PLATFORM
Why I’m Running
I’m PJ Perez and I’m running for Tallahassee City Commission to make Tallahassee more affordable, build public trust, prioritize public safety, and protect our community from special interests.
About PJ
I am a proud local educator with 15 years of experience working directly with our youth and working families both in and outside of the classroom. As a husband, father and teacher I’ve dedicated my life to preparing the next generation for a better future. I’m running for City Commission to fulfill that promise. Young people today need compassionate leaders that work to solve problems together. My promise to you is to be that compassionate leader.
As a commissioner my focus will be clear: affordability, public trust and safety, and protecting our community from special interests who keep bypassing the very channels we’re supposed to use to make change happen and put tax-payers first. Too often it seems like the wealthiest among us get what they want and the rest of us get left behind. Our campaign is supported by everyday people, not lobbyists or special interests. That means as a commissioner, I’ll be less focused on what powerful people want and more focused on what our community needs. Like affordable housing, sidewalks and neighborhood improvements.
My wife Alicia and I are raising our children in Tallahassee because we love this community. If we’re honest, we don’t love the decisions our City has been making lately. Everyday, the push for never ending urban sprawl, vape shops and car washes puts us further away from the charming city where we’ve built our lives.
I believe Tallahassee is a place worth fighting for. Working together, we can plan for the next 50 years. I hope you’ll join me.
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After growing up in Orlando and Miami, I made Tallahassee my home more than 20 years ago when I moved here to attend Florida State University. I had no idea then that Tallahassee would become the place where I’d build my life, raise my family, and find my sense of purpose. Tallahassee’s neighborhoods, schools, and public spaces shaped my understanding of what a strong, connected community can be—and why local leadership matters.
After graduating from FSU in 2005 with a degree in Anthropology, I worked as a substitute teacher across Leon County and later served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at a learning and technology center in the Apalachee Ridge Estates neighborhood. There, I helped provide after-school programming, tutoring, and mentorship for students while working alongside neighborhood leaders, university partners, and city officials. That experience showed me how accessible local government can be, and how community members—when organized and persistent—can drive meaningful change. It also sparked my commitment to strengthening partnerships between our universities and community organizations so students and neighborhoods can grow together.
During this period, I co-founded the No Money Market, a grassroots mutual-aid project that distributed food, clothing, and essential supplies through partnerships with local churches and nonprofits. Inspired by similar efforts in Miami, the project reinforced my belief that strong cities are built when people look out for one another and public spaces are activated for community good.
These experiences led me to a career in public education beginning in 2010. As a world history teacher at SAIL High School, I developed after-school programs, supported environmental education initiatives, and helped lead large community-centered events focused on sustainability and local ecology. Most recently, I began teaching at Tallahassee Collegiate Academy, where students can earn a high school diploma and an associate degree at no cost. Helping expand access to high-quality, affordable education—especially for students who might otherwise be left behind—has only deepened my commitment to equity and opportunity in our city.
Running for Tallahassee City Commission is a natural extension of a life rooted in public service, education, and community engagement. I believe local government works best when it is accessible, collaborative, and focused on long-term investments in people, neighborhoods, and the environment. My experience working in classrooms, community centers, and grassroots initiatives has prepared me to listen, lead, and help build a Tallahassee that works for everyone.
The PLATFORM
People Before Politics
Homes People Can Afford
Safety That Starts Before Crisis
Growth For People, Not Special Interests
More Local Success, Fewer Copy-Paste Chains
Arts and Culture That Bring Us Together
HOUSING
No matter our income or zip code, we all need a safe, stable, and affordable place to call home. Too many families in our community are making impossible choices between paying for critical needs like paying rent and utilities, putting food on the table, fixing the car, or filling a prescription.
Wages that haven’t kept up with the cost of living, permitting delays and high building costs, regulatory barriers limiting the construction of “missing middle” homes, and treating housing as an investment rather than a basic need all contribute to this affordability crisis. Pre-emption and dwindling support from the federal government have only made matters worse.
