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. Warren Jones, a Democrat, is a real estate sales associate with Luke Group Realtors.
How have you prepared both personally and professionally for your role on City Council?
In high school I worked part-time for then-Councilman Earl Johnson, served as a page at Council meetings and participated in Boys State. I graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in political science and finally, I previously served five terms on the Council from 1979-99, including two terms as Council president.
Are you satisfied with your Council assignments and why do you believe you were chosen for them?
Yes, I’m satisfied being on the Finance Committee and the Reapportionment Committee, two of the Council’s most important committees. I believe I was chosen for the Finance Committee because of my work on the committee last year and because I supported the current Council president’s vision for the budget process.
Which committees or assignments would you like next?
I would like to continue on Finance because of the challenges we face in balancing our budget and to serve on Recreation, Community Development, Public Health & Safety to help preserve and improve core City services on which our citizens depend, especially those serving our low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.
Is serving on the Council a part-time or full-time job?
Technically it’s a part-time job but with full-time responsibilities. We are considered part-time employees, but between our City’s growth and the tremendous challenges we face, the workload is full-time and growing. A Council member could easily devote full time to doing this job well and providing citizens with the level of responsiveness they demand.
What’s the first piece of legislation you have introduced or will introduce in this Council year?
I’m not sure what will be first, but I am working on an ordinance to address the problem of illegally dumped waste tires with recycling incentives to promote their proper disposal. I’m also looking at ways to increase our household recycling rate to extend the life of our
landfill.