Zone 5 Candidates

Derek Henry - Candidate Zone 5

Background:
Life long Daytona resident. Assistant Principal of Mainland HS and assistant basketball coach for 17 years. Has served the remainder of Dwayne Taylor’s term as the Zone 5 city commissioner which he won in a special election. Considers himself a good listener.

Why running:
Took twelve months to learn the job of commissioner and is now 6 months into advancing his agenda. Enjoys serving his community and wants to continue to do so.

Platform:
Wants to improve neighborhood consciousness get more residence participation. Complete the Yvonne Scarlett-Golden Center. Need tax abatements for businesses and we need to do a better job of marketing ourselves. And we need to fix the flooding problems that the city has.

Performance Ratings

City Government – happy with mayor and police and parks and recreation dept.

City Manager – gives a solid C.

CRA’s Do they work? Is his question. Not opposed. Need to set objectives.

EVAC/firefighter transport - he is in favor of localizing transport

Amendment 4 -opposed

Stand Amendments – sorry that he signed any.

Opinion on festivals/special events
Sticks by his statement of two years ago. He supports them and suggests that we have more.

Overall Civic Pride perspective

Derrick Henry is a capable commissioner who is always a thoughtful vote on commission issues and seeks consistency in how he evaluates issues brought for commission review.
 

Walter Fordham - Candidate Zone 5

Background:
40 year resident of the Daytona Beach, Has watched the ups and downs. Benedict College. Masters in the Health Sciences. FSU earned Doctorate in Administration. Principal of Duval HS. Dean of Education at BCU. Assistant to VP and Associate Dean of school of health and physical education

Why running:
Has a vision, objectives and goals for the city. Things will be implemented by pulling stakeholders together and by being more inclusive.

Platform:
Commission must have a balanced view of funding sources, must focus on housing revitalization with infill projects. Properties must look attractive to bring in businesses. Would focus on job training, and youth program activities with the help of business sponsorships

City Commission performance ratings:
Gives the city commission a 5

City Manager performance ratings:
Gives the city manager an 8.5

CRA’s
Should be dissolved and become 1 city wide “CRA” and use the funds where best fot for jobs and sustainable business activity

EVAC/ firefighters
Supports a study to get better handle on most cost effective solutions

Stand Amendments
Would want to review user fees and we need to make LDC user friendly

Opinion on festivals/special events:
Tourism is a key economic component – less tasteful events have declined – need to be sensitive to community yet for most part understand impact they have on employment, bed tax and discretionary disposable income for many families in community

Overall Civic Pride Perspective
Dr. Fordham is very well schooled in the functions of government. Would make a very good commission. He brings a wealth of experience to the job should he win.

Mario Henderson – Candidate for Zone 5

Background
Solid academic credentials in political science and a recent graduate of Florida AMU. Life long Daytona resident who went to Atlantic High. Has worked in various political campaigns and internships in Tallahassee and Washington DC. A wealth of experience in politics for someone his age.

Why Running
Robbed at gunpoint recently. Concerned about safety for the citizens in his zone. Concerned about the streetlights that are out. Would have that fixed.. Concerned about losing a generation of youth due to lack of activities. Need to remedy the “brain” drain.

Platform
Engage the community, Daytona is too complacent. Need more after school programs. Partner with the boys and girls club. Need a more robust effort with the police force to gain the confidence of the community. Would stress more economic development.

City Commission
Sees need for more visible leadership

City Manager
An area of concern … views as very dominant on most issues

CRA’s
Mid-town not doing what it was set up to do.
E-Zone is a county level project and should be a city, instead.
New efforts are good. Focus should be on corridors like ISB/MMB

EVAC/ firefighter transport – open to a pilot project

Pension Funds – not sustainable – new hires should get a different plan

Amendment 4 - dead set against

Stand Amendments - feels are ridiculous

Overall Civic Pride Perspective
Very bright young man who is energetic and insightful. Very well schooled in the function of government and what is possible. Has mentors and examples of strong leadership which he would like to emulate. Clearly a contrast in style and demeanor to the incumbent.

Kelly White Candidate for Zone 3

Background
Life long resident of Daytona Beach. Family here since the 1920’s. Graduate of Seabreeze and Stetson. Solid academic credentials in social sciences field. Taught at Ortona for 5 years. Learned through that experience that families are tending to leave Daytona. Three years in real estate as a broker and owner of an independent brokerage.

