March 3, 2026 • 19 mins
Keiser is one of three candidates running for Seat 2, left vacant after former Commissioner Rob Long ran for the Florida Legislature.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Joel Malcoln for WJ and O dot com. My
(00:02):
election spotlight on the city of Delray Beach. There is
one race in the city and it is for seat two,
which is a seat that was left of vacant last
year by now State Representative Rob Long. This could have
been his race to run for, but he was already
planning on running for a state House seat to begin with.
(00:27):
So bottom line is now we've got an open seat
for a full term, and we have three candidates, and
we have one of those candidates on with us right now.
Andrea Kaiser, thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you so much for having me on the show.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Oh, not a problem. All right, Let's get some background
on you. First of all, have you ever run for
office before?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Never? This is my first time, So I tell people
that I am overqualified for the job, but I am
very green to campaigning and elections.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
All right, to have a question for you based on
you know, you running for the first time, So if
I forget, remind me. But I won't forget, but give
us some background on you. How long have you been
in del Rey? You know you work experience and anything
else you'd like to share.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Sure. I've been a resident of Florida for twenty three
years and I've lived in del Rey for twelve of
those twenty three years. My husband and I lived in
different parts of southeast Florida, and we were really looking
to find a place where we could lay our roots
and build our home and our lives and our family
for the next three decades. Because nobody likes moving right,
(01:40):
so we landed in Delray. We were attracted to it.
It is a very unique and rare place. It has
this amazing diverse population, sense of community that was driven
by the arts, culture and historic preservation. It had a
small town, small business feel, but a very ibran in downtown,
(02:01):
so it seemed like the perfect balance to still feel
like you're part of a vibrant city, but also feel
like you're in a town where you can raise a family.
So we've laid our roots down here. I am a
small business owner in downtown del Rey for eight years.
I'm a practicing attorney. I have my JB and my MBA,
(02:22):
and I've been specializing in education law and Landyson's owning
law for the past fifteen years. I'm also the COO
of the Primo School of Royal pomp Beach, where I
oversee licensing, accreditation, and operations. My public service career is
just as long, if not longer, than my professional career.
(02:43):
I was appointed by the governor to the Early Learning
Coalition of Palm Beach County. I'm currently serving as a
vice chair, but I also a treasurer and really a
trusted person to manage a three hundred million dollar budget.
I'm also County appointed to the Childcare Advisory Council, where
we oversee the licensing and regulation of our preschools and
(03:04):
our childcare facilities all throughout Palm Beach County. We want
to make sure our children are educated and safe, and
it also gives me an opportunity to really look at
public policy and local regulation. And then finally, city appointed
to the Delray Beach Housing Authority, and I'm the chairwoman
of the Delray Beach Housing Group, where we are able
to ensure that our community has diverse housing types, housing
(03:26):
with dignity for all different levels and stages of your life.
So that's a brief overview of my professional and my
public service career. But what I really tell people is
that you know, early in my early years as a
legal aid attorney. I really have a public service part
and I probably spend half of my career, you know,
volunteering on these public service boards because getting back to
(03:47):
the communities something that my family taught me as a
family value. They were immigrants and I am a first
generation American here and it's they told me two things
are very import in this life. Education is a driver
of socioeconomic mobility and change the course of our family future.
And once you are blessed and successful in life, you
(04:09):
have to give back to the community to make the
world a better place for the next and future generations
to come. So as a mother of three young children
of seven and four, I'd like to embody and model
that spirit in the service that I do. Thank you,
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
I also I see here on your professional experience on
your campaign page you list legislative affairs for a couple
of colleges, including Kaiser University. Is there any relation to
Kaiser or is that just a coinkident.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So we have a running joke in our family that
I work with the family, but not for the family.
