The Inkwell interviewed three candidates running for the District 6 seat, the district which the Armstrong campus falls under, to understand their plans for enhancing the Southside and increasing student engagement in local governance.
Chase DeCarlo
Improving the Southside
Decrease and help the homeless population by providing resources to treat mental illness and drug addiction, as well as transitional housing
Decrease violent crime
Build more affordable housing units and provide financial assistance to those who need it through housing programs, such as the Georgia Dream Ownership Program
Increase business development/make the Southside a more appealing place to live
Student involvement
Launch a podcast aimed at young audiences to demystify legislative processes.
Increase pay and job opportunities for young people
Integrate Georgia Southern-Armstrong further into the community
Kurtis Purtee, Incumbent Alderman and Police Captain at Armstrong
Improving the Southside
Investing in the Savannah affordable housing fund and working with developers to build more affordable housing
Help the homeless community by providing housing and working with the Interagency Council on Homelessness
Partnering with the Savannah Police Department to increase public safety
Student involvement
Collaborating with the Young Democrats of Chatham County and Georgia Southern’s Student Government Association
Voter registration events on campus
Ensuring student safety on campus
Create more jobs for post-grad students who want to stay in Savannah
Accomplishments as Alderman
Investments in recreational areas and neighborhoods, such as a “$2.5 million fix” in Joseph A. Tribble Park
Investing “$2 million in sidewalk repairs” that will connect Coffee Bluff to Windsor Forest, then Windsor Forst to Wilshire
Investing in the Tide to Town trail to “connect all of our communities together” for those who do not have access to a vehicle
Written the nondiscrimination ordinance
The Vision Zero plan
Helped to raise the minimum wage for city employees to $15 per hour
Mike McCann
Improving the Southside
Hands-on approach to decreasing homelessness through nonprofit organizations like the Interagency Council for Homelessness
Implement neighborhood crime watch associations to decrease crime
Build income-based housing units
Improve recreational areas and public transportation
Student involvement
Aims to create programs that encourage college students to get involved in their local government
Focused on resolving issues that past generations have faced
Create higher-paying jobs for students in Savannah