As a reader service, the Daily Record presented daily information about candidates on the ballot in the spring election. The Daily Record sent the same questions to candidates for mayor and here are their e-mailed responses. Candidates were given a word limit. Responses that exceeded it are edited for space. Early voting begins today in Duval County.
Mayoral candidates Steve Irvine, with no party affiliation, and Democrat Warren Lee did not respond by deadline to participate.
| The candidates say... | What is the first piece of legislation you want to introduce? | What changes do you propose regarding economic development? | Do you favor an appointed or elected sheriff and school board? | Why should constituents elect you? |
| Alvin Brown Democrat | I will focus on jobs. I would streamline the process of doing business to make it attractive for companies to relocate here, especially industries targeted by the Chamber. I would establish a revolving loan fund so small businesses could access capital and credit. I would launch Business Link, connecting small companies with corporations to partner in business. That has succeeded elsewhere, is cost-effective and gives a return on investment. | I want to speed up the approval process for companies that want to do business in Jacksonville so we can remain competitive in a global economy. We need to remove barriers to creating jobs. The City should add resources to the economic development fund to help finalize deals that bring jobs to Jacksonville. We also need to focus on developing public-private partnerships that enhance business opportunities and bring jobs here. | Elected. The voters should decide. | Jacksonville typically conducts a national search for applicants with broad experience for jobs like port director. If we did that for mayor, I’d get the job. I served in the Clinton-Gore administration, managing a $4 billion initiative to create jobs, and co-chaired the White House task force on Urban Sprawl and Smart Growth. I have the connections to take Jacksonville to the next level that no other candidate can match. |
| Mike Hogan Republican | A revenue cap that tethers the growth of government to the economy and does not allow government’s purse to grow faster than the taxpayer’s purse. | I will completely restructure the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission to be managed directly by the mayor’s office with a greater focus on small business, the port and Cecil Field. | I have always favored electing our sheriff and school board. | With 30 years’ experience, I am the only business man running for mayor who has met payrolls and balanced budgets. I am a proven fiscal conservative taxpayers can trust to cut wasteful government spending and lower taxes in order to jump-start our economy and create jobs. Since 2003, the budget has increased by $300 million, up 43 percent, while the population has grown by 12 percent. I have a detailed plan to cut wasteful spending. |
| Audrey Moran Republican | The creation of a Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will be the first bill I introduce as mayor. It will provide a dedicated, dynamic approach to Downtown development. A vibrant Downtown is a catalyst to contribute to the community’s overall tax base by attracting new businesses, growing opportunities for existing business, creating jobs and enhancing our quality of life. | The City must partner with the private sector to create jobs and spur economic development. JaxBiz, the political arm of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Associated Builders and Contractors have endorsed me as the candidate who will focus on job growth and economic development. I will leverage our city’s biggest economic engines: the port, the military, our health care system and our logistics industry. | I favor an elected sheriff and school board. Our citizens will and should guard their ability to elect these important officials. I will work to ensure open communication and establish productive working relationships with our city’s sheriff and school board members. | I am the one candidate in this race who has held positions of leadership in business, government and the nonprofit sector. I know how to build a team that is second to none that will be empowered to make things happen for this community every single day. I am ready to lead, make tough decisions and provide a vision for Jacksonville’s future. |
| Rick Mullaney Republican | Pension reform is essential to my goal of getting the city’s financial house in order without raising taxes, and it should start at the top. Therefore, I will propose a measure to eliminate the mayor’s and City Council’s pension plan and replace it with a private sector 401(k)-style plan. (My complete 34-point plan to fix city finances and grow jobs is available at www.mullaneyformayor.com.) | I will approach economic development by leveraging Jacksonville’s unique assets and competitive advantages to create defining industries that will grow jobs and the economy in: health care (the No. 1 employer in North Florida); the port (logistics, international trade and transportation, including jobs off the waterfront); aviation at Cecil Field; tourism; and the military. In addition to recruiting new businesses, I will adopt fiscal and regulatory policies that support existing business. | I favor an elected sheriff and school board because they most directly represent the citizens of our community. As a former prosecutor who headed the state attorney’s homicide division, I will work closely with our sheriff and state attorney to make our city safe for everyone; and I will work with our school system to convene stakeholders from throughout our community to improve public education in Jacksonville. | I’m a fiscal conservative and I have a concrete plan to cut spending, grow jobs and the economy, and get our City’s financial house in order without raising taxes. I’ve never run for public office before, I’m not seeking a career in politics, and I’m the only candidate who didn’t seek the endorsement of public employee unions. If I’m elected, I will be beholden to taxpayers and no one else! |