Long-time teacher PJ Perez is running for Tallahassee City Commission Seat 3, one of six candidates seeking the seat ahead of the August primary election.
WFSU’s Tristan Wood spoke with Perez on Candidate Convos, a digital series of one-on-one interviews with local candidates in Tallahassee and Leon County ahead of the August primaries.
You can watch Perez’s full appearance on Candidate Convos here:
During the conversation, Perez said Tallahassee’s “town and gown” dynamic can make it difficult for some college graduates to feel connected to the broader community after leaving school.
“I think too many people stay in this kind of college town curated Disney-style bubble sphere, where they don't really put themselves in the community, and they're kind of leaning more on the gown and less on the town part,” he said.
Perez said supporting local businesses and creating stronger community connections could help Tallahassee build an identity beyond being known only as a college town.
“You can't have just copy-paste national chains all around. It's not really inspiring for people to want to stick around if we're no different from any other town,” he said.
When asked about the Tallahassee City Commission’s often-discussed 3-2 split, Perez said many residents are more concerned with affordability and quality-of-life issues than political divisions.
“I think most people just want to know where the next meal is going to come from, or how we're going to tackle affordability,” he said.
Perez is facing Maxwell Herrle, Talethia Edwards, Tom Derzypolski, Norme Roche, and Darryl "Dar" Alfred. in the race for City Commission Seat 3. The primary election is on August 18th.
