Lincoln City Council candidate profile: Bailey Feit

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Four candidates are vying for the open District 2 seat on the Lincoln City Council after member Richard McGinnis, the lone republican on the council, declined to run for a second four-year term. Republicans Tom Duden and Peter Katt will appear on the primary ballot alongside Bailey Feit and Thien Chu, both Democrats. Lincoln City Council District 2 encompasses areas of southeast and far south Lincoln.

Two candidates will advance to the May 2 general election.

10/11 NOW sent a questionnaire to all candidates and we did not edit responses. Read Bailey Feit’s below and view other candidate profiles here.

Occupation: CASNR/LPS Early College and Career STEM Pathways Focus Program Coordinator at Northeast High School

Public Service History:

● Math teacher, 9 years, Lincoln North Star high school

● Board member, 6 months, Lincoln Education Association

● Uniserv Director, 9 months, Lincoln Education Association

● Stewardship Services Coordinator, 2 years, Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools

● Secretary & Member, 3 years, Stewardship Advisory Board, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center

● Tastes in the Tallgrass event chair, 5 years, Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center

● Teammate Mentor, 2 years

● Blood donor every eight weeks

● Pollworker

● Deputy Registrar

Briefly explain why you’re running for Lincoln City Council. I am running to make Lincoln an even better place. As a city councilperson, I will work to keep folks safe and ensure they have the opportunity to be successful. I will support our firefighters and police officers, hold the line on property taxes, encourage the growth of local businesses to create good paying jobs for everyone, and support infrastructure projects like building our second water source and fixing our streets.

As a city council member, you’ll be tasked with approving a city budget. Explain any experience you have handling budgets. What are your priorities when it comes to budget negotiations and how do you achieve them? I have many years of experience with budgeting at non-profit organizations, where budgeting must be focused on needs and investing in expansions that will continue to support the community members we serve. As far as priorities during budget negotiations, two things. First of all, we start with the needs of our city and address those. Safety, supporting our police and fire departments, holding the line on property taxes, and fixing our streets. Then we can talk about the wants that help make Lincoln such a great place to live. I would readily accept constituent feedback on both needs and wants.

What can be done by the city council to improve housing affordability? It’s not a simple issue. There’s a difference between housing affordability and affordable housing. I support incentives for projects that include affordable housing in Lincoln. Every citizen deserves to have a house they can afford to live in and be proud of. I believe in public/private collaboration. I would engage all of the key stakeholders to create a comprehensive plan to address this issue.

What are your thoughts on using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for development? Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is the only tool local governments have for economic development. I want Lincoln’s economy to grow and thrive, and we need to continue investing in expansions and rehabilitation of current buildings and spaces. With these revitalization efforts we will attract new businesses, professionals, and young families. I want Lincoln to be competitive and continue being a great city people want to visit and live in.

How should Lincoln work to attract new business and support and increase the number of small businesses? I love Lincoln and want it to be an appealing and supportive city to businesses, where we attract and retain professionals and families. I think public/private partnerships are vital to attracting new businesses and supporting and increasing small businesses. Current business owners could become mentors and provide guidance and support for young people in college and in high school who have new ideas for business ventures. Lincoln could create more entrepreneurial hubs where business start ups share the cost of an office space and use it for collaboration and mentoring.

When should Lincoln’s COVID-19 health emergency expire? The federal government has announced the end of the emergency in May. The emergency not only covers the event, but the recovery. Currently, Lincoln receives federal dollars and support to assist those recovery efforts and that reimbursement process from the federal government takes time. I believe that Lincoln taxpayers should receive the same investments as other communities to support the needs and growth of our Lincoln community, especially since the declaration is so close to ending.

Would you support an LGBTQ fairness ordinance ballot initiative? It is important for us to expand anti-discrimination laws and support for veterans and the LGBTQ community. For our city to be attractive to professionals and young people seeking jobs who want to support Lincoln’s growth and economic vitality, all people must be owed the same protections. Recently, these issues have been supported by the State, Omaha, and Lincoln Chambers of Commerce because they understand that we need to attract and retain a qualified workforce in our communities.

A handful of Nebraska municipalities have outlawed abortion by local ordinance. Would you support a such a move in Lincoln? Women and doctors are more qualified to make these decisions than politicians. I believe Lincolnites don’t want the extreme bans on abortion as the state legislature is discussing. These extreme policies hurt our efforts to attract and retain a young workforce.

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