NAME: Stacy S. Head
YOUR CAMPAIGN WEB ADDRESS: http://www.stacyhead.com
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION: Anne Redd
Address: P.O. Box 50452, New Orleans, LA 70150
Phone: 338-8073
FAX: NA
Email: info@stacyhead.com
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat
PROFESSION: Attorney (not currently practicing)
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION:
City of New Orleans
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION:
Juris Doctor, May 1995
APPLICABLE TRAINING:
My education and work as an attorney provided me with skills for drafting legislation. Not only am I able to personally research the propriety of legislation, for example, for constitutionality, but I can draft it to assure legislative goals are met. My experience with real estate development (through small family-owned ventures) has given me an understand of the real estate market and realities as well as the many laws that impact development and property ownership. Finally, 3.5 years of service on the Council has prepared me well to continue working on the Council without any need for on-the-job training.
CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
I have served many non-profits and worked with my church since moving to New Orleans after law school. In addition, as a member of the City Council I serve on several boards and commissions. Examples of my past and/or present civic work include Dress for Success, The Piazza d'Italia Board, the Preservation Resource Center, Kingsley House, and the New Orleans Tourism and Marketing Corporation. As a Council Member, I have been able to provide grants to many non-profits serving at-risk youth in District B. In fact, this constituency has received the bulk of grant money under my direction.
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
One term service on the City Council. During college I worked for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee during the summer.
1. Given the strong mayoral system established by our City Charter, what can Councilmembers do to address the crime problem?
The council must fund best-practice criminal justice programs and establish objective bench-mark improvement requirements as a condition of funding. The key to this performance-based budgeting requires either cooperation from all parts of the criminal justice system, or a strong council that is committed to mandating the improvements/reforms and imposing consequences if those improvement/reforms are not met. Finally, long-term crime reduction requires the council to support quality education and adult literacy programs through funding and advocacy, reduce blight/improve neighborhoods, and assist in increasing employment opportunities. All of these long-term goals can be achieved through a more highly functioning government because resources would be freed from wasteful or low-priority programs and diverted to those that are proven to produce meaningful community growth.
2. Would you support any level of decriminalization of drugs? If so, in what form?
No. But I support an emphasis on diversionary programs that keep first-time offense cases outside of the criminal system. The council has funded such a diversionary program through the current District Attorney's office, and I would support its growth.
3. How do you propose to improve communication and cooperation between the Mayor's Office and City Council regarding such issues as adoption and oversight of the budget, supervision of Department heads, etc?
With regard to the city budget, the process should start through meetings between department heads, key administration budget officials and the council in the summer months. Then, a general outline of the budget should be presented to the public with opportunities for public discussion of priorities. Finally, the budget presentation by the mayor (which would have been developed through the aforementioned collaboration) should be presented 60 days before final adoption by the council. As to the day-to-day legislative and city government matters, regular informal meeting between the council an the mayor should be the norm. Such regular interactions would allow both branches of government to appraise the other of concerns, initiative and programs and would foster personal relationships. Face-to-face communication is the key to establishing and continuing a good relationship and avoiding unnecessary acrimony.
4. What are your priorities for your District?
My priorities are largely those that I have worked on for 3.5 years. Those include crime reduction through advocacy for best-practices approaches in all areas of criminal justice, increased development on key commercial corridors like Freret, O.C. Haley, Tulane, and Canal, responding to constituent concerns and remaining engaged with neighborhood groups, reducing blight and assisting in neighborhood growth/development, and working for efficient, honest, and responsible government. My staff and I have effected improvements in each of those areas. Just as important, we have built a foundation in each of those areas that I would like to work on improving and increasing over he next four years.
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