from staff
The Daily Record surveyed the 2011-15 City Council members about the current Council year. Their responses to five questions will be published over the coming weeks. Bill Bishop, a Republican, is an architect with Akel, Logan, Shafer.
How have you prepared both personally and professionally for your role on Council?
Serving on the City Council is demanding yet personally satisfying. One must have good time-management skills in order to juggle the demands of both the Council and outside business interests. It also helps to have understanding partners and great business support staff.
Are you satisfied with your Council assignments and why do you believe you were chosen for them?
I am honored to have been selected as vice president and I am very happy with my committee assignments. I believe I was chosen for the Finance and Rules committees because of my ability to make the tough choices we will be facing over the next year with respect to our budget.
Which committees or assignments would you like next, and why?
Next year, I hope to become Council president. After that, I would like to again chair the Transportation, Energy & Utilities Committee, remain on the North Florida Transportation Planning Organization and chair the Land Use & Zoning Committee because of my interest in transportation and land planning issues.
Is serving on the Council a part-time or full-time job?
It is intended to be a part-time position but one could easily make it a full-time job. In my case, hardly a day goes by where some sort of Council business isn’t done.
What’s the first piece of legislation you have introduced or will introduce in this Council year?
My first piece was introduced during the last Council meeting of the previous cycle. It is bill 2011-438 that, if enacted, will close a condition that allows for bypassing Council on certain capital projects if funded through certain unallocated accounts in the Capital Improvement Plan.