- November 17, 2024
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Heidi Shipley, a former mammographer at Central Florida Regional Hospital, doesn’t have much of a background in politics. But she became known around her community, she said, for helping out neighbors: picking up their kids from school, helping advocate on their behalf with the city over drainage concerns.
And eventually, she said, a few of those neighbors suggested she run for a City Council seat, and she took them seriously.
And she took the campaign seriously, knocking on more than 400 doors to learn residents’ concerns, and meeting with city officials to beginlearning about how city government works.
She is running against Anne-Marie Shaffer, who took 41.28% of the vote in the three-way-primary election. Shipley got 34.56% of the vote.
Economic and business issues
Shipley spoke to seven local restaurants about their concerns while she was campaigning, she said, and got an earful about the city’s permitting and inspection process.
It could probably become more efficient, she said, a change that could encouraging business and economic growth.
What the city needs, she said, is to attract the kind of industries that would bring higher-paying jobs, “like another SeaRay — something that’s going to be another manufacturing company, something that’s not just going to sell to people here.”
The City Council “can’t bring in those jobs,” she said, “but what we can do is make sure that there’s not so much negative press going out against the city,” by making the permitting process easier. And, she said, “We need to keep on promoting it as a place your employees are going to love to live.”
Culture and recreation
Palm Coast needs more for teenagers to do, Shipley said. “The kids that are from 17-26 years old, if they’re already out of school, they’re not involved with sports, even if you want to go on a date, where do you go? It’s going to lead to trouble.”
For young children, she said, “There is something every day of the week, mainly for younger kids, school-age kids, to do,” at the community center, although more options would be better.
“I think we’re growing in the right direction,” she said. “But I think parks and recreation could always use more money.”
She said she is looking forward to the creation of an arts center, in part because it could serve as a venue for young artists to perform.
Leadership, weaknesses and strengths
Shipley said a diverse employment background, including seven years at John Hancock, taught her how to handle leadership roles in a large organization “where there were thousands of people.” She also spent time in government, working in a water resources department in Massachusetts.
She said she’d probably work into the night “every time there’s something going on.”
Her major weakness, she said, is an unfamiliarity with some parts of Palm Coast.
“It might be that I don’t know as much about the community, or areas of the community, as I would like to know right now,” she said.
She knows the W- and F-sections best. “I’m just trying to get around the different areas. We find areas as we go along, as we go door to door,” she said.
Contrasting herself to Shaffer, she said her children were in the school system and she’s therefore involved with the schools in a way Shaffer, a home-schooler, isn’t.
And, she said, “I don’t see this whole corrupt Palm Coast that they refer to, the Ronald Reagans. I just don’t see it.”
“I think I have been honest all along in this election, letting people know I don’t have an agenda,” she said. “I’m willing to go to anyone’s house.”
Previous press coverage of Heidi Shipley:
Click here to view previous Palm Coast Observer stories about Heidi Shipley, here to view FlaglerLive stories and here to view Daytona Beach News-Journal stories.
