Tallahassee City Commissioner Jack Porter is being challenged by Rudy Ferguson and Louis Dilbert during this election cycle.
Porter was elected to City Commission Seat 1 in 2020. Porter won the election in the August primary with 52% of the vote. Elaine Bryant came in second with 40% of the vote.
Provided below are the candidate positions on four major issues based on votes and comments made in political forums.
Property Taxes
Last year the city commission voted 3-2 to increase property tax increase to fund public safety due to a spike in violent crime. It has become a political issue with progressives using the vote to appeal to conservative voters.
Porter voted against the tax increase, citing fiscal responsibility. However, a comment to WCTV related to the vote indicated she voted against the increase because it funded law enforcement.
“There is so much that we know that is leading to that increase in crime and I don’t believe the police budget, or the police are equipped to handle in the best way. I think alternatives would be investing in our housing, investing in our social services, investing in mental health services,” said Porter in September of 2023.
Both Ferguson and Dilbert are on record supporting hiring more police officers to address crime, Porter is not.
On the tax issue, Ferguson and Dilbert said if they were elected officials they would have tried to avoid raising taxes.
However, on February 10, 2023, it was reported that “City Commissioner Jack Porter said the city should consider raising its tax rate in the coming years to account for the need for more services and increased costs” and she “noted how over the last 20 years the millage rate has only increased incrementally.”
“Sometimes the needs are not being met where maybe they used to be met by the federal government or the state government and it might not be fair, but cities have to step in,” Porter said.
Public Safety
City Commissioner Jack Porter has made several statements in public forums indicating she does not believe more police officers on the streets has an impact on deterring crime.
Porter has also supported defund the police activist in appointments to law enforcement related citizen committees.
In contrast, her opponents both have offered support for hiring more police officers to address crime issues and generally spoke favorably about local law enforcement. Both Ferguson and Dilbert have acknowledged the need to address societal issues that contribute to crime
The Amazon Fulfillment Center
According to reports, approximately 1,400 employees are currently employed at the Amazon fulfillment center, earning a wage of $17 an hour or more which exceeded the projected hourly wage of $15 per hour. This exceeds the initial job creation target which called for 1,000 jobs to be created during the first full year of operation.
City Commissioner Jack Porter was the only elected official on the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency 12-member board to vote against providing a $2.5 million incentive to the company.
Ferguson and Dilbert have both said they support the project. However, Ferguson has been more direct in stating his support for the financial incentive in public meetings than Dilbert.
The Northeast Gateway
The Northeast Gateway which will begin at Fleischmann Road – at the entrance to the Canopy development – and move through Welaunee plantation terminating at the intersection of Roberts Road and Centerville Road, was approved by the Blueprint IA 9-3 in 2019.
However, the project and the related development has been criticized by some elected officials including Commissioner Porter.
Porter and City Commissioner Matlow have labeled the project as corrupt and a giveaway to developers.
Supporters -which include Leon County Schools – of the project point to the economic benefits, the needed housing, and the transportation benefits which will relieve traffic on canopy roads and provide better access to public schools.
Ferguson has voiced support of the project during the forums, while Dilbert voiced concern about the lack of “equity” in the approval of projects like the NE Gateway.
City Commission Seat 1 Issue Guide added by Staff on
View all posts by Staff →
Not much of a guide.
I voted for, and supported vocally Porter the first time around because she was running against the incumbent that was appointed by the sitting commissioners. I did not like how we were given an “anointed” commissioner (see Gil Ziffer) without a vote by the very tainted commission we had been dealing with. Never mind that the incumbent was a contractor that the city had hired to reorganize the city leading to unsustainable raises and promotions.
I had such high hopes. After 3+ years of Jack Porter I feel I need a bath in peroxide. She is the absolute worst thing to happen to Tallahassee since Andrew Gillum, John Marks, and Scott Maddox. Dirty. I want to apologize and go to confession.
I will stand behind Porter. Cops are not equipped to handle the issue in Tallahassee nor do they want to as it would seem. The constant harassment of people vs going into neighborhoods being seen to prevent shootings and other violent crimes and being positive role models for the youth of our city is obvious. Funding should be spent in other areas. People are afraid of the police, hard working honest people have everything to fear, the criminals are protected by the fear of the officers. They won’t go to high crime areas. Why increase funding for more of them?
Porter has my vote. Tallahassee Police department does nothing to protect or serve. Why do they have the funding for tactical gear but not use it in places of high crime? You sit in Market Square harassing people going to work while shooting after shooting is taking place. People are scared to call cops why should the streets have more of them?
Vote “ABJ”… Anyone but Jack.
I fell for her ruse in her first election, but she’s since exposed herself to be an Alt-Left puppet of the Anti-LEO and Pro-Hamas Progressive Cabal headed-up by Pizza Boy Matlow. She doesn’t even have the courage or integrity to show up to forums and debates and stand on her convictions or explain her positions.
Bye Felicia… and be sure to thank your master – Pizza Boy – on your way out.
Anyone other than Porter, we can work from there as things play out.
I’m hearing rumors about the possibility Amazon may be cutting back in delivery to the farthest-away addresses come Holiday season. Their deliverers work in “time blocks” which they choose themselves.
The day Hurricane Debbie struck, I was told Amazon didn’t get many delivery people signing up for blocks, and had to dump a huge number of parcels on the post offices for last-mile delivery.