And that's good for my marriage. And I've married the
son of the founders of Kaisi University and It's been
such an honor and a pleasure to be a part
of this family that also has a student first philosophy
(05:02):
and believes education is not just a privilege, it's a
value system. And I have that exposure to the post
secondary uh post secondary college and university level. But my
real passion is early learning, making sure children have the
strongest possible start. And we joke that, you know, when
(05:22):
when children have a strong early learning foundation, it kind
of eliminates all the issues that children experienced from elementary
to post secondary. So it's been a wonderful part of
being part of that family as well.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
All right, now, I'm going to go back to where
you where we kind of started. This is your first
time ever running for office, and what made you decide
that you wanted to run this time.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
There are a couple of reasons why I wanted to run. First,
and foremost is that I am raised. I've invested my
whole life into Delray Beach, my small business, my life,
and raising my family. So it's very important to me
that the found the village by the sea that I
moved here to and wanted to be a part of
(06:08):
continues to remain that way now and in the future
for my children. Our city has been very, very successful,
and I just want to ensure that success isn't mismanaged
and that the city remains as vibrant and as wonderful
and as charming as it is today for my kids
in the future. So that's the first reason. The second
reason is that I looked at our city, you know,
(06:30):
our city government, and I realized that I think I
can bring a very unique skill set to the city commission.
Not only am I a subject matter expert in land
use and zoning and then have a background in education,
but I also have all this experience serving on public
boards and managing multimillion dollar budgets. So I think it's
(06:51):
very important that our city commissioners have this background in
this experience so they can make informed decisions for the city.
And finally, the final reason why I wanted to run
for city commission is because I noticed that there are
these divisive factions in our in our community, and I
really wanted wanted to see someone that was an independent voice,
(07:13):
that wasn't part of any of these groups and that
was kind of a hold into anyone. So I did
self fund a lot of my campaign, so the message
that I would center our community is that the only
people that I owe my allegiance to are my family
and this community of residents. And I think those are
the makings of a true public servant.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
What what are some of the things that you see,
you know, people handing divisively?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Oh, well that people are handing divisively.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, you said there's some divisive things. What are the
issues that people are being divisive about?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Sure, I mean there are there are a lot of
issues and topics in our city that are that have
I think that have different camps. So, for instance, we've
got some big bunch of controversial issues around Old School Square,
around whether or not we make it downtown historic. So
(08:12):
there are I think factions of people that are kind
of pushing their own agenda and only focusing on their
own agenda rather than thinking about the entirety of the
city and the city holisticly. So that's why I think
an independent voice is really needed for the city Commission.
All Right.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
One thing you also said that struck me with something
that could be coming within the next year potentially based
on what's happening in Tallahassee. You mentioned, you know, budgets,
and that that's something that you do professionally work with
budgets and budget making, budget keeping, you could be dealing
(08:48):
with no tax on homesteaded properties, potentially with the exception
of the school taxes. Although Governor de Santis, as you're
probably aware, may, regardless of what gets past in the
legislative session, may end up holding a special session because
he really wants all homesteaded property taxes, not just not
(09:10):
you know, including the schools, to be abolished. So how
might that affect the city? Should that get done, if
the voter, if it gets on the ballot, the voters
approve it, you know, what do you do?
Speaker 2 (09:25):
So the first thing I want to say to this
is that I am always pro finding ways to lower
taxes for our citizens, you know, especially our families and
our seniors in our community. Our seniors aren't fixed income.
Our families are in the most sensitive time in their
life where they're really pinched financially between children, childcare, education, mortgages, insurance,
(09:48):
and maybe even aging elderly parents. And my god, the
praise of groceries in and of itself as skyrocketed. So
you know, our families are feeling our pinch, our seniors
are feeling the pinch. And lowering costs for our citizens
should always be I think always be a priority. Where
I can use my experience to help the city is
that when you work for organizations, non profit organizations with
(10:09):
these wonderful missions like illegal aid, like an early learning coalition,
you are given cash payer dollars that are restricted and
you have to do more with less. So, for instance,
at the Early Coalition, we have a five percent administrative costs.
So I'm not saying we can run a city on
five percent administrative costs, But what I'm saying is is
(10:30):
we need to find ways to do more with less.
We need to diversify funding sources to keep costs low
and not put so much of the burden on our residence.
So I welcome lowering costs for our residents. Now, if
the Tallahassee does successfully pass this measure where we have
to eliminate property taxes, then we're going to have a
bit of a funding gap. And I know people's top
(10:52):
concerns are always essential services, and basically basically the city
is going to have to find other methods and other
ways to kind of make up for those cost differences,
which I think we can do by you know, saving
some dollars somewhere, diversits science funding sources somewhere, and then
probably having to do a different you know, really just
a different form of another tax. You can put lipstick
(11:13):
on a pig, but it really is, at the end
of the day, is still a tax on our residents.
