Brian W. Hoffman
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an interview conducted via questionnaire by the Pensacola News Journal with Escambia and Santa Rosa County election candidates for their respective races. All of the answers were submitted to the Pensacola News Journal by the candidate and are available to our readers to show the candidates’ position and priorities on the issues. Candidates were limited to 750 words.
Candidate: Brian W. Hoffman
Office you’re seeking: Pensacola City Council District 2
Occupation: Lawyer, Board Certified in Real Estate Law
Education: Pensacola Catholic High School (1997); University of Florida – B.S. in Business Administration with major in Finance (2000); University of Mississippi – J.D. (2002)
Why are you running for this office? I am running for office to play an active role in the shaping policy and growth for the betterment of the City.
What makes you stand out from your opponent(s)? I am new to politics, but not new to the challenges facing our City and our County. I stand out from my opponents based on my experience as a lawyer. For the last decade I have been very involved with the real property section of the Florida Bar that is actively involved in drafting and vetting our state laws affecting real estate. Additionally, I have substantial experience addressing land use and zoning matters, and litigation that has at times resulted. I have seen first-hand the frustration that results when our laws and procedure are applied inconsistently or perceived to be applied inconsistently. Litigation is not a substitute for effective, consistent, competent and responsible City governance. This starts with City Council. My qualifications were recently recognized with the endorsement received from the Pensacola Association of Realtors after questionnaire and interview vetting of all the candidates.
More about the race: Pensacola City Council District 2 race is a contest between neighbors
Previous elective office/ elective office experience: None; first campaign.
What are your three most important priorities if you are elected or re-elected?
- Careful Growth and Development
- Carpenters Creek
- Consistent Governance
How would you implement Priority 1? Careful growth and development can only occur with careful laws and ordinances. Our city’s land development code needs to be overhauled to meet these challenges to ensure careful growth and development.
How would you implement Priority 2? Carpenters Creek is one of our city’s most significant natural resources; one that touched the lives of many of the older citizens in our community. Unfortunately, most younger citizens only know the problems resulting from decades of ecological and environmental degradation. These problems are acute in District 2. Our city now has positive momentum to reverse that degradation based on site plans prepared by Restore the Watershed. Those efforts cannot stop with just plans; we need to get implementation of those plans across the finish line.
How would you implement Priority 3? Based on the annual Quality of Life Survey prepared by the Pensacola Young Professionals, a majority of our citizens have an unfavorable opinion of City Council. While the survey does not explain why, I believe the core reason for dissatisfaction with City Council is inconsistency from several angles starting how Council meetings are conducted. While the problem of inconsistency cannot be solved in one Council meeting, the path towards consistency can begin in one Council meeting, which we owe to the citizens of this city.
How will you approach the growing infrastructure needs with the growth and development our community is experiencing? Pensacola is privileged to be a community people are choosing to live. Growth is necessary to preserve our city’s tax base and economic vitality, but it has to be done in a manner that preserves the positive attributes of our community. Pensacola should strive for careful growth and the development for the benefit of Pensacola now and in the future.
In what ways will you work to promote civility among your colleagues and with the public, especially when dealing with divisive or controversial issues? Civility and incivility are unfortunately modeled by example. I will promote civility by conducting City Council meetings in a manner that sets an example of civility in discussion and debate by both Council members as well as citizens participating at Council meetings.
What policy proposals do you have to increase the supply of affordable housing in our community? Affordable housing is one of the most complicated challenges our city is facing. While there is no single solution, increasing density within the city is a critical first step. Our city has many options available for increasing density, but it must be carefully implemented to preserve the essence of Pensacola.