After much consideration, Tom Derzypolski said he intends to join the race for City Commission Seat 3, making him the fifth person interested in taking over the position City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow currently holds.
While he hasn’t filed yet, Derzypolski said he plans to make it official within two weeks when he announces his candidacy and campaign platform.
Derzypolski, if elected, would be new to public office, but he said his extensive involvement and leadership in the community has set him up for success as an elected city leader.
Tom Derzypolski
“I just felt like this was the next step for me, where I was called to serve next,” Derzypolski said. “It’s clear that there’s an opportunity for focused, experienced and engaged leadership in our city, and that’s what I intend to bring to this community.”
So far, he is up against four others who have filed for the commission seat that was left vacant after Matlow announced his mayoral campaign: Talethia Edwards, a longstanding community activist; Norm Roche, a former Pinellas County Commissioner; PJ Perez, a local teacher; and Max Herrle, a local political operative.
Derzypolski has served on leadership boards for the local chapter of the American Red Cross and Goodwill, while also co-founding and running his company, BowStern Marketing Communications. He said his activity in the Tallahassee community has shown him that residents are really after leaders who are strong, disciplined and willing to hear them out.
“We have an opportunity to show folks how a campaign can be run with mutual respect, the discussion of ideas and ways to move the community forward rather than what we’ve been seeing,” he said.
The current state of the city commission — which is often characterized as toxic and polarized — is “disappointing and frustrating,” Derzypolski said. Public officials have the obligation to work with those the citizens chose to be in office, and he says he’ll be able to work with anyone alongside him on the dais.
Co-Founder and President of BowStern Marketing Communications Tom Derzypolski leads a Zoom meeting in his home office Monday, Nov. 1, 2021.
Right now, the city commission is “missing a willingness” to have conversations with everybody who has been elected to serve.
“What we’re seeing now is stagnant growth and stagnant governance and that doesn’t help anybody,” Derzypolski said.
The race is a non-partisan affair, though the commission has long been made up of all registered Demcorats.
While he was previously known to be a Republican, Derzypolski said he’s been registered as an independent for a while, which he says represents how many people are “in the middle of the road” even if they’re affiliated with a specific party.
Derzypolski didn’t want to elaborate on the specific issues he’d tackle if given the chance to serve until he officially announced his campaign, but said he will be a commissioner “who proactively leans into the issues,” engaging with citizens on the topics that matter to them and not waiting for city staff recommendations on how to act.
Co-Founder and President of BowStern Marketing Communications Tom Derzypolski
His campaign announcement is one he thinks will bring excitement and optimism to the community. The road to Election Day is long, but Derzypolski said he intends to win.
“I’m all in,” he said.
Local government watchdog reporter Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on X: @elenabarreraaa.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: New candidate preps to run for Tallahassee City Commission