But I think the goal is is that no matter
what you know, no matter how you make up that
funding gap, our goal should be that whatever the net
of that is still results in a reduction to our citizens,
still results in an overall decrease in taxes and burden
(11:35):
on our citizen Ray because you know, in order to
preserve the next generation of Delray, people have to be
able to afford to live here and stay here and
open up their small businesses here or stay in business here.
Otherwise we won't have the next generation to call del Rey.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
So is the do you feel that the current milit rate?
I don't know if you have that off the top
of your head, but what.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Is it six point six?
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Do you feel that's a fair milage rate?
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Actually, if you so. Florida Tax Launch came out with
a comparison of militarates across the entire state of Florida
by county. And if you take a look at I
think at the top sixty seven counties, our millage rate
is still lower than the lowest of the top sixty seven.
So I think Delray Beach has done a pretty good job.
But I don't I'm not going to I'm not going
(12:28):
to measure ourselves and compared to everyone else. I don't
think that's the right way to look at it. I
think the right way to look at it is to
look at our budget and find those ways where we
can increase operational efficiencies to reduce waste and continue to
cut down that milit rate. No matter what you know
our comparison is to the rest of the state.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I know that some residents are not happy about metered parking,
which is I guess a recent thing. What I wanted
to get your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It is one of the as I've knocked on two
thousand doors in this city while campaigning, and it is
definally one of the top three issues that complete people
complain about. And I understand why everything else is so expensive.
And then you go downtown to patron a small business
or pick up a lunch, and you're paying these exorbited
parking fees where in the past they've been able to
(13:22):
enjoy free parking. I definitely feel for those residents and
empathizes those residents. And because one of my priorities is
lowering costs, I really think we need to make sure
that our tourists who come and visit our city, our
visitors who come visit our city and do create impacts
on our infrastructure, pay a greater burden of the share
(13:43):
for those parking rates. And I think that making it
more cost effective for residents is really the right thing
to do for the residents who live here eight months
out of the year.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Do you when you knock on those doors and you
talk to residents, are you some constituents are you hearing
of out the new noise ordinance? Are their concerns about that?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
There are concerns about the new new Noise Ordinance. On
one hand, the proponents of the noise Ordinance are very
much championing the reduction of noise in the downtown area
because we have become you know, our growth has been
so successful. We've come this very vibrant city and there
are some far reaching impacts of that noise, especially people,
(14:28):
particular people over on the beach who really move to
the beach to hear the ocean and not necessarily the
noise of downtown. So the proponents of the noise ordinance
are very very happy. The opponents of the noise Ordinance
fear that the noise of Ordinance is perhaps too restrictive
to allow our businesses in at least the vivor portion
(14:48):
of our city to really operate in that way. You know,
I what I was in my twenty is I lived
in New York City, and you know, the people who
live in New York City, they're there for the hustle
and bustle. You know. They understand that there's going to
be you know, noise from traffic and car horns and ambulances.
So people who live there kind of understand that, and
that contributes to just that city life and the vibrancy
(15:09):
of having that city life. I think people who aren't
really really in the middle of that noise ordinance, they
are the people who are saying, I really don't want
this noise ordinance to impact our businesses. But what I
do like about the noise Ordinance is what I don't
like is the people who rev their engines and blast
their music in the cars and the noise from the
(15:31):
gas leaf flowers, those kinds of noises that impact more
of our quality of life all throughout the day as
opposed to just the vibrancy of the businesses downtown.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Yeah, And speaking to another candidate in this very same race,
I was informed by that candidate that it's really And
I was surprised by this because all I've seen thus
far had been in the news coverage had been the
bars and the clubs and the entertainment concerns that oh
they might you know, make them, you know, change things
(16:05):
that way. And what I was told was that this
is more about what you're talking about, the car noise,
the leaf blowers, et cetera, and not really about the clubs.
Is that the case.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
So I didn't personally attender the workshop on this, and
I didn't personally tended it, but I've been reading comments
from the people that did watch or attend that workshop,
and they did kind of confirm that sentiment, and that
is people are really concerned about the revving of the
cars and the music from the cars and the leaf blowers,
that they do really do feel that way. The noise ordinance,
even though you know it's got good intentions. I think
(16:39):
there were other ways that we could have handled it.
