Leon County Commission candidate Jay Revell appeared on the Steve Stewart Show on Tuesday, May 17th, to discuss his priorities should he win the election. (Listen to audio.) He also touched on contentious topics like the FAMU and FSU stadium vote by the Blueprint Board.
Revell is running for Leon County Commission District 5, which is currently held by Kristin Dozier.
Revell is vying for the seat with four other candidates campaigning in the primary. After the vote in August, the top two candidates will move onto the polls in November.
Revell was born in Havana, Florida, and graduated from Florida State University with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science. Revell said he grew up a University of Florida fan and applied to attend school there. However, he was not accepted and instead attended FSU. Revell expressed he “fell in love with” the Noles and the Tallahassee community.
He interned for four years with then-Commissioner John Dailey and eventually was hired to work for the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority (TDIA). Some of his accomplishments with the TDIA were establishing the concert series at Cascades Park and the downtown market.
When Revell was asked what prompted him to run for commission, he explained that he believes many in the community are frustrated and do not think the community is reaching its full potential. “There’s just a lack of vision,” Revell said.
Stewart also asked Revell what challenges the community faces and where his focus is. “Quality of life, public safety, and building a thriving economy,” Revell said. He stated that his focus is housing affordability regarding the quality of life. With public safety, the two significant issues are crime and homelessness. Lastly, concerning the economy, he wants to concentrate on higher-paying jobs and fighting poverty.
Revell was asked how he would have voted to give Blueprint economic dollars to FAMU and FSU for stadium improvements. “I would have voted against it,” he said. “Any of those expenditures for stadium improvements, you know they gave some money to TCC too. I think that is a symptom of lacking vision.”
Revell said that though he too loves the universities and their athletic programs, the expenditure comes at a massive opportunity loss for future ventures. “That is not what that money was set aside for,” he said.
Revell also touched on the Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency, stating, “it has been and still has the opportunity to be the most impactful organization in our governing structure.” He said that Blueprint has allowed the community to achieve some grand ambitions that may not have been if left up to the individual local governments.
When discussing why residents should vote for him, Revell said that there are a lot of great candidates running, but, “The big difference between me and everyone else is, I have always spent every waking day trying to leave Tallahassee and Leon County better than I found it. I know how to do that,” Revell said. “I know how to build consensus. I know how to create a vision. It comes from the best intentions and ambitions from various corners of our community.”
“My number one focus is that our community has a vision for the future and moving us boldly toward it,” Revell said.
Leon County Commission Candidate Jay Revell: “There’s Just a Lack of Vision” added by Lynsey Kirk on
View all posts by Lynsey Kirk →
Is there any Republicans running in this corrupt City or Tallahassee. I’m so sick of this Town being under Democratic party leadership. If I hadn’t been forced to quit my job and become disabled, I would have left Tallahassee. I almost lost everything I had so I am just trying to hang on but I sure do try to vote for the Republicans all the time in every election. Let me know please how we can change this!
I’m leaving Leon county and move to a red county when I retire. I’m tire of the county taking my money and using it in this liberal cesspool.
OK Revell…….what IS your Vision? You keep talking about it but you haven’t said yet what it IS.
@ David Hawkins, PLEASE get back in the Race, there is still time.
@ David,
You need to get back into the race! Wish you would reconsider! If every person in District 5 would give $5 that would pay for your qualifying fee.
I am still waiting to hear their Solutions to the Problems. All I have been hearing are what the problems ARE and that they need to be dealt with BUT, none of the Candidates will say what THEY would like to see implemented to combat the problem. They all give the same cookie cutter answer that has been been given for YEARS. Nothing changes. I am working on putting together a Debate in July just for the New Candidates that have Qualified. I need to find a place to hold it………..
Mike L…, John Dailey is a progressive Democrat pretending to be a Republican.
He is from the old guard who has clawed his way to the top of the fiefdom.
This is a failing of the local Republican P,arty Evan Power, who does nothing to help Republicans get elected. They need to do a cleanup of the local Republican party executive committee and get some worker bees in there who will recruit Republicans and not sit in a bar chatting it up with Democrats and NPAs.
Everything you said is correct.
“Interned for John Dailey” is a disqualifier. I am starting to think Steve Stewart is in the tank for John Dailey and his coterie of sleazy minions. Jay Revell is one of them, not one of us. When you listen to Steve on the radio any and all criticism of Dailey is tepid and always qualified with “the other side does it too”. While criticism of any of Dailey’s foe’s is often very strident and bordering on personal.
That’s why this publication remains poorly circulated and stuck in an echo chamber.
They say a picture can speak 1000 words. So if you are not convinced of the establishment status quo motivations of Jay Revell running for office just take a look at the photo with this article.
Sweater under the blazer, open coller, pocket scarf.
All together the outfit just screams “Hey everybody look at me – I just took my bow-tie off – and I’m a woke leftist dork with local corrupt elected Nanny connections.”
There you have it. The Snidely fashon report on your latest leftist woke candidate offering.
Trust your vision and Snidley’s fashon critique and you will learn how you too can recognise leftists on sight, in just seconds, before they even open their mouths to spew annoying leftist propaganda.
@Edward, you hit the nail on the head.
Very little to no substance in his answers or on his website. Establishment trained, with all the standard political tag lines and platitudes such as… “Quality of life, public safety, and building a thriving economy… build consensus… create a vision… a vision for the future and moving us boldly toward it…housing affordability… crime and homelessness… higher-paying jobs and fighting poverty.” BlahBlahBlah…
Both Leon County and the City of Tallahassee need bold “new” leadership that is honest enough to call it the way it is, and who will offer substantive solutions to the reality of the challenges we face… not just another “insider” career politico bloviating consultant-approved banality.
I hope to see/read more reality and substance from all candidates.
While his plan is vague, you can bet it includes spending millions on the failing Southside and being weak on crime.
Mr. Revell stated regarding the $27 million Blueprint Infrastructure giveaway, “That is not what that money was set aside for,” he said. If that is his stance, then would he endorse Kristen Dozier for mayor over Mayor John Dailey being that she voted against and Mayor Dailey voted for?
Would Mr. Revell denounce elected officials spending tax dollars to attend the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce yearly junket to Sandestin or Amelia Island? If no, then what benefit is it to taxpayers?
How do you not get accepted to the University of Florida?
When they asked him to color on the application, did he eat the crayon?
Could not agree more, Hope. Revell was swapped around around the Chamber and local gov agencies explicitly as part of corrupt deals to further the status quo.
The “vision” that made his entire profile in the community is part and parcel of the Maddox/Chamber era.
Oh pleeeeeezzzze…. you conveniently left out Jay’s heavy involvement with the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber Bot Usual Suspect ALERT!!!!
Secondly, Jay said nothing at the time the Blueprint Infrastructure vote went down.
Woulda Coulda Shoulda… another liar liar pants on fire.
If you don’t say anything, you are for it.
Saying you are against it after the fact means nothing.
Next….