City Council At-Large Group 5 candidate: Samuel Newby

Name: Samuel Newby

Family: Married, two children and five grandchildren

Occupation: Retired after 30 years with PepsiCo.

Political/Government experience: Currently serving as Jacksonville City Councilman, Group 5, At-Large, served as: president of the Joseph E Lee Republican Club, chairman of the Johnson Family YMCA, chairman of the Republican Party of Duval County as well as the co-founder and chairman of the Florida Assembly of Black Republicans.

Years lived in Jacksonville: Lifelong resident

Campaign website: www.samnewbyjax.com

Why did you decide to run for office: To continue the progress from the past four years of helping make Jacksonville a healthier and safer city.

What is the biggest problem facing Jacksonville as a city overall, and how specifically would seek to address that: The biggest problem facing our city is public safety and crime. During my leadership, we have added 180 police officers, small grants were made available to grass-root non-profit organizations, and several other crime prevention initiatives, including, but not limited to, my position as vice-chairman of the Task Force on Safety and Crime Reduction.

What makes your constituents unique, and how would that influence your time in office: As an At-Large Councilman, I have the privilege of serving the entire city of Jacksonville. Each community is unique, in its own way.

What would be your main budget priority for the upcoming fiscal year: Public health and safety, infrastructure, further investments in youth and seniors.

How do you define what you hope Jacksonville will be ten years from now: A safe city with a robust economy, that's not only a great place to visit, but a wonderful place to live.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: WOKV asked all candidates in a race to answer the same questions, and the answers here are their unedited responses. WOKV has not independently verified information in these answers, nor is WOKV endorsing any candidates.