We have the tools to transform a broken system, we just need the political will to act. I will fight to ensure access to safe, high-quality, affordable housing by encouraging incremental development and reducing unnecessary and overly burdensome regulatory barriers, incentivizing infill and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing, expanding development in our already established land trusts, and investing more significantly in funding for low and extremely low income housing.
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Legalize and encourage missing-middle housing (duplexes, fourplexes, ADUs) in appropriate neighborhoods.
Reduce permitting delays and unnecessary regulatory barriers that drive up housing costs.
Incentivize infill development and reuse of existing buildings instead of sprawl.
Preserve and expand naturally occurring affordable housing through rehabilitation.
Strengthen and expand community land trusts and dedicate more local funding to extremely low-income housing.
GROWTH
Growth should fit our city’s character, strengthen existing communities, and protect our distinctive environment so today’s progress doesn’t become tomorrow’s burden. Development should pay for itself, fit our beautiful landscape, and make us more resilient. But for far too long, we’ve chased development that shifts long-term costs onto future taxpayers without asking whether it truly serves our neighborhoods.
I will bring a more responsible, people-centered approach to development that prioritizes investment in existing neighborhoods, encourages incremental growth, and ensures new development covers the true cost of the infrastructure and services it requires. By focusing on fiscally sustainable land use, efficient public infrastructure, and environmental stewardship, we can grow in a way that strengthens our city’s finances, supports affordability for residents and businesses alike, and protects what we love about Tallahassee.
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Prioritize investment in existing neighborhoods and infrastructure before expanding outward.
Require new development to pay the true cost of the infrastructure and services it needs.
Support incremental, small-scale development over risky, all-at-once megaprojects.
Align land-use decisions with long-term fiscal sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Use data and transparency to evaluate whether development benefits the community.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation should be accessible, dignified, and respect people’s time. Our whole city moves better when people can move safely and affordably, whether walking, biking, driving, or riding transit. The cost of transportation and the inaccessibility of reliable and affordable commuting options creates major barriers to employment, economic mobility, and affordable housing.
As your commissioner, I will invest in safe streets, reliable transit, and connected networks that reduce household transportation costs and make better use of existing infrastructure. By focusing on maintenance, accessibility, and multimodal safety, we can improve daily mobility while strengthening our neighborhoods and ensuring transportation investments deliver lasting public value.
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Prioritize maintenance, safety, and reliability of existing roads, sidewalks, and transit.
Abolishing minimum parking requirements that drive up costs, limit housing supply, and take up otherwise valuable, taxable land.
Mixed-use environments: Place a proper balance of activities within walking distance of each other. There should be a complementary mix and range of educational, recreational, cultural uses, as well conveniences like grocery shopping.
Expand safe streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike.
Support reliable, affordable transit options that connect people to jobs, schools, and services.
Design transportation projects that reduce household costs, not increase them.
Coordinate land use and transportation so growth reduces car dependency over time.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A healthy economy is built from the ground up by supporting local businesses, working families, and entrepreneurs who already invest in our city every day. For too long, we’ve focused on attracting the same national chains that dull the experience of living here. When we rely primarily on football season, legislative session, and our college students as our only economic engines, we remain the 9 1⁄2-month town we’ve been trying to escape.
Tallahassee is better than that. We’re home to two nationally recognized universities and a respected state college that attract young people seeking education and a future. We’re also the capital of the third most populated state in the country. That means a steady supply of bright, motivated, and civically engaged people ready to build something here.
With a city government focused on creating real pathways for local entrepreneurs, Tallahassee is primed for sustainable, homegrown growth. An economy built on the creativity and drive of our own community keeps our money circulating locally and gives visitors a reason to come here and spend theirs.
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Focus incentives and support on local businesses and entrepreneurs, not just national chains.
Simplify processes and create clear pathways for small businesses.
Support creative, professional, and tech entrepreneurship tied to our universities and workforce.
Invest in year-round economic activity, not seasonal booms.
Keep more dollars circulating locally by supporting homegrown enterprises.
