District 3 commissioner Anna Prizzia is seeking re-election this year. Prizzia will face Republican Jenn Garrett in the general election in November. No other candidates filed for this race, so no party primaries were needed for August.
News4Jax sent a questionnaire to each candidate asking about their background and their views on several issues. Scroll down to read the responses of those seeking your vote -- in their own words.
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Note: Responses are sorted alphabetically by party and are presented exactly as submitted, with no editing by News4JAX staff.
| DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE |
Anna Prizzia
The incumbent Democrat has not yet responded to email and phone invitations to complete the News4JAX candidate questionnaire. If any responses are received, they will be promptly added to this space.
Campaign website: annaforalachua.com
Campaign social media: Facebook
Jenn Garrett
Occupation: Artist (large scale public art), Architectural Historian
Age: 46
Family: My husband Tim and I just celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. We have three children, one in high school, one in middle and one in elementary school. Tim is a professor in the college of medicine at UF and we have a cranky chihuahua rescue named Pixie and two rescue cats Boo and Lulu.
Education: MID University of Florida, Concentration in Historic Preservation
BFA Sculpture, University of Georgia
Blacksmithing, Penland School of Crafts
Political experience: With almost a decade of advocacy experience through the Junior League of Gainesville’s State Public Affairs Committee, I have been actively involved in Florida politics, speaking with state representatives about important issues impacting women and children in our community. The pandemic heightened my desire to ensure western Alachua County voices are represented at the county commission level.
What do you see as the top three issues in this race, and how do you plan to address them?
Roads
Maintaining and Improving infrastructure is one of the primary functions of local government. During my tenure at a cultural resource management firm, a significant portion of my responsibilities involved working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to ensure compliance with federal Section 106 regulations. This hands-on experience provided me with invaluable insights into the development of state road projects and the profound impact that FDOT initiatives can exert on local communities. A recent Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization (MTPO) meeting revealed that our County risks losing over 6 million dollars of FDOT funding because of mismanagement. As a county commissioner, I will ensure we have a strong relationship with FDOT to maximize the funding available to complete our road projects.
Development
The rapid development of western Alachua County has brought about significant growth, but not without challenges. As part of my master’s research, I crafted redevelopment plans to preserve the essence of communities – their historic structures, natural surroundings, cultural assets, and more – all while fostering sustainable economic growth. I have already been working with businesses in Newberry’s Historic Main Street to ensure that when FDOT splits Newberry Road/SR26 into one-way pairs, Newberry can preserve and even enhance its historic character to the benefit of business owners and residents.
Public Safety
Our community has suffered from rising crime rates over the last decade. I will work closely with the Alachua County Sherriff to make sure they have the support they need to keep our community safe.
How can you help voters in a way that others running for this office cannot?
Our county faces several pressing challenges, including the need for more housing, deteriorating roads, increased traffic west of town, and rising crime levels over the last 5-10 years. Additionally, our high poverty rate significantly contributes to crime and challenges in our schools. Over the past year, I have diligently explored each of these issues, engaging with community leaders to gather their perspectives and insights. My background has equipped me with a head start in understanding these challenges and identifying effective solutions.
As an architectural historian, I collaborated closely with FDOT during the planning phases of their projects, gaining insights into road plans, project funding, and agency operations within our state. Additionally, my work as a subcontractor for developers and builders, assisting them in meeting federal regulations, provided me with a comprehensive understanding of how successful development projects advance and address both community and investor needs.
Through my volunteer work in our schools and high-poverty areas, I have witnessed firsthand the challenges created by our high poverty rate. Children growing up in our poorest neighborhoods deserve better, and we can do better. Most importantly, I am always eager to meet with anyone knowledgeable about a particular issue or need. While I may not have all the answers to our biggest challenges, I am committed to doing the necessary work, talking with all stakeholders, identifying the root causes of issues, and collaborating with experts who have successfully addressed similar problems.
I am dedicated to working tirelessly to represent and improve our community, ensuring that we create a brighter future for all residents of Alachua County.
What would you hope to be remembered for accomplishing after serving in this office?
A Clear Vision for Our Future
I’ve spoken extensively about our community’s deteriorating roads and rising crime rates, but these issues stem from a larger problem: our county commission lacks a clear vision of what residents want our community to be, both now and in the future.
Growing up in Chattanooga, TN, I witnessed a transformative change as it evolved from “worst to first”. Once known as the dirtiest city in America, Chattanooga embarked on a community-driven initiative to reimagine its future.
While Alachua County is not facing the same extreme, we still lack a defined vision of what we want our community to look like in 10, 20, or 30 years.
We need a comprehensive vision encompassing economic development, housing, public safety, the environment, and more. To achieve this, the county commission should initiate a large outreach campaign, allowing residents to evaluate our community’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We need clear, measurable goals with timelines and checkpoints to stay on track.
While we may not have immediate solutions to every challenge, we can leverage our existing citizen advisory boards as a starting point for community outreach.
This new strategic plan can guide these boards as they address future opportunities and challenges, fostering a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down mandate.
Developing this vision won’t be quick or easy, but as other communities have shown, it is worth the effort. A clear vision will enable us to proactively address challenges rather than reactively responding to them, ensuring a brighter future for Alachua County.
Campaign website: https://jenngarrettcampaign.com/