But the good news is is that the city seems
very open to trying this new objective method, trying to
see technology and really seeing how that allows us to
regulate the noise, hopefully in a way that doesn't impact
those businesses. But if I have the honor of being elected,
(17:00):
you know, I definitely want to make sure that our
downtown businesses are not impacted by this noise ordinance, that
it really is intended for the protection of the quality
of life of their residents in more of the surrounding
areas it's outside of the main downtown area.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
All right, I have one one more final question for you.
In a nutshell three candidates in this race, as I said,
it's an open seat, why ultimately should folks give Andrea
Kaiser the vote.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I'm a working mother, I'm a small business owner. I'm
a volunteer on numerous boards and commissions, and I went
into law to make government work for people. My extensive
background in public service, my professional experience as an attorney
representing schools, universities, property owners, and family businesses, and my
(17:50):
independence from the political factions and best special interest groups
that have divided Delray Beach make me the most qualified
candidate I've been trusted to serve on board. It's focused
on housing, childcare, early education, neighborhood leadership, cultural organization, parks,
and community development. These roles have given me hands on
(18:10):
experience working with the multimillion dollar budgets, public policy, and
residents across our city and state. I understand how local
government works, how to navigate these complex issues, and how
to turn ideas into action. I also love this city
with all my heart, and I'm proud to call it
(18:32):
my home, and I'm proud to raise my children here.
And hopefully my qualifications can serve as a bridge between
the city and its stakeholders and can provide multiple perspectives
that will contribute to the most informed decisions. As a commissioner,
I've been on the DAIST, I've been on the floor
before the DAIST, I've been a resident. I understand all
(18:55):
the perspectives. I'm not just a usual suspect, a usual
inser insider. I represent the next generation and I really
hope that I get to earn the vote of the
Delray Beach residents and I get to serve my community on.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
March tenth, all Right, Delray Beach City Commission Seat two
candidate Andrea Kaiser, thanks for joining us and talking to
the voters of Delray.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Thank you very much for having me on your show again.
I really appreciate it.
Hey, Joel Malcoln for WJ and O dot com. My
(00:02):
election spotlight on the city of Delray Beach. There is
one race in the city and it is for seat two,
which is a seat that was left of vacant last
year by now State Representative Rob Long. This could have
been his race to run for, but he was already
planning on running for a state House seat to begin with.
(00:27):
So bottom line is now we've got an open seat
for a full term, and we have three candidates, and
we have one of those candidates on with us right now.
Andrea Kaiser, thank you for joining me.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you so much for having me on the show.
I really appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Oh, not a problem. All right, Let's get some background
on you. First of all, have you ever run for
office before?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Never? This is my first time, So I tell people
that I am overqualified for the job, but I am
very green to campaigning and elections.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
All right, to have a question for you based on
you know, you running for the first time, So if
I forget, remind me. But I won't forget, but give
us some background on you. How long have you been
in del Rey? You know you work experience and anything
else you'd like to share.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Sure. I've been a resident of Florida for twenty three
years and I've lived in del Rey for twelve of
those twenty three years. My husband and I lived in
different parts of southeast Florida, and we were really looking
to find a place where we could lay our roots
and build our home and our lives and our family
for the next three decades. Because nobody likes moving right,
(01:40):
so we landed in Delray. We were attracted to it.
It is a very unique and rare place. It has
this amazing diverse population, sense of community that was driven
by the arts, culture and historic preservation. It had a
small town, small business feel, but a very ibran in downtown,
(02:01):
so it seemed like the perfect balance to still feel
like you're part of a vibrant city, but also feel
like you're in a town where you can raise a family.
So we've laid our roots down here. I am a
small business owner in downtown del Rey for eight years.
I'm a practicing attorney. I have my JB and my MBA,
(02:22):
and I've been specializing in education law and Landyson's owning
law for the past fifteen years. I'm also the COO
of the Primo School of Royal pomp Beach, where I
oversee licensing, accreditation, and operations. My public service career is
just as long, if not longer, than my professional career.
(02:43):
I was appointed by the governor to the Early Learning
Coalition of Palm Beach County. I'm currently serving as a
vice chair, but I also a treasurer and really a
trusted person to manage a three hundred million dollar budget.
