Name: Connell Crooms
Family: I was raised by a single mother who is a working nurse and my father is a retired Master Chief from Jacksonville. I have two siblings an older sister who lives in Tampa and a younger brother who is an MP in the military stationed in Texas. Service to community and country runs throughout my family.
Occupation: I am a co-founder of internationally recognized advocates for accessibility and production company- Deafinitely Dope. I am also a skilled tradesman in addition to working part time at Amazon.
Political/Government experience: 6 years as a Union Organizer and 8 years as an activist.
Years lived in Jacksonville: 22 years
Campaign website: connellcrooms4jax.com
Why did you decide to run for office: Being a long time activist in labor and social justice movements I've had the privilege of seeing first hand the very struggles that are subject matters for news stations everyday. There has to come a point in a City Hall when the people take on special interest groups and hold accountable the most important elected leaders: their own neighbors. To refocus the conversation in city hall back to the needs of the community is why I decided to run for office.
What is the biggest problem facing Jacksonville as a city overall, and how specifically would seek to address that: The lack of a robust city budget and increasing debt present a problem in the short and long term future for the city's ability to provide services and fulfill promises of infrastructure improvements and access to neglected neighborhoods in Jacksonville. We will address this by allocating money to priority needs in neglected neighborhoods, increasing grants and support for small businesses and push for a wage ordinance on Jacksonville's largest employers.
What makes your constituents unique, and how would that influence your time in office: Jacksonville is a very unique city with a unique and diverse group of working people. While we all may come from different backgrounds and ways of life, we also recognize that the success and prosperity for the future of the city is incumbent on our ability to work together.
What would be your main budget priority for the upcoming fiscal year: We plan to take a practical approach to addressing the needs of people in Jacksonville. We will be looking to funding community gardens and stores in the cities most impoverished areas and food deserts in this upcoming fiscal year.
How do you define what you hope Jacksonville will be ten years from now: I look at the many good people who I surround myself with and from their own aspirations of where it is they hope to be in 10 years and how I as a representative can help them. A successful Jacksonville is one in which families can afford to provide a healthy meal to their children, a good job, reliable public transportation, and a joy filled weekend free of violence and the breaking news story of the day is a beautiful birth as opposed to a gruesome death.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: WOKV asked all candidates in a race to answer the same questions, and the answers here are their unedited responses. WOKV has not independently verified information in these answers, nor is WOKV endorsing any candidates.