Town hall format allows for face-to-face interaction

Wilnick SaintCharles, 34, was a student at Florida A&M University when Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum was student government president, but he never took the time to discuss issues.

SaintCharles, who stayed in Tallahassee and now works at Citizen Insurance Corp., got that chance Thursday night while attending the annual “Speed Date Your Local Leaders” event hosted by the Village Square at St. John’s Church. Nearly 80 people attended the event that drew several local elected and appointed government leaders.

“He was talking about the projects underway on the south side. That was pretty cool,” SaintCharles said. He also learned about the work of the Knight Creative Communities Institute from its executive director Betsy Couch.

“She mentioned Cascades Park and how we can make Tallahassee better; to make people want to live here,” he said. “I’m trying to learn about the political side of Tallahassee. I think it’s a pretty interesting experience.”

The nearly 90-minute session, where community leaders moved from table to table every seven minutes, is designed to give residents a chance to meet leaders face to face in a casual session over pizza.

Some conversations, like school testing with School Board member Alva Striplin, dominated the seven minutes, while other tables focused on several topics at a time. Leon County Sheriff Mike Wood spent time talking to one resident about burglaries, especially car burglaries that are made too easy because residents don’t lock their doors.

Leon County Commissioner Nick Maddox was supportive of one man’s question about promoting and hosting more sporting events in Tallahassee, other than football.

“I think there are plenty of opportunities but you have to look around and build something unique to this region that will draw people,” Maddox said. “If we build what Panama City has, people are likely to go to Panama City.”

Striplin was asked about the preponderance of testing that students must endure and she didn’t hold back. She said that when you consider state-mandated tests, along with local tests, nearly a third of the school year is dedicated to testing.

“(Teachers) have lost their ability to be creative in the classroom,” said Striplin, who won a seat on the School Board last year.

Liz Joyner, executive director of The Village Square, said “the idea is to create better relationships between leaders and citizens in a new kind of way. “It’s just fun.”

Sarah Howard Bozeman, a 26-year-old legislative analyst, said “what struck me is they came not afraid of the issues.” Her team raised a variety of questions, she said from the status the airport and the Amtrak rail service, to gun violence, race relations and charter schools in Leon County.

“I think an event like this is very important for young people to attend,” she said. “I think it’s very important to come here and to get to know the local leaders better.”

This was the second year in a row for Jim Mau, 80, who retired as provost at Florida International University in 2003. He’s also actively engaged in events sponsored by The Village Square.

“I was more interested in listening to the issues that the public officials were addressing,” Mau said. “(The Village Square) brings together people of different points of view who might not otherwise have an opportunity to talk with one another.”