You may find yourself in a position where you feel that no candidate represents you. You are not alone. The fastest growing voting bloc in Florida is NPA and third party, and for good reason. Most voters feel abandoned, unrepresented, and politically nihilistic. Is there a way to change that, is there someone who gets it, will politics even change anything?
My name is Steven Nekhaila, and I am running for Key West City Commissioner District 4. I understand that many Key West citizens feel the way I do, that our government does not represent us or seems to be working for themselves. Take into account the recent proposal to give all City Commissioners a 150% raise from $20k to $50k per year, that’s $200k over a four year term! Meanwhile many of us are feeling the pain of higher prices right now, with rising costs of living spiraling out of control the City Government seems to be more interested in the well being of the political class while a full time freshman fire fighter would be starting out at the same salary. The disconnect is obvious, but there is some good news.
Local government has the most influence on your daily life, Tallahassee and DC are hundreds of miles away and their decisions do not impact us quite the same way local government does. When you have influence locally, you have real power to change your life, your community, and your families future. I am inspired by a simple mantra, “why fight city hall, when you can BE city hall.” I became fed up and wanted to improve city hall not by being frustrated, but by getting involved in the political process for a positive step forward.
As a lifelong Keys resident, business owner, and father, I know the community and have the political and professional expertise to get things done that we can all be proud of, and I mean the average person, not just those who are politically connected. As a City we should have several priorities put forward, we need to reduce the cost of rent through smart urban planning and development, we have the tools we need to increase supply in a way that is both sustainable and compliments the community in order to make housing actually affordable. We need to be good financial stewards of our tax dollars, and not spend our money frivolously, I will never vote for a property tax increase. We must make sure the city stays politically neutral towards business, and fosters a positive environment where small business can thrive, which also means commercial tax revenue spares residential taxes. And lastly, we must encourage solar and other alternative forms of energy for personal use to lower our expenses and take back our power, literally.
Most importantly, I need your help if we are going to put these plans forward. This is our city and we need common sense, a voice for the average person who simply wants to live and work in Key West, and solid policy that doesn’t cost a fortune but works for us not against us. If this is something you are interested in, then cast your vote by mail or in person by August 23rd. I would love to hear from you, use the contact form to reach out. Together, we can take Key West back and continue making it a City we are proud to live in.