I'm also County appointed to the Childcare Advisory Council, where
we oversee the licensing and regulation of our preschools and
(03:04):
our childcare facilities all throughout Palm Beach County. We want
to make sure our children are educated and safe, and
it also gives me an opportunity to really look at
public policy and local regulation. And then finally, city appointed
to the Delray Beach Housing Authority, and I'm the chairwoman
of the Delray Beach Housing Group, where we are able
to ensure that our community has diverse housing types, housing
(03:26):
with dignity for all different levels and stages of your life.
So that's a brief overview of my professional and my
public service career. But what I really tell people is
that you know, early in my early years as a
legal aid attorney. I really have a public service part
and I probably spend half of my career, you know,
volunteering on these public service boards because getting back to
(03:47):
the communities something that my family taught me as a
family value. They were immigrants and I am a first
generation American here and it's they told me two things
are very import in this life. Education is a driver
of socioeconomic mobility and change the course of our family future.
And once you are blessed and successful in life, you
(04:09):
have to give back to the community to make the
world a better place for the next and future generations
to come. So as a mother of three young children
of seven and four, I'd like to embody and model
that spirit in the service that I do. Thank you,
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
I also I see here on your professional experience on
your campaign page you list legislative affairs for a couple
of colleges, including Kaiser University. Is there any relation to
Kaiser or is that just a coinkident.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
So we have a running joke in our family that
I work with the family, but not for the family.
And that's good for my marriage. And I've married the
son of the founders of Kaisi University and It's been
such an honor and a pleasure to be a part
of this family that also has a student first philosophy
(05:02):
and believes education is not just a privilege, it's a
value system. And I have that exposure to the post
secondary uh post secondary college and university level. But my
real passion is early learning, making sure children have the
strongest possible start. And we joke that, you know, when
(05:22):
when children have a strong early learning foundation, it kind
of eliminates all the issues that children experienced from elementary
to post secondary. So it's been a wonderful part of
being part of that family as well.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
All right, now, I'm going to go back to where
you where we kind of started. This is your first
time ever running for office, and what made you decide
that you wanted to run this time.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
There are a couple of reasons why I wanted to run. First,
and foremost is that I am raised. I've invested my
whole life into Delray Beach, my small business, my life,
and raising my family. So it's very important to me
that the found the village by the sea that I
moved here to and wanted to be a part of
(06:08):
continues to remain that way now and in the future
for my children. Our city has been very, very successful,
and I just want to ensure that success isn't mismanaged
and that the city remains as vibrant and as wonderful
and as charming as it is today for my kids
in the future. So that's the first reason. The second
reason is that I looked at our city, you know,
(06:30):
our city government, and I realized that I think I
can bring a very unique skill set to the city commission.
Not only am I a subject matter expert in land
use and zoning and then have a background in education,
but I also have all this experience serving on public
boards and managing multimillion dollar budgets. So I think it's
(06:51):
very important that our city commissioners have this background in
this experience so they can make informed decisions for the city.
And finally, the final reason why I wanted to run
for city commission is because I noticed that there are
these divisive factions in our in our community, and I
really wanted wanted to see someone that was an independent voice,
(07:13):
that wasn't part of any of these groups and that
was kind of a hold into anyone. So I did
self fund a lot of my campaign, so the message
that I would center our community is that the only
people that I owe my allegiance to are my family
and this community of residents. And I think those are
the makings of a true public servant.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
What what are some of the things that you see,
you know, people handing divisively?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Oh, well that people are handing divisively.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Yeah, you said there's some divisive things. What are the
issues that people are being divisive about?
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Sure, I mean there are there are a lot of
issues and topics in our city that are that have
I think that have different camps. So, for instance, we've
got some big bunch of controversial issues around Old School Square,
around whether or not we make it downtown historic. So
(08:12):
there are I think factions of people that are kind
of pushing their own agenda and only focusing on their
own agenda rather than thinking about the entirety of the
city and the city holisticly. So that's why I think
an independent voice is really needed for the city Commission.