Allow for more mixed-use environments: Place a proper balance of activities within walking distance of each other. There should be a complementary mix and range of educational, recreational, cultural uses, as well conveniences like grocery shopping.
ARTS & CULTURE
Arts and culture are not extras; they are what make cities remarkable and unique. From music and public art to festivals and shared traditions, these spaces build community and belonging. I want Tallahassee to celebrate its creativity, honor its history, and make room for new voices to shape our shared story.
Investing in our creative economy delivers real social and cultural benefits, but it also makes Tallahassee a place people want to visit and stay. A vibrant music and arts scene drive job creation, tourism, artistic growth, and economic diversification, while strengthening the distinctive identity that sets our city apart. Strong creative communities also attract skilled young workers across industries for whom quality of life matters.
By supporting and concentrating creative hubs across the city, we can attract people—and where people gather, local businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities follow. This kind of investment keeps money circulating locally and builds a more resilient economy.
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Protect and expand funding for arts, music, and cultural institutions.
Support creative hubs and affordable spaces for artists and musicians across the city.
Integrate public art and cultural programming into neighborhood and downtown development.
Partner with organizations like COCA to ensure arts funding delivers community-wide impact.
Treat arts and culture as essential economic infrastructure, not optional amenities.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Real public safety starts long before an emergency. Strong neighborhoods, stable housing, youth opportunity, and trust between residents and first responders keep communities safe. My vision focuses on prevention, connection, and accountability.
When communities are ignored and neighborhoods fall into disrepair the entire city bears the cost of inaction. Thoughtful community investments reduce the substantial costs of emergency services, police response, and the judicial system. These expenditures burden the taxpayer, tear families apart, and destroy communities.
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Invest in prevention-first strategies: housing stability, youth programs, and neighborhood revitalization.
Expand Tallahassee Emergency Assessment Mobile Unit (TEAM) to allow TPD to focus its efforts on violent crime.
Strengthen coordination between residents, first responders, and social services.
Support community education initiatives and "know your rights" workshops for residents to inform them of their constitutional protections, such as the right to refuse ICE entry to their homes without a judicial warrant.
Support evidence-based approaches that reduce repeat emergency calls and system costs.
Ensure accountability, transparency, and trust in public safety institutions.
Focus on outcomes that keep families together and neighborhoods strong.
CLIMATE & THE ENVIRONMENT
The protection of our environment is an investment for the future. By maintaining a responsible stewardship of the land, we preserve our natural beauty for those to come. We have families and build communities to enhance our lives; doing so connects us to the future by encouraging us to consider our behavior in the present.
We are stewards of this place. Protecting our trees, waterways, and natural spaces isn’t just about the environment, it’s about health, resilience, and quality of life. I believe in practical climate solutions that protect what makes Tallahassee beautiful while preparing us for a changing future.
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Protect trees, waterways, and green spaces as core city assets.
Support climate resilience through smart land use, stormwater management, and shade.
Encourage development patterns that reduce emissions and infrastructure strain.
Add green corridors, small parks, and natural features into public spaces to help improve people’s mental health and support more plants and animals.
Enforce smart growth policies to drastically reduce urban sprawl, focusing on mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods that minimize car dependency and lower greenhouse gas emissions
Expand electric vehicle infrastructure and accelerate the electrification of city fleets and public transit to cut transportation emissions
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Democracy works best when people feel heard. Too many decisions are made behind closed doors with powerful people far from the neighborhoods they affect.
My vision is a city government that listens first, shares information clearly, and invites residents to help shape solutions—because the best ideas don’t only come from City Hall. My time in the classroom working with thousands of students and families over 15 years has given me an appreciation of the diversity of the human experience in our city.
Being able to communicate with people from all walks of life is a necessary component to being an effective and empathic public servant. I’m excited to take the step in what has been a career rooted in public service here in Tallahassee.
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Increase transparency in decision-making and improve public access to information.
