Candidate Name: Sharise V Riley
Age: 49
Family: I am married, and we have 1 daughter
Occupation: Real Estate Broker
Education: I have attained an AA Degree and working on my bachelor's in political science.
Political Experience: No prior political experience
Campaign Website: www.vote4shariseriley.com
What are the three biggest issues facing the citizens of Duval County?
Jacksonville face several issues that affect constituents not only in my district, but across the city in general. The three major concerns that I see facing the city of Jacksonville is crime, food deserts and homelessness. The urban core is experiencing a rate high unemployment, underemployment and the lack of new business opportunities. More can be done to attract businesses to Jacksonville's urban core and surrounding areas. The city must address violent crime in these areas to attract growth and new businesses. Efforts must be put forth to ensure the safety of all stakeholders. My meet and greets, front porch discussions, and community events have obtained feedback from residents who list crime in their neighborhood as their number one concern. They also complain about lagging response times that tend to favor the criminal element.
Food deserts in the urban core are another issue and have become a way of life. Demographics show that income and transportation contribute to their inability to shop at stores that offer competitive pricing, healthy food selections, and cleanliness. Seniors who live in food deserts suffer the most because they often have limited transportation and needs are far greater than the average consumer. They list their inability to refill prescriptions at a neighborhood grocery store as one of their primary concerns. Opportunities exist with grocers outside of the region to come in and fill this void. Any incentive package must be fair and guarantee that the grocer will not pack up and leave upon completion of contract.
The homelessness problem in downtown has gotten out of control. The homeless population is being run into adjacent neighborhoods such as Springfield, Brentwood, Brooklyn, and Riverside. Parks are becoming tent cities because there is no governance of what can and cannot be placed there. A resource center downtown would provide homeless persons with access to showers, resume assistance, physical, and mental health counseling resources. As a city, we can do more to identify those who want help. A larger portion of the homeless population is teens. There are several resources available, but we must have a way of reaching them in hopes of getting these teens off the street.
If you secure a victory, what are your primary goals for your term in office?
I have many issues that plague District 7, such as crime, underemployment, homelessness, affordable housing, real economic development, food deserts and opioid addiction. All these issues work together, so I would like to tackle as many as possible.
What makes you the best candidate to help the citizens of Duval County?
District 7 needs a leader. I am a leader that walks with people, not in front of them. I bring honesty, integrity, stability and transparency. I am vested in Jacksonville and the people. I own two businesses, I have created jobs and I have placed hundreds in affordable housing. I understand the challenges the average person is going through. I want to make sure our future generations are not still fighting for basic life necessities. I have the tenacity to change our current state of politics and bring inclusiveness.
Would you support the privatization of JEA?
I will not support this effort.
What is the last book you read?
Policy Paradox/The Art of Political Decision Making
Cox Media Group
