City Commission Candidate Bill Schack Discusses Children’s Services Council, Crime and Blueprint

Tallahassee City Commission Seat 2 candidate Bill Schack appeared on Above the Fold with Tallahassee Reports editor Steve Stewart on Oct. 27. During the interview, Schack commented on crime, Blueprint projects and the Children’s Services Council. Schack is running against City Commissioner Curtis Richardson on Nov. 3.

At the beginning of the episode, Schack was asked what he thinks are the major issues that Tallahassee faces. Schack responded that crime is the number one issue facing the city and that he believes that many other things like jobs and tourism are impacted by crime.

He said funding nonprofits that help with problems like homelessness is another important issue.

He said, “We have a serious homeless problem, and when COVID-19 is over or slows down, we’re going to have to address it. Because when places like the Kearney Center open, we’re not going to serve as many people as we used to. We can’t have that many people in one building. So, we’re going to have to address that head-on in the next few months.”

When asked about Blueprint projects, Schack said that he would like to slow down Blueprint and reevaluate where the projects are going in the long-term. He differs from his opponent, Richardson, who is proud to have been part of the creation of Blueprint and supports future projects. He agreed that some projects have been successful, but he also commented on the bike lanes and sidewalks that have been built and rarely used.

Schack also drew a connection between Blueprint and systemic racism.

“I believe Blueprint is directly related to systemic racism in Tallahassee because what Blueprint is doing is taking black neighborhoods and destroying them and removing them from Tallahassee, and I think that is a big problem,” he said.

At the end of the episode, Schack talked about his position on the Children’s Services Council, whichs on the ballot this year. Schack said he is against the CSC but clarified that he is not against children; rather, he believes there is another way to solve problems.

“We have over a billion-dollar budget between the County and the City, and we think eight more million dollars is going to be the silver bullet that solves children’s issues?” he said. “I say let’s hold elected officials accountable to improve the lives of children, and I don’t think we’ve done that.”

The interview is available here.