Pamela Mitchell for Milton City Council

MILTON — Pam Mitchell is running for City Council Ward II Seat 1.

Mitchell is a fourth-generation resident of Milton and a 1975 graduate of Milton High School. According to Mitchell, Stewart Street is named after her family. For more than 30 years, Mitchell has been a small business owner of Blackwater Folk Art, Inc.

Mitchell is a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and volunteer. She said she loves the community she calls home.

A long-time community volunteer, Mitchell believes identifying and prioritizing the city’s issues as well as strong planning and budgeting will create synergy for the entire city to optimize growth and development. Mitchell said she believes that the council needs to build a reputation of openness and honesty. This could begin by council members agreeing to not bring their cell phones into the meetings, she said.

The city also needs to look at Milton Police Department staffing, according to Mitchell. She said the city needs to work at increasing the pay for law enforcement officers so the department can retain them rather than spending time and resources to train officers only to have them move to adjacent areas with higher pay.

Mitchell said she expects citizens to hold her to the highest accountability, transparency, ethics and fiscal responsibility. If elected, she said she would also like to encourage new businesses, particularly retail.

“We need some small boutique type shops,” she said. “We need to be creative and it doesn’t necessarily need to be in the downtown area.”

Aaudited, independent financial reports for city-funded nonprofits and other programs should be required before they receive funds, according to Mitchell. She also says the same organizations should abide by Florida Sunshine laws as required by state law and hold meetings open to all citizens.

The city should continue to build reserves, Mitchell said, in case of emergencies and take seriously the need to improve the waste water treatment plant. She said it is imperative for future growth that the city address the reality that its waste water treatment plant is near capacity.

Mitchell said she wants to to encourage public service through civic volunteerism and active participation in meetings. She said she also wants to boost city employee morale and encourage an atmosphere of trust and respect between the council and employees.

“I commit to listening to all people, to hear their voice and represent them to the best of my ability,” Mitchell said. “The city is more than one demographic or geographic area, each with its own needs. It is more than the Historic District.”

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pamela Mitchell for Milton City Council