Page 4 - Florida Sentinel 9-21-18

Local Race For Governor
Town Hall Meetings Discuss Education Referendum
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last week, Hillsborough County Public School Super- intendent Jeff Eakins began hosting a series of Town Hall Meetings. The purpose of the meetings is to provide in- formation on the Education Referendum.
The referendum will ap- pear on the ballot in the Gen- eral Election on November 6th. Voters will decide whether or not a half cent tax that will benefit the school district will pass.
During the meetings, Su- perintendent Eakins will inform residents about the needs of the schools and posi- tive impact a half-penny sales tax referendum would have on students, schools and commu- nity.
The meetings are open to the general public.
Superintendent Eakins will lead the meetings on
JEFF EAKINS Hillsborough County School Superintendent
the following dates and lo- cations:
September 26, 7 p.m. at Grady Elementary School, 3910 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa;
October 3, 7 p.m. at Westchase Recreation Center, 9791 Westchase Dr., Tampa;
October 4, 7 p.m. at Pizzo K-6 School, 11701 USF Bull Run Dr., Tampa;
October 15, 7 p.m. at Mid- dleton High School, 4801 N.
22nd St., Tampa; and October 23, 7 p.m. at The
Chapel at FishHawk, 6026 Churchside Dr., Lithia.
During the town hall meet- ings, Superintendent Ea- kins will also share information about the state of the school district, opportuni- ties made available for stu- dents and the $2 billion challenge the community is facing because of inadequate state funding.
Each meeting will provide families, district employees and community members the opportunity to get their ques- tions about the referendum answered by Superintend- ent Eakins.
As the largest employer in Hillsborough County, serving more than 218,000 students, Hillsborough County Public Schools strives to provide the very best opportunities for our students and the community as we climb together to pre- pare our students for life.
Tallahassee Mayor Juggles Duties Of Running The City With Running For Governor
Despite the hoopla and the whirlwind appearances on na- tional network and cable news shows, Andrew Gillum is still the mayor of Tallahassee.
And from now until Nov. 6, he will be juggling those du- ties along with running a statewide campaign — and all that entails — to become the next governor of the third largest state in the nation.
Balancing those responsi- bilities along with being a hus- band and father of three children over the next seven weeks is a test of endurance and logistics.
Meanwhile, the normally routine meetings of interest to local residents have become the eye of a media frenzy, with state and national political re- porters vying for coverage and an audience with the mayor.
Mayor Gillum was elected mayor in 2014, a posi- tion that carries the same vot- ing weight as the other four commissioners.
The mayor presides over commission meetings, serves as ceremonial head of the city for civil processes and executes legal documents, according to the city’s website. As the city’s “political leader,” the mayor also engages with county, state and federal officials and is liai- son with the city’s state and federal lobbyists.
Since he began campaign- ing for governor in March 2017, Mayor Gillum has posted a 97 percent attendance record, missing only two of 63 scheduled meetings, according to the Mayor's office. He’s been to every commission meeting and workshop and retreat, all Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency meetings, all but one CRA meeting and one joint city/county comprehensive plan meeting.
Between now and Nov. 19, his official last day as mayor, Mayor Gillum will have a
MAYOR ANDREW GILLUM
$900 million budget to pass, a tax rate to approve and a city manager to hire.
According to his calendar, Monday he and his fellow com- missioners were in back-to- back meetings interviewing candidates for city manager. That night he headed over to the Challenger Learning Center for a $250- to- $3,000-a head fundraising reception in his honor and his running mate, Chris King.
Tuesday he had a briefing scheduled with Ben Pingree, director of Planning, Land Management and Community Enhancement for the city and county. And Thursday after- noon, he’s got back-to-back meetings with the Office of Economic Vitality and the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency.
That leaves Wednesday and Friday free for campaigning. "We don't release calendars like that," said Geoff Burgan, Mayor Gillum's communica- tions director.
Beyond that, Mayor Gillum has a final hearing on the city budget Sept. 26, which includes an agenda item to hire a city manager. The City Com- mission has an Oct. 24 meeting where it is scheduled to ratify a contract if it decides to hire a city manager.
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