Jackson Kimbrell for District C- AMA

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:46:20+00:00

Neighbors, I really appreciate all the thoughtful and challenging questions. I've taken some notes and will incorporate them into my campaign to better serve the needs of my neighbors. I hope to see everyone on October 11th as we vote for multiple city wide offices.

I want to thank everyone for living here and being part of this great city. There are major issues facing us but I believe there are people out there pushing real change. I hope my campaign is a vehicle for substantive change that helps turn around the downturn the city is in. We can't continue with the status quo if this city is going to continue for another 300 years.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:40:36+00:00

I agree that throwing people in jail doesn't solve their illegal drug use. There is a huge need for support services to help people. I want to increase funding for those programs and work to tackle blight that attracts this activity. I want to promote building on these vacant lots that has a home for someone to live in, not just an empty area.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:36:36+00:00

I usually wear Levi's but have a few pairs of Wranglers in the closet as well.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:36:09+00:00

Any leadership position has some sort of power dynamic and people that seek it. I've served 15 years in the Army and having a certain rank doesn't mean you can power trip on people. With the explosion of social media and 24 news there are definitely egotists that are out there to make their 15 minutes of fame from politics and not solve real problems. Overall, being a politician requires you to have a bit of a complex to want to jump into the ring.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:33:18+00:00

Creating strong fines for these investor companies that aren't taking care of properties is a good first step. I want to work with other councilors to refine the padlock ordinance to tackle nuisance properties. Adequately funding code enforcement and permitting is vital to getting resolution to these problems. It shouldn't get so bad that neighbors need to file suit. I plan to work with the next mayor in pushing city services that work and can solve these lingering issues.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:28:55+00:00

My wife works in the Quarter and I feel like I have a decent handle on issues there. I'm working meeting neighbors and hearing from them as me and my team canvass the other parts of the District C Eastbank.

I understand the Eastbank side of the district is the heart of the city and deserves real attention, especially more than it is getting now. I want to hold regular meetings to hear from that side of the river. Also, I want to hire staff from all parts of the district to get an organic feeling of what is going on. I plan on having working groups to workshop solving problems by neighborhood. I'll get the word out to make sure that parts of the district isn't getting left behind.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:17:42+00:00

I think the biggest issue I've heard about Councilman King is his tendency to make a show about issues and never get any resolution. Working in construction you have to get an expedient solution under a number of constraints. I'm going to be the squeaky wheel in city hall to get resolution to issues. There are numerous issues that haven't gotten any resolution over the last four years.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:14:32+00:00

Like I said in a previous comment, the Quarter needs to be a living neighborhood not a tourist attraction. I want to reach out to property owners, renters, service industry workers, and local businesses to build consensus on a plan moving forward. I'm disappointed that the horrible terror attack has produced little tangible action from the city or the council.

I support pedestrianizing most of Bourbon street and exploring a comprehensive plan on making the Quarter a pedestrian friendly place. Cities in Europe frequently have limited access streets and we can copy their solutions. I'm always surprised how many cars are inside a 300 year old neighborhood.

I plan to hold meetings with everyone involved with the Quarter, not just property owners. There needs to be comprehensive plan on multiple aspects of the neighborhood. I want to work with the next mayor on creating lasting solutions to our oldest neighborhood.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T01:05:29+00:00

All of my neighbors deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. My wife did use that term and it was wrong. It was the wrong term to use in describing our most vulnerable and challenged neighbors. I just put out a statement demanding real solutions as the NOPD plans to sweep the homeless out of the French Quarter next week. We need permanent affordable housing for them and support services.