Go into schools to educate students about the function of local government and how to participate in meaningful ways
Hire a city manager who is accountable, community-focused, communicative with the commissioners, ethical, and laser-focused on the commission’s vision and the needs of the public
Bring city government into neighborhoods, not just City Hall.
Create regular opportunities for residents to shape priorities early, not after decisions are made.
Communicate clearly, respectfully, and consistently with constituents.
Treat listening as a core responsibility of leadership.
YOUTH & FAMILIES
A city that works for families works for everyone. Young people deserve safe spaces, strong schools, and pathways to opportunity. Families deserve neighborhoods they can afford and trust. My vision centers youth and families as the foundation of our future.
The cost of childcare is a significant financial stressor that contributes to our affordability crisis. Parents are often forced to choose between work and unaffordable care, or made to work nights and weekends, which can leave our youth unattended. These situations create a host of unmet needs which can manifest in unhealthy and dangerous behaviors that our entire community must absorb. Our meaningful attention in this area is an investment in our citywide public safety.
We need to become a city that leads by looking forward, one that invests in preventative programs (like youth diversion, job training, mental health services) that cost less than arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating individuals.
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Expand access to safe, affordable childcare through partnerships and zoning flexibility.
Support after-school, arts, and recreation programs that give youth positive outlets.
Center family needs in housing, transportation, and neighborhood planning decisions.
Invest in prevention to reduce long-term public safety and social service costs.
Treat youth opportunity as a citywide public safety strategy.
Formalize service-learning partnerships between FSU, FAMU, and TSC to provide a reliable stream of students to augment community center staff in order to better service the needs of neighborhoods
These centers should directly reflect the needs of the neighborhoods they serve by utilizing community input.
PUBLIC HEALTH
Our health is shaped by where we live, work, and gather. Safe and affordable housing, accessible care, a clean environment and connected communities all matter. I believe local governments should treat public health as a shared responsibility, focused on prevention, equity, and long-term well-being. As a high school teacher, I see the trend of social isolation and depression eating away at our youth. The intrusion of cellphones and social media into our social lives have allowed us to contact each other more but connect less.
The best tool we have to combat these social ills is more community and more opportunities for connection. Growing and maintaining real human relationships outside of work and politics is what will help us see each other as people deserving of our time and consideration.
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Address health through housing, environment, transportation, and community design.
Support access to preventive and mental health services.
Reduce social isolation by investing in public spaces and community programs.
Promote policies that improve daily living conditions, not just emergency responses.
Center equity and long-term outcomes in public health decisions.
DOWNTOWN
Our downtown is meant to represent the heart of our city. A vibrant place where we go to congregate, take in beauty, experience each other’s company, shop, and celebrate our unique culture and shared history. A meaningful investment in downtown is a great way to ensure that we’re not a town heavily reliant on session or college football season. The people I met, including my wife, made me fall in love with Tallahassee.
We need to invest in our people through small business support that keeps our money in the community. We travel to cities to experience something unique. If we continue to sprawl out, we make car dependency the centerpiece of our urban design that encourages chains and other businesses that don’t highlight our distinctive culture.
My focus is making sure downtown also serves workers, families, and long-term residents. A truly vibrant downtown isn’t built for a few, it's built with everyone at the table, and that inclusivity makes our city stronger, more economically vibrant, and more connected. An intentional effort to attract more residents downtown will also encourage businesses to take up shop there. When downtown works for everyday life, it works for everyone.
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Encourage more people to live downtown, not just visit it.
Support small, local businesses that reflect Tallahassee’s culture and character.
Reduce car dependency by improving walkability, transit access, and public spaces.
Ensure downtown works for workers, families, and long-term residents, not just lobbyists.
Invest in public spaces that invite daily use, connection, and civic life.
Propose a policy where new downtown small businesses pay $0 for electricity and water during their "Build-Out" phase (up to 90 days) until they officially open their doors.
Propose using city-owned downtown "dead spaces" (like wide sidewalks or alleyways) for temporary micro-stalls or kiosks that are exempt from traditional zoning.