have received, I think I can be very effective as the property appraiser,” said Chandler.
Chandler plans to host a fund raiser, An Afternoon with Chandler, in the next couple of months. She hasn’t set a date or decided on a venue yet.
Outside of her Council duties, Chandler is employed by Florida Community College at Jacksonville Downtown campus as both department chair for the library and as a professor of an information technology class.