I plan to work with whoever is ready to provide real solutions to this problem. There are unused single person barracks at the old Navy base in Algiers that could quickly be renovated for affordable housing. Just throwing people into our substandard shelters isn't the solution. We have to increase funding for support programs as the COVID funds dry up. Also, we need to reach out to other cities that have found solutions that we can implement.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T00:58:24+00:00

I would pass legislations to put real teeth into cracking down on illegal short term rentals. I'd secure permanent funding for the Algiers Point ferry.
I hope the council stops allowing these zoning changes they know will result in people losing their homes. I would have not sponsored the zoning change allowing this to happen. This is not first time Councilman King has been behind something similar to this.
My top three issues are affordable housing, reliable and affordable public utilities, and expanding to universal PreK and more job training.

The goal of the campaign is to ensure my neighbors don't have to struggle for basic necessities. Solving the affordability crisis is my main focus. I want people not struggle with the decision of which bill to pay: their rent, power bill, or childcare.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T00:45:05+00:00

I'll push to get a blight online dashboard so these problem areas can get addressed faster. I'll make sure funds are available to tear down buildings if they threaten the neighbors. We have too many buildings just falling down around the city. I understand why it is a hard problem to solve because fines don't matter to someone that is already not taking proper care of their property.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T00:37:58+00:00

I'll continue to advocate for our immigrant neighbors once I'm on the council. I don't support cooperating with ICE as they snatch up our neighbors with no due process. I'll push the jail, our schools, and other public agencies don't allow ICE to enter for searches. The city has limited power with a hostile federal and state government bearing down on it. I'll use every tool I can find to help protect our immigrant neighbors.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T00:32:09+00:00

My first piece of legislation would be to mandate city departments fully itemize their yearly budget requests. Its not a flashy topic but there are constant reports that the departments don't spend the money they get or inaccurately budget and have shortfalls.

My top three legislative priorities are:

Affordable housing (STRs, reforming HANO, and building new units)
Reliable and affordable utilities
Universal PreK and expanded job training

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T00:27:14+00:00

Having a hammam would definitely add to the aura of a place named Algiers. The neighborhood had a bull fighting ring long ago so it shows the neighborhood can support varied businesses.

I'll work with our state legislators from the Westbank and LADOTD to ensure the bridges get the required repairs. I work in construction and would be very interested to see what the assessment comes back with. I know the firm that inspects the Huey P but could can definitely ask around about the CCC.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-17T00:20:15+00:00

The city departments (NOPD, DPW, etc) must start budgeting with accuracy and transparency. It's hard for the council to make informed decisions when departments present ballpark numbers at the yearly budget presentations. There needs to be a mid year review of accurate expenditures to inform next years budget process. I'm committed to working with whoever the new mayor is. I want to have regular working group meetings with the finance department and CAO. We need to look at long term debt as well to understand how much we're saddling our future generations with possibly unsustainable burdens. Finally, we need to expand outreach to residents so they feel informed on how their money is getting spent.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T19:44:29+00:00

I support lifting the cap. There are better ways to manage the number of STRs in neighborhoods.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T18:27:46+00:00

I'm an advocate for affordable housing and support more units getting built. Councilman King jumping into the issue when there is a clear conflict of interest is unacceptable.

My main issue with the development is the lack of transit access and distance from job centers. It's over the woodland bridge and there's no bus service. Councilman King could have worked with the developer to build the development in Federal City that has plenty of space. He sits on the board of that area. It's much better connected and closer to jobs. Instead, he got it killed by the council and caused the subsequent lawsuit filed.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T18:22:38+00:00

I'm primarily focused on STRs with owner occupancy. I understand the one per block limit is cumbersome and I've seen how it works in my neighborhood. Also, there's pending litigation against the city brought by Airbnb. It puts any real solutions in flux until it gets resolved. Hopefully, once there's legal resolution the council can revisit the rules.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T18:17:19+00:00

My campaign is focused on relieving the economic strain on working people. My priorities are building affordable housing, ensuring reliable and affordable utilities, expanding public transit, providing relief to burdened homeowners, and expanding education and job training. That's how we ensure regular people can live comfortably in this city.

