Elect candidates that will work to ensure Tallahassee reaches its full potential
Shelby Green is running for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 5 to improve safety and our quality of life. Vote by August 23rd.
08/19/2022
Can you afford to live in Tallahassee? Even if you said yes, you’re probably feeling the pinch. The cost of everything is rising – gas, rent, food, and utilities – while wages are stagnant. As Tallahassee recovers from the pandemic and prepares for a recession, it is critical that our City Commissioners recognize their obligation to serve the interests of the people, and to strengthen the quality of our public services and infrastructure.
My name is Shelby Green. I’m an engineer, community organizer, and small business owner, running for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 5 to combat the growing disregard for public opinion, safety, and service in our local government.
I came to Tallahassee to student Chemical Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in 2014, where I met my husband. We both graduated in 2020 and decided to stay in Tallahassee to start our careers, business, and (cat) family. I work as a research fellow tracking utilities and their transition to clean energy and own a small business that provides data management and software tools to small, community-based groups and nonprofits.
I decided to run for City Commission after witnessing our neighbors struggle to rebound after the pandemic when our City Commission unanimously voted to end its utility moratorium without a public notice, press conference, or recovery plan.
When I learned residents were being disconnected without warning or knowledge of relief funds, I led canvassing efforts in the Providence and Lafayette Park neighborhoods to share information about the expiring moratorium and relief funds -- the City’s Project Share and the State’s discontinued OurFlorida programs. While canvassing, I met hundreds of residents struggling to pay off the debt they accrued during the pandemic and stay current.
I spoke at countless City Commission meetings to share my experience and advocate for a better solution – print disconnection dates on utility bills and print relief programs directly on utility bills. The Commission agreed to print dates again, almost two months after the disconnections resumed, but refused to print relief programs, despite receiving $46M in COVID relief funds.
Our City Commissioners' response to residents falling into debt and financial instability was unacceptable. I would have used a portion of the $46M the City received in American Rescue Plan Act funding to (1) better promote and advertise the City's and State's relief fund programs and (2) revive the City's Neighborhood REACH program to investigate households with abnormally high utility bills and work with local organizations to reduce their utility bill through weatherization, energy efficiency applications, and adoption of solar energy.
I am running for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 5 to improve safety and affordability in Tallahassee. I have worked towards a healthier Tallahassee as the first Black woman to be named Soil and Water Supervisor for Leon County, a position I left to run for City Commission. I serve as a Friend of the Providence Neighborhood Association, where I encouraged vaccination and studied COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and organized Providence Week, a week full of safe, neighborhood events and food distribution last Summer. Additionally, I started a Vision Zero project with local cycling advocates to map car crashes to promote safer public infrastructure and traffic safety.
We deserve to live in a Tallahassee that's safe and affordable for everyone. If elected, I would work towards that future by improving the quality of our public services and infrastructure, alleviating the hardships of poverty, and increasing access to safe and affordable housing. I need your vote and support by August 23rd to help Tallahassee reach its full potential as our State's Capital City.
Shelby Green is an engineer, researcher, and former Soil and Water Supervisor running for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 5 to improve the quality of our public services and infrastructure, alleviate the hardships of poverty, and increase access to safe and affordable housing. Visit her Campaign Website to learn more and get involved.