Transparency, stability and stewardship are what Bernard Stevens said he’d bring to the dais if voters elect him to lead the City of Tallahassee.
Stevens filed Sept. 5 for City Commission Seat 5, pitting himself against City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox who has also filed for re-election.
“I look forward to running this campaign,” Stevens said. “I look forward to going out, engaging with the community.”
And this isn’t the first time he’s tried to win the hearts of voters to get a seat at the table.
Last year, Stevens’ name appeared on the ballot, but for City Commission Seat 2. He ran against political titans Dot Inman-Johnson and City Commissioner Curtis Richardson, who voters re-elected to his seat, and political unknown Donna Nyack, who opponents labeled as a “ghost candidate” throughout the race.
Stevens brought in 1,403 votes in the 2024 primary, accounting for just over 4% of the votes.
This election, he said, his main goal is just to get more than those 1,403 votes. “If I can accomplish that, I have accomplished more than I have ever accomplished in my life,” he said.
It may be a new race, but his mission and reasons for running remain the same as they were during his political debut. Stevens stands by his call for change in city government — everyone needs to be “on one accord.”
He talked about the well-known 3-2 divide on the commission and said he hopes to break that pattern.
“History continues to repeat itself because everybody’s talking but nobody’s listening, nobody’s willing to get their hands dirty to break the divide that is separating us as a people entirely too long,” Stevens said.
His disappointment in the state of City Hall is something Stevens has expressed to the current board of commissioners as a citizen at dozens of city meetings. Stevens said people have previously called him “antagonistic,” to which he disagrees, but nonetheless said he’s taken it personally and self reflected on the critiques he’s received.
“I went back and listened to a few individuals’ complaints on what they thought I should do that was not mentioned to me in the beginning, saying I berate commissioners — I don’t believe that,” he said. “I believe that sometimes my expression may be a little passionate and it’s not received as well.”
But just like an athlete reviews game footage, Stevens said he’s gone back through his campaign trail, contemplating his missteps and evaluating what he needs to do to be more successful the next go around.
“If you make a step by trusting in me, then I promise you I’ll bring transparency, I’ll bring some stability and I’ll also bring stewardship to our city government,” Stevens said. “And I think that comes with an individual who’s able to bridge the divide over the troubled waters between the county and the city.”
Local government watchdog reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: ‘Bridge the divide’: Bernard Stevens vies for City Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox’s seat
Reporting by Elena Barrera, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
