Village Council Candidates Forum - Zachary Elliott

Nine seats are up for election on November 7, for the Coconut Grove Village Council. 15 people are running for the nine seats. The Grapevine is giving candidates a chance to tell their story as to why they deserve your vote.  We have asked all the candidates the same five questions and we'll post the results here as they come in. 

Zachary Elliott

GRAPEVINE: Why do you feel you would be a good Village Council Member?

Zachary Elliott

ZACHARY: I would be a good addition to the Village Council because not only am I an enthusiastic supporter of our community, but I am hardworking, honest, and want to dedicate my energy to continue to make the Grove prosper. Furthermore, as both a local small business owner and a licensed attorney, I can bring both a practical business perspective as well as my legal understanding to help develop and execute plans and projects that will have a long-term positive impact on our community.

G:  What would you like to accomplish during your time on the Council? Objectives? Projects?

Z: First and foremost, the Council’s bylaws should be reformed. Councilor’s terms should be reduced from four years to two years in order to make the positions more responsive, efficient, and have a greater opportunity for diverse perspectives to be involved. The Council should also incorporate Florida’s Sunshine Law into its bylaws, to ensure business and communications are more transparent to the public.  Not only is transparency an issue, but basic communication with the community needs to be heavily improved upon. After going door-to-door, I found that many of the residents I spoke with were unaware that there even was a Council. If I’m elected, I will make sure meetings are video-streamed live through the Council’s Facebook page and that meeting minutes are posted both on the Facebook page and the Council’s website (something that has not been done since 2014). The Council cannot appropriately represent the community if it is not communicating with everyone in the Grove. Once the above is accomplished, we can tackle issues such as getting the Playhouse moving forward, designing and implementing a plan to rebuild the canopy, fix traffic issues on our side streets and putting together a plan to bring more affordable housing projects to the West Grove.

G:  What is your favorite part of Coconut Grove?

Z: My wife and I chose Coconut Grove as our home because it really offers a young family everything they could want: the ability to walk everywhere, the ability to live in a beautiful community with easy access to green spaces and a lively downtown, friendly, eclectic and vibrant neighbors, and a rich cultural history that really brings the community together. I have lived in many places, and Coconut Grove is a rare gem that I am very proud to call home. 

G:  What is your least favorite part of Coconut Grove?

Z: Crime – There is simply far too much crime taking place for a community that has so much to offer. It is unsafe for residents and one of the few blemishes we have on our community, and more needs to be done to fight these opportunistic crimes. I believe that since these crimes are opportunistic, in that they are mainly crimes against property, better coordination between our community and city hall, better lighting at night, as well as a higher police presence should help make this issue more manageable and rare. The Grove is a great place, but it can be even better, and that should be on the top of everyone’s list of priorities for the future of Coconut Grove.

G:  How long have you lived in the Grove? Where are you from? What drew you here?

Z: I have lived in Miami for four years, and one and half years of that has been in the Grove. I moved around a lot as both a child and an adult (I have lived in nine different cities) and feel very lucky to be able to call the Grove home.

My wife and I chose to move to the Grove and start a family here because we love the community, we think it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, and because it really has something for everyone: lush greenery, charm, vibrant city life/small town feel, water, the arts, peacocks...you name it. While I may not have lived here my whole life, my enthusiasm, my drive, my love for this community, and my desire to make this community safe and prosperous for everyone is what matters most. I wanted to get involved because I care and I think I can do a good job that will make a positive difference. 

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As these forums come in, they will be all listed here for you to see.

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