Why running
City needs revival in its downtown and beachside core. Zone needs better more effective leadership. City lacks clear direction … decisions do not coalesce with a strategy. The incumbent has not provided the change to improve our fundamentals.

Platform
Revive urban core by getting people to move back to the downtown and beachside. Create incentives, Establish infill projects. Shift the attitude with better marketing. Leverage the CRA funds by taking a more active role in the use thereof. Would say “yes” to projects and progress rather than be a consistent “no” vote. Look for ROI on CRA investments. Better define and refine strategic plan that becomes more results oriented... Increase owner occupancy and create a sound fiscal budget reserve.

Performance rating

Opinion of City manager
Can probably improve ability to get more from staff thru enhanced people skills but is driving city forward.

Opinion on taxes
Would not look for increases. Concerned about the unfunded pension liability. Would honor past commitments but would bring new hires in with a different plan.

CRA’s
Concerned on use of funds and if achieving returns and spent on projects with best paybacks. Funds need to go back into the neighborhoods and create incentives for revitalization

EVAC/ firefighter transport
Inclined to eliminate redundancy. Would like more data

Opinion on festivals/special events
Would like to see more diversity and different ones to grow and augment existing ones

Overall Civic Pride Perspective
Smart, enthusiastic and brings some fresh perspectives and leadership. She is interested in growing the next generation of business with incubation projects. Would stress enforceable standards and efficient use of resources. Would definitely not stand in the way of progress but rather would nurture it. New eyes and perspective for long term issues that impede progress for DB.

Sheila McKay-Vaughn Candidate for Zone 3

Background
Born and raised in Conn. Graduated from the U of Conn with degrees in teaching and Sciences. Raised her family in Pittsburgh, Penn. Has 6 children. Rich background in sales. Moved to Daytona in 2000. Got involved in neighborhood group and then ran for office in 2003. Has been sitting city commissioner for the last 7 years. Has owned 11 rental properties in the city and is down to 3.

Why Running
She is presently the senior member of the commission with Rick Shiver leaving. Brings a wealth of experience. Proud to be part of the city. Top ten issues in the city are in Zone 3.

Platform
Wants to lower taxes and cut costs without sacrificing police or fire services that people are so dependant on. Would like to make the city more user friendly. Advocate of Clarion LCD re-write. Wants to see more small businesses and incentives to come. Drainage issues still need to be fixed.

Performance Ratings

City commission
City staff stands in the way of economic development. Need more common sense.
Rates the commission a 5 on a scale of 1-10.

Taxes
Wants to keep taxes low and balance budget. Need new efficiencies

City Manager
Rates as a 5

CRA’s
They serve an important purpose for development. Need to use the funds more wisely

EVAC/ firefighter transport
Supports pilot program but costs have to be closely evaluated.

Stand Amendments
Sympathetic to the causes but they are not going to solve the problems

Opinion on festivals/special events
The city needs them. They should be self sustaining

Overall Civic Pride perspective
ems like Sheila has grown with the job and has a more balanced approach to solving the city’s problems. Does have strong experience and expertise. Fluent in all overriding issues of the day.

Ken Ali Candidate for Zone 1

Background
Moved to Daytona in 1994. Born in Trinidad. 22 years in the their military and fought against Muslim terrorists. He is a associate minister a the Church of God in Daytona. 2 daughters and one son who is a Navy Corpsman serving in Afghanistan. Lives in Fairway Estates. Deputy of registered agent of Homeland Security. Owns a flight school at the Daytona Airport

Why running
Want to bring jobs and prosperity back to Daytona. Businesses need an ombudsman. He is a uniter. Would use incentives and tax abatements to foster business growth. He is an advocate of the working class and middle class.

Platform
Would like to stop the brain drain by bringing more jobs to the area. Improve tourism base. And need to concentrate on fixing the drainage problems.

Performance Ratings

City Commission - He gives a 6

City Manager - He gives a 5

Taxes - He will not vote for any tax increases

CRA’s
They are good but there are some problems to fix.

EVAC/ firefighters transport
We need consolidation. He supports fire transport

Stand Amendments
Has not studied them enough and reserves his opinion at this time

Opinion on festivals/special events
He is distinctly pro events and pro tourism

Overall Civic Pride Perspective
Ken definitely brings great leadership skills to his candidacy. He has been a business owner and knows what it means to make a payroll. With Ken there are no hidden agendas. He knows that if business prospers than the whole community prospers and that is his main focus .