Casey's Platform

Energy & Environment

GRU customers are facing high bills from rising natural gas prices and unfair billing through billing months that are longer than 30/31 days (my June bill was for a 35 day "month"!). We can't control the price of natural gas, but we can move away from fossil fuels that fluctuate wildly in price and towards long-term contracts for affordable solar power. Gainesville can also move away from the practice of billing for more than 30/31 days in a month. Making the job of GRU meter reader a more attractive job will help us keep enough meter readers to have accurate and timely reads each month. Lastly, the City Commission should continue their pledge to reduce the general fund transfer from GRU to the city budget each year for the next several years. That will relieve some of the pressure on electricity rates.

Casey believes that we can’t afford to back down from our city’s plan to be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045. We must continue to support and fund GRU’s LEEP (low-income energy efficiency program) and work to upgrade as many homes’ appliances as possible to both improve the experience of residents and lower Gainesville’s climate footprint. We also need to integrate solar energy into our system while transitioning away from our dependence on fossil fuels. As new developments are built, including the capacity for solar energy should be a focus. GRU’s coal plant Deerhaven 2 is on track to be retired by 2031, and as a commissioner, Casey will push for replacing this retired coal plant with green energy.

Electric vehicles are increasingly becoming a transportation option for many of our residents, but our current infrastructure isn’t favorable to them. Currently, electric vehicles are not very convenient for some of Gainesville's citizens. The vast majority of the charging stations either run off of Archer Road or are on the University of Florida’s campus. This leaves out a large number of citizens without close access to charging stations. If new charging stations are developed around more areas in Gainesville, electric vehicles will become a more reliable source of transportation. We must take advantage of green infrastructure funding opportunities as provided by the federal government, Gainesville deserves its fair share to increase the electric charging infrastructure in our community. 

Casey is committed to securing a transition to 100% renewable energy for our city to promote affordability and sustainability.

Parks & Nature

Compared to other areas in Gainesville, District 3 includes few neighborhood parks. Our master parks plan already identified the need for a new neighborhood park in SW Gainesville where District 3 is. It's time for the new park to become a priority for our City Commission.

The development of parks creates many benefits for the people that live near them, including providing access to affordable activities for children and safe gathering spaces for our neighbors, while preserving much of Gainesville’s green natural vibrancy. Expanding the amount of public outdoor spaces will lead to more community engagement and enjoyment, the goal of local governance. More public natural spaces will both create a more equitable and more beautiful city, and encourage active lifestyles for children and adults alike. Not only will we create purpose-driven outdoor areas, but, we will improve the connection to nature across the city by planting more trees in urban areas and providing shade for sidewalks and neighborhoods.  

Casey is committed to building public outdoor spaces for all to enjoy - whether they be big regional parks, benches under a shade tree, or small-scale neighborhood parks - but especially the new neighborhood park that SW Gainesville deserves!

Transportation

Casey believes that our streets should be designed for the safety and ease of all users. Gainesville must strive to make sure all residents are close to bus routes, sidewalks, and trails that can quickly and pleasantly get them to work, school, and anywhere else they need to be. As your next City Commissioner, Casey will advocate for building complete streets and continuously improving our transportation system until pedestrian deaths are a thing of the past. He strongly believes that we need to invest in improving the walkability and bikeability of our city, as well as increasing the accessibility of the RTS transit system for all residents. 

Many of our city’s residents, including our student and working families, rely on RTS to get around town. The City of Gainesville's partnerships with the University of Florida and Santa Fe College allow us to have a robust bus system, but there is still room for improvement. Many bus stops around the city lack shelters and seating, making it onerous for passengers to wait for their bus. The City Commission must consider increasing the amount of and quality of these bus shelters, as well as expanding routes in order to better reflect the needs of out citizens.

Beyond improving the passenger experience, our city must prioritize bus drivers as essential workers. Our bus drivers are essential to keeping Gainesville running smoothly. RTS drivers should be given increased pay and improved working conditions that reflect how vital their work is. Everyone should have access to a robust bus system, whether it is their main mode of transport or not. 

Our city has been rocked by too many tragic fatalities involving pedestrians over the past several years. Redesigning our streets to be safer and more enjoyable to use needs to be a priority. Improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure as well as our roads is key. In order to make walking enjoyable, all sidewalks should have adequate tree cover to bring shade in the hot summer months, and highlight the natural beauty of our city.

Casey is committed to working towards a more efficient, accessible, and walkable transportation system for all Gainesville residents.

Housing & Development

Our city’s growth requires that we build more, diverse housing in order to meet the needs of all of our residents. We need thoughtful development that engages all of our community members, addresses our city’s current housing needs, and prepares Gainesville for the future. We are severely lacking in affordable housing, especially as rents and inflation continue to rise. In order to make our city more liveable for all residents, more low-cost housing and new affordable developments are needed, which in turn decreases prices for us all. 

Our city needs buildings created with purpose, with Gainesville’s future in mind. New construction in Gainesville should be made to be energy efficient, and existing buildings must be updated and made as efficient as possible. Solar energy should be included in as many future developments as possible, in order to generate clean electricity for those buildings and other parts of our city. As we improve our solar capacity, we can simultaneously lower our carbon footprint, without increasing prices. The climate crisis threatens us all, and Gainesville needs to plant the seeds for a greener future, today. 

Gainesville deserves thoughtful urban planning and place-building that preserves our city’s history and natural beauty. Gainesville should be uniquely and unequivocally recognizable as Gainesville - not just another city in the South. 

Gainesville needs to focus on legalizing and encouraging the development of housing options of all types, especially missing middle housing. Purposefully built duplexes, triplexes, and small apartment complexes will increase housing availability without greatly increasing traffic or commute times. As new developments pop up, Casey will emphasize the planting of street trees to increase the amount of shade around major pedestrian areas, beautifying and increasing usability in one swoop.

Casey is committed to ensuring that Gainesville retains its charm while modernizing our amenities, improving our housing options, and future-proofing for generations to come.