- April 24, 2024
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Essays explain what they would do as mayor.
More than 1,500 seventh-graders from around the state entered the “If I Were Elected Mayor” essay contest, and first and third place were won by local students.
First place went to Shelby Anton, of Palm Coast, who attends Indian Trails Middle School, and third place went to Julie Derienzo, an Ormond Beach Middle School student. The contest is run by the Florida League of Cities and the Florida League of Mayors to promote civic education.
The winners received certificates, gift cards and proclamations read at city council meetings. First-place winner Anton also will get the privilege of serving as “mayor for a day,” according to League of Mayors spokeswoman Jennifer Anderson.
In the contest, the students submitted 250-word essays, on what they would do if they were elected mayor of their cities.
The winning entry from Anton described the steps she would take to improve her city of Palm Coast. She expressed a desire to “organize a “Make Our Town Beautiful Day” to encourage citizens to plant trees and flowers, and clean up litter.
Her dad, James, said, “it was awesome that she won first place.”
He wasn’t surprised she won. He said Shelby is good at debating issues and is interested in beautification.
She received her proclamation in Destin on June 23 where they have relatives.
Julie Derienzo was presented with her proclamation at the Ormond Beach City Commission meeting on June 17 by Mayor Ed Kelley.
“The city is proud of her accomplishment, and we encourage her to explore what her role could be to influence government through civic involvement,” the proclamation said.
In her essay, Derienzo wrote that her main objective would be to keep citizens safe, happy and employed.
Liz Tipton, representing the League of Mayors at the meeting, said she believes in a few years “we’ll see Julie as a city official.”
This is the first year of the contest. According to a statement from the Florida League of Cities and Florida League of Mayors, “civics education is a vital tool to encourage public participation.”
The purpose of the contest is to foster civic engagement and community pride among seventh-grade students.
“Civics is taught in seventh grade,” Anderson said.
For information about the contest, visit floridamayors.org.
First Place Winning Essay — Shelby Anton
If I were elected mayor, I would make my town a better place to live by focusing on tourism and increasing jobs. I will present some of my ideas on how I would achieve these goals.
First, I will meet with my city council to agree on a new budget that includes money to promote tourism. We will advertise our town’s positive attributes. This will attract more tourists and further increase tax revenue. There are many historic and natural attractions in Flagler County, where I live. I would advertise these attractions by marketing them on a social network, a site that is popular with many people. Palm Coast will also organize a Make Our Town Beautiful Day to encourage citizens to plant trees, flowers, and clean up litter. We might also hold an annual Flower Festival to raise funds for renovations to the town.
My second objective is to boost employment. My efforts to increase tourism will contribute to this goal. The other reason I will increase jobs is to reduce foreclosed properties, which make the town less attractive to tourists. I will propose to the city council to impose fines on banks if they neglect the foreclosed homes in our town.
Mayors cannot solve all of the town’s problems by themselves! There are so many things I could think of to do if I was mayor. Above all, I believe that the key to making a better place is to make sure the citizens feel safe.
Third Place Winning Essay — Julie Derienzo
If I was elected mayor, my main objective would be to keep my citizens safe, happy, and employed. I would accomplish this by listening to the people of my city during city hall meetings and evaluating their needs and their wants.
I would work diligently with law enforcement to provide a safe environment for businesses, parks, and neighborhoods. A safe environment would keep the tourists returning, giving growth to restaurants, shops, and services.
I would encourage the city manager to hire experienced department heads. I would be available to work out problems and disagreements among city employees. By being flexible and fair more can be accomplished in the city.
I will entertain the prospect of new businesses and factories coming to our city. I will mandate environmental protection from such factories. These manufacturing plants will provide new employment for the citizens of the area.
The physical beauty of the city is also important. Cleanliness will be observed and maintained. The city will have beautiful landscaping and manicured lawns. The city buildings will be inviting and modernized.
Entertainment in the city will not be forgotten. There will be free concerts, town picnics, and city carnivals. Each will feature local talent and the proceeds will be used for wild life projects, such as butterfly gardens.
These are just a few ways I would try to keep my citizens safe, happy, and employed.
