Tallahassee municipal candidates talk climate change at environmental forum

The mayoral race splits Tallahassee Democrats.

While Tallahassee area candidates are highlighting their differences, they appeared to agree on the biggest environmental issue their communities face during the Big Bend Environmental Forum.

Candidates for County and City Commission as well as mayoral candidates fielded questions at Tallahassee City Hall. Each candidate was asked to address the same question in their opening remarks.

Mayor John Dailey and his opponent, Leon County Commissioner Kristin Dozier, both referenced climate change when asked what the most important environmental issue the city faces.

“I agree with a lot of the previous candidates that said they will take a holistic approach to climate change,” Dailey said.

“There’s many different issues that fall underneath that umbrella. But when we’re talking about sustainable growth, we’re talking water quality, we’re talking about stormwater. All these issues, our emissions, all falls under the climate change that’s happening not just in Tallahassee but in communities across the state and across the country.”

Dozier agreed, but said the city needs to take charge when it comes to combating climate change.

“There are critical issues,” Dozier said. “Climate change, of course, is the most critical issue we face, both here at home, across the state and across the world. We need to be a leader on this issue, address the issues in our own community, but also a leader in the state. We are the capital city, and I think we can do a lot more to lean on these issues. They are critical to every single policy decision, every single department in this city. We need to make sure that in our own house, all of our different departments are meeting certain goals, from plumbing to housing to land use and stormwater, for sure.”

According to its website, the Big Bend Environmental Forum is “an alliance of organizations which have come together to conserve the region’s environmental qualities through education, research, and networking among its members.”