All Right.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
One thing you also said that struck me with something
that could be coming within the next year potentially based
on what's happening in Tallahassee. You mentioned, you know, budgets,
and that that's something that you do professionally work with
budgets and budget making, budget keeping, you could be dealing
(08:48):
with no tax on homesteaded properties, potentially with the exception
of the school taxes. Although Governor de Santis, as you're
probably aware, may, regardless of what gets past in the
legislative session, may end up holding a special session because
he really wants all homesteaded property taxes, not just not
(09:10):
you know, including the schools, to be abolished. So how
might that affect the city? Should that get done, if
the voter, if it gets on the ballot, the voters
approve it, you know, what do you do?
Speaker 2 (09:25):
So the first thing I want to say to this
is that I am always pro finding ways to lower
taxes for our citizens, you know, especially our families and
our seniors in our community. Our seniors aren't fixed income.
Our families are in the most sensitive time in their
life where they're really pinched financially between children, childcare, education, mortgages, insurance,
(09:48):
and maybe even aging elderly parents. And my god, the
praise of groceries in and of itself as skyrocketed. So
you know, our families are feeling our pinch, our seniors
are feeling the pinch. And lowering costs for our citizens
should always be I think always be a priority. Where
I can use my experience to help the city is
that when you work for organizations, non profit organizations with
(10:09):
these wonderful missions like illegal aid, like an early learning coalition,
you are given cash payer dollars that are restricted and
you have to do more with less. So, for instance,
at the Early Coalition, we have a five percent administrative costs.
So I'm not saying we can run a city on
five percent administrative costs, But what I'm saying is is
(10:30):
we need to find ways to do more with less.
We need to diversify funding sources to keep costs low
and not put so much of the burden on our residence.
So I welcome lowering costs for our residents. Now, if
the Tallahassee does successfully pass this measure where we have
to eliminate property taxes, then we're going to have a
bit of a funding gap. And I know people's top
(10:52):
concerns are always essential services, and basically basically the city
is going to have to find other methods and other
ways to kind of make up for those cost differences,
which I think we can do by you know, saving
some dollars somewhere, diversits science funding sources somewhere, and then
probably having to do a different you know, really just
a different form of another tax. You can put lipstick
(11:13):
on a pig, but it really is, at the end
of the day, is still a tax on our residents.
But I think the goal is is that no matter
what you know, no matter how you make up that
funding gap, our goal should be that whatever the net
of that is still results in a reduction to our citizens,
still results in an overall decrease in taxes and burden
(11:35):
on our citizen Ray because you know, in order to
preserve the next generation of Delray, people have to be
able to afford to live here and stay here and
open up their small businesses here or stay in business here.
Otherwise we won't have the next generation to call del Rey.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
So is the do you feel that the current milit rate?
I don't know if you have that off the top
of your head, but what.
Speaker 2 (12:00):
Is it six point six?
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Do you feel that's a fair milage rate?
Speaker 2 (12:06):
Actually, if you so. Florida Tax Launch came out with
a comparison of militarates across the entire state of Florida
by county. And if you take a look at I
think at the top sixty seven counties, our millage rate
is still lower than the lowest of the top sixty seven.
So I think Delray Beach has done a pretty good job.
But I don't I'm not going to I'm not going
(12:28):
to measure ourselves and compared to everyone else. I don't
think that's the right way to look at it. I
think the right way to look at it is to
look at our budget and find those ways where we
can increase operational efficiencies to reduce waste and continue to
cut down that milit rate. No matter what you know
our comparison is to the rest of the state.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I know that some residents are not happy about metered parking,
which is I guess a recent thing. What I wanted
to get your thoughts on that.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
It is one of the as I've knocked on two
thousand doors in this city while campaigning, and it is
definally one of the top three issues that complete people
complain about. And I understand why everything else is so expensive.
And then you go downtown to patron a small business
or pick up a lunch, and you're paying these exorbited
parking fees where in the past they've been able to
(13:22):
enjoy free parking. I definitely feel for those residents and
empathizes those residents. And because one of my priorities is
lowering costs, I really think we need to make sure
that our tourists who come and visit our city, our
visitors who come visit our city and do create impacts
on our infrastructure, pay a greater burden of the share
(13:43):
for those parking rates. And I think that making it
more cost effective for residents is really the right thing
to do for the residents who live here eight months
out of the year.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Do you when you knock on those doors and you
talk to residents, are you some constituents are you hearing
of out the new noise ordinance? Are their concerns about that?