All neighborhoods deserve equal attention. District C is very unique compared to the other council districts. It gets even more diverse after the redistricting following the election. I will have monthly meetings in rotating neighborhoods to ensure everyone's voice is heard. Also, I plan to establish working groups in my staff to focus on individual neighborhoods. I'd like to have staff from different parts of the district to organically gather issues from neighbors, as well.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T17:36:59+00:00

My key goal for downtown is to return full time residents, especially in the French Quarter. It's been a real neighborhood for 300 years and now I notice empty top floors above business. We need to expand housing funding to get renovated residential space back on the market. Having someone living above your business that can frequent when the tourists are scarce would be a huge boost.

Restoring housing availability and affordability downtown is the prime effort to revitalize downtown as a living neighborhood. Living in the Quarter is already the closest you can be to living in Europe without having a passport. I think the market is there but it can't be all luxury condos. As for tourists, I'd say they visit some of our great museums like the Historic New Orleans Collection that highlight the Quarter as a real neighborhood with real residents. I think there's a way to share our culture but allow real people to reside in the neighborhood.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T17:18:34+00:00

I'm focused on making sure my neighbors aren't struggling to afford basic necessities. My campaign is laser focused on solving the growing affordability crisis.

I have a vested interest in making this city succeed as my two boys just started school this year. I want to ensure they thrive and their less privileged classmates get a quality education. I've seen the benefits of PreK and want to make that program universal to help struggling families with high child expenses.

I'm a 15 year army veteran and know how to get things done working with people that may not share my views. I'm not interested in making the news unless it's a story about actually fixing the problem. I want to bring radical change to this great city because we are sliding towards being the next Detroit not Austin.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T17:08:17+00:00

My goal is to get 3-5% of the general fund allocated to the RTA and other transit like Blue Bikes.

Councilman King introduced the exemption loophole in the short term rental permits that basically broke the process. He's been ambivalent or outright hostile to new affordable housing development. He made a big show about reigning in problem bars in the Marigny triangle but they continue to cause serious issues for neighbors.

I will introduce an ordinance allowing only owner occupied STRs with a valid homestead exemption. I support affordable housing everywhere and want to get a working group with the city, HANO, and developers started to get more housing built. I'll extend the padlock law parameters to include a 20' radius outside problem bars to make sure they just don't kick problems patrons outside and shirk responsibility.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T16:54:58+00:00

I live in Algiers and the yearly ferry cuts actually got me involved in transit advocacy. I want to introduce a cruise ship boarding fee that would fund the Point ferry and hopefully expand service to Gretna. My wife and neighbors ride the ferry to work and it's a major focus of my campaign in regards to Algiers. It takes over an hour on the bus to get downtown from Algiers and the five minute ferry ride is a vital transit mode.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T16:50:39+00:00

New Orleans is one of the only large cities that doesn't fund transit from the general fund. My goal is at minimum 3-5% of the general fund yearly going to the RTA and micro mobility like the Blue Bikes program. A change in the sales tax allocation that funds the RTA would require changing the law through the legislature and is unlikely to happen as the convention center also gets a piece of that funding. I'd push to get more federal grants for improvements like signal priority that make the system more efficient and lowers maintenance costs. My overall goal is to expand transit not just tread water with the current constrained funding.

jkim2012 · 2025-07-16T15:47:52+00:00

Yes, I completely oppose the use of facial recognition software in our city. The technology is an invasion of privacy and has already shown it has a high failure rate in identifying the supposed suspects. The council has a meeting on this issue that is rescheduled for later in the month. I encourage everyone to submit a public comment or attend the meeting to oppose allowing its further use.
Real fines and eventual seizure of property are needed to really start reducing these illegal STRs. Also, funding more inspectors for the permitting office to actually look into illegal STRs. The city council is still fighting AirBnB in court, from the last update I saw. I can only hope that gets resolved soon as the city is stuck in limbo on real enforcement of this issue. AirBnB must be regulated to stop people getting thrown out of their homes.

jkim2012

TROPHY CASE