Name: Anna Lopez Brosche
Family: Husband, Dave Brosche; Children ages 25, 18, and 12
Occupation: Certified Public Accountant (Licensed in Florida and Georgia)
Political/Government experience: Jacksonville City Council, At-Large Group 1
Years lived in Jacksonville: Jacksonville native. Born and mostly raised in Jacksonville although I moved with my dad while he was in the Navy for about 8 years, so about 38 years total (last 28 continuous).
Campaign website: AnnaForMayor.com
Why did you decide to run for office: I believe Jacksonville should be a more inclusive, more transparent, safer city for all of its citizens. I have a track record of service above self. I am the managing partner of a CPA firm where I have created its people-focused culture, one that relies heavily on effective communication to help people understand their purpose and how they contribute to the organization's mission every day. This culture has been recognized as we have won 26 local, state and national best places to work awards. I believe deeply that happy employees equal superb delivery of service and thus happy customers.
I will bring my commitment to inclusive leadership to leading Jacksonville. This leadership style is more effective than “I know best” because different perspectives bring different ideas, which lead to better solutions, and no one person or small group of people know what’s best for the rest of us. I am committed to making my hometown a better city for all, not just for a privileged few. I care about our people, I care about the neighborhoods they live in, and I am committed to making life better for all of us.
What is the biggest problem facing Jacksonville as a city overall, and how specifically would seek to address that: The major issue facing Duval County is crime. We cannot police our way out of our horrific experience with violence, particularly gun-related murders. We not only lead the state in our murder rate, we lead the state in mass murders. We must invest more robustly in prevention and intervention services; we are seeing the results of poor funding levels in increased crime rates and the related undue burden on our men and women in law enforcement with increasing enforcement needs, which does not allow them to work aggressively to build positive relationships in our neighborhoods. I support a host of programs and actions, all of which serve as a multifaceted approach to uplifting the community: long-term, we must combat a culture of violence by investing in the success of the next generation — supporting reading programs in pre-K and elementary schools, bringing back vocational training for high school students, making adjustments to our system of punishments for driver's license violations, encouraging local churches to adopt and actively volunteer in schools, support and expand the Police Athletic League, utilize technology to interact and provide positive messages to our youth, expand the police and fire explorer programs, celebrate kids who get a great job or vocation after high school graduation, expand the Chronic Homeless Offender project at the Sulzbacher Center, provide free snacks to high delinquency rate kids in schools. To combat our current violence, we must conduct additional training with officers as they continue their careers, and implement neighborhood-level engagement programs similar to Orlando's and Atlanta's Purpose Built Communities or Milwaukee's Project Safe Neighborhoods. The research shows that we must create neighborhood level comprehensive plans that honor the wisdom of people who experience violence every day.
What makes your constituents unique, and how would that influence your time in office: As Mayor, I will serve all of Jacksonville, not just those who fund my campaign, vote for me, align with my party identity, or share my values. I respect that people have differing views, and I appreciate that listening to and including those views when making decisions is the best way to ensure the greatest success for the city. Diversity is our strength as a community. I am from a family of immigrants, and I understand the overwhelming solitude one experiences when moving to a new place and new culture. I deeply value the principles of diversity and inclusion and look forward to leading a city that is reflective of the population it serves, as well as implementing a customer service culture that welcomes all people and helps them feel at home and productive quickly.
What would be your main budget priority for the upcoming fiscal year: Due to the timing of the election cycle, the budget for the next fiscal year is very much a reflection of the prior administration. That said, I expect to use my auditing skills to identify areas of critical need and reallocate budget items where possible and prioritize investment in children, the neighborhoods in which they live, and crime prevention and intervention, all of which are interconnected. I will begin the process of implementing a zero-based budget approach on city departments, ensuring that the upcoming budgets begin at zero and that we justify spending, not simply adding to the current budget. This will ensure that we are allocating resources to the proper areas of focus. I will also work hard to increase transparency in the budget process, making it easier for people to understand both understand it and participate in it.
How do you define what you hope Jacksonville will be ten years from now: My hope is the same as many of you — that Jacksonville is a safer city, one where children aren't afraid to go outside and play, where they have access to clean, safe, and well maintained parks and activities to build a sense of belonging; that our city has wrapped its arms around our young adults, providing access to structured, developmental programs to keep their attention, build valuable life-skills and reduce the attraction of illegal activities during their most vulnerable years; that we are addressing our homeless population with appropriate mental health services and providing structure to help them recover their lives; and that we are embracing technology to improve transparency, create a customer service attitude towards all our residents, giving the citizens their government back and allowing them to properly engage in the process of governing.
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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.
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