Speaker 2 (14:05):
There are concerns about the new new Noise Ordinance. On
one hand, the proponents of the noise Ordinance are very
much championing the reduction of noise in the downtown area
because we have become you know, our growth has been
so successful. We've come this very vibrant city and there
are some far reaching impacts of that noise, especially people,
(14:28):
particular people over on the beach who really move to
the beach to hear the ocean and not necessarily the
noise of downtown. So the proponents of the noise ordinance
are very very happy. The opponents of the noise Ordinance
fear that the noise of Ordinance is perhaps too restrictive
to allow our businesses in at least the vivor portion
(14:48):
of our city to really operate in that way. You know,
I what I was in my twenty is I lived
in New York City, and you know, the people who
live in New York City, they're there for the hustle
and bustle. You know. They understand that there's going to
be you know, noise from traffic and car horns and ambulances.
So people who live there kind of understand that, and
that contributes to just that city life and the vibrancy
(15:09):
of having that city life. I think people who aren't
really really in the middle of that noise ordinance, they
are the people who are saying, I really don't want
this noise ordinance to impact our businesses. But what I
do like about the noise Ordinance is what I don't
like is the people who rev their engines and blast
their music in the cars and the noise from the
(15:31):
gas leaf flowers, those kinds of noises that impact more
of our quality of life all throughout the day as
opposed to just the vibrancy of the businesses downtown.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Yeah, And speaking to another candidate in this very same race,
I was informed by that candidate that it's really And
I was surprised by this because all I've seen thus
far had been in the news coverage had been the
bars and the clubs and the entertainment concerns that oh
they might you know, make them, you know, change things
(16:05):
that way. And what I was told was that this
is more about what you're talking about, the car noise,
the leaf blowers, et cetera, and not really about the clubs.
Is that the case.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
So I didn't personally attender the workshop on this, and
I didn't personally tended it, but I've been reading comments
from the people that did watch or attend that workshop,
and they did kind of confirm that sentiment, and that
is people are really concerned about the revving of the
cars and the music from the cars and the leaf blowers,
that they do really do feel that way. The noise ordinance,
even though you know it's got good intentions. I think
(16:39):
there were other ways that we could have handled it.
But the good news is is that the city seems
very open to trying this new objective method, trying to
see technology and really seeing how that allows us to
regulate the noise, hopefully in a way that doesn't impact
those businesses. But if I have the honor of being elected,
(17:00):
you know, I definitely want to make sure that our
downtown businesses are not impacted by this noise ordinance, that
it really is intended for the protection of the quality
of life of their residents in more of the surrounding
areas it's outside of the main downtown area.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
All right, I have one one more final question for you.
In a nutshell three candidates in this race, as I said,
it's an open seat, why ultimately should folks give Andrea
Kaiser the vote.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
I'm a working mother, I'm a small business owner. I'm
a volunteer on numerous boards and commissions, and I went
into law to make government work for people. My extensive
background in public service, my professional experience as an attorney
representing schools, universities, property owners, and family businesses, and my
(17:50):
independence from the political factions and best special interest groups
that have divided Delray Beach make me the most qualified
candidate I've been trusted to serve on board. It's focused
on housing, childcare, early education, neighborhood leadership, cultural organization, parks,
and community development. These roles have given me hands on
(18:10):
experience working with the multimillion dollar budgets, public policy, and
residents across our city and state. I understand how local
government works, how to navigate these complex issues, and how
to turn ideas into action. I also love this city
with all my heart, and I'm proud to call it
(18:32):
my home, and I'm proud to raise my children here.
And hopefully my qualifications can serve as a bridge between
the city and its stakeholders and can provide multiple perspectives
that will contribute to the most informed decisions. As a commissioner,
I've been on the DAIST, I've been on the floor
before the DAIST, I've been a resident. I understand all
(18:55):
the perspectives. I'm not just a usual suspect, a usual
inser insider. I represent the next generation and I really
hope that I get to earn the vote of the
Delray Beach residents and I get to serve my community on.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
March tenth, all Right, Delray Beach City Commission Seat two
candidate Andrea Kaiser, thanks for joining us and talking to
the voters of Delray.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Thank you very much for having me on your show again.
I really appreciate it.
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