Sanford City Commission District 2: Candidates reveal where they stand
With incumbent Velma Williams not seeking another term on the Sanford City Commission, four candidates have tossed their hats into the ring for her District 2 seat.
Commissioners serve fouryear terms, receive a salary of $7,500 a year and are compensated $7,200 for expenses. Sanford is Seminole County’s only city to elect its commissioners from single-member districts, which means only voters within that district may vote for a candidate. minister and a teacher at Seminole High School. He’s also the co-founder of the nonprofit Unity Youth Association.
Each of the four candidates said that District 2 needs a commissioner who’ll bridge communication gaps between its residents and solve issues involving the police department, economics and finances.
“Everybody just wants to know what’s going on and nobody knows,” said Hartsfield, who grew up in the Goldsboro area.
Hicks, who grew up in Sanford, said many people don’t talk to law enforcement because of a “breach between the law enforcement and the people.”
Lillibridge said he’s willing to hold monthly meetings between Sanford police and the community to heal the strained relationship.
“I believe if you can get a group of people in the same room, we can work out their differences,” he said.
Wiggins said he would support the creation of a Citizens Review Board, or another kind of advisory board to help mend relationships.
Wiggins also said he wants to work to bring youth programs and curb homelessness. He also wants more affordable housing units in Sanford but also wants to bring more highend units to help build the city’s tax base.
“It allows you to put more money back into the city,” he said. Lillibridge said that Sanford needs to take better advantage of its community centers — and even keep them open later — to give kids and teens a place to play basketball, do homework and stay out of trouble.
Meanwhile, Hartsfield said technical training that allows people to “earn as they learn” would be beneficial to residents in the district, as well as providing youth with positive activities.
Hicks argued that “developers run Sanford” and said he would work to allow more minority-owned businesses to flourish in District 2.
He also said he would speak for the city’s residents, something he said the current council doesn’t do. and experience make him the best candidate for the seat and said he’s willing to make tough choices if need be — such as potentially raising taxes if he had to — to improve the city’s economic standing.
Hicks said his experience as a business owner, in communicating with the district on social media and his advocacy for curbing gun violence give him a leg up. “[Voters] should choose the candidate with the most experience.”
Hartsfield said she was raised in the Goldsboro neighborhood and is the best candidate to communicate to the district because of her community experience as a youth basketball and football coach, as well as owning a business.
As a minister, Wiggins said that he’s skilled at reaching out and helping people and sees running for the City Commission as an extension of his work.