JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville city elections will take place on March 21. First Coast News is committed to introducing mayoral candidates to you so that you can understand their platforms.
On Your Side’s Destiny McKeiver sat down with Dr. Omega Allen as she runs for the seat with a week left to campaign.
She calls herself “The People’s Mayor.” Allen grew up in Jacksonville and attended William M. Raines High School.
She says she wants to be mayor because she believes in change. It’s her third time running for the seat.
“This is indeed my third time and the push behind it is that nothing’s changed and in my opinion, if nothing changes, nothing changes and in Jacksonville, nothing has changed since consolidation,” said Allen.
Allen is a state certified general contractor and believes her educational achievements qualify her to lead the City of Jacksonville.
“I have a PhD in public administration with a focus on municipal government, particularly participatory government and I know a lot of people are like I’m tired of hearing participatory government, but it’s the way we’re supposed to function,” she said.
Once serving the people of Jacksonville as a veteran hairstylist and teacher, Allen says she understands the needs of the working class, and she says her administration would focus on equity.
Destiny: “What would you say about the state of Jacksonville?”
Dr. Allen: “Destiny, when I came back home, I graduated from Raines High when I was 16, and I was away for a few years and I came back, and I’d lived in different cities when I came back I was like it’s going to be this… we had gone ten years in the wrong direction, and we’re traveling at warp speed in the wrong direction.”
In a recent UNF Poll, voters weighed in on what should happen to confederate monuments that are still standing. 36% believe they should come down, while 39% of those polled believe they should stay.
Allen says she has a solution for everyone.
“Come down from their existing position but not destroyed… removed and replaced in a monument park.”
With violent crime also being a topic of discussion. Jacksonville finishing the year 2022 with over 160 homicides. Allen says community policing is important.
“I think that you can bring a lot of the activity… I don’t know where they’re doing roll calls whether it’s in substations or wherever but I think all of those things can be brought into the community so that they are highly visible,” said Dr. Allen.
Destiny: “What contributes to the violent crime we have in Jacksonville?”
Dr. Allen: “The lack of economic development. I believe economic development curtails crime, I believe that a living wage, high wage paying jobs can be a deterrent.”