Uptown Getting Its Fair Share: Sherri Myers’ Platform for District 2

Former Pensacola City Councilmember Sherri Myers is seeking election to represent District 2 once again, running on a platform centered around geographical equity, municipal transparency, and increased investment in the city's commercial corridor.

Having previously represented District 2 from 2010 to 2022, Myers has anchored her campaign to a central goal: ensuring the "Uptown" area receives its fair share of municipal resources.

Myers' campaign focuses on four primary areas: constituent responsiveness, intergovernmental coordination on infrastructure, reform of local tax allocations, and environmental preservation.

Myers emphasizes accessible governance as a core pillar of her campaign. During her previous twelve years on council, she averaged four town hall meetings annually, including eight specifically dedicated to the restoration and management of Carpenter Creek.

Regarding council proceedings, Myers advocates for greater procedural oversight. When asked how she would handle extensive, last-minute additions or developer revisions to council agenda packets, Myers stated she would request moving those items to the following meeting to allow adequate time for public review and research.

A primary focus of Myers' platform is prioritizing foundational infrastructure; such as stormwater drainage, street lighting, and traffic safety over large-scale economic development initiatives.

(Photo Credit: Sherri Myers Facebook)

Myers highlights the unique logistical challenges of District 2, which is heavily bifurcated by unincorporated Escambia County. Key corridors like Sanders Street and Burgess Road contain alternating municipal and county jurisdictions, leading to disjointed regulations, varying speed limits, and inconsistent lighting.

To address these gaps, Myers advocates for structured, collaborative planning between the city and Escambia County.

Pointing to past joint efforts to secure funding for four-way stops and safe school routes near the district's three public schools, she maintains that active intergovernmental cooperation is essential for maintaining neighborhood safety.

Myers is advocating for structural changes to how local tax dollars are collected and distributed, specifically targeting the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) and the Urban Core Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).

Myers notes that while District 2 serves as a major commercial engine for Pensacola, it has historically received a small fraction of capital improvement allocations. To ensure greater accountability, she proposes that future LOST renewals feature an itemized ballot list of specific, pre-approved infrastructure projects rather than discretionary funding pools.

Myers expresses concern over the long-term use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) within the Urban Core CRA. She argues that freezing tax baselines at 1985 levels diverts property tax growth away from the city’s general fund.

Additionally, she advocates for redirecting CRA resources toward state-mandated low-income and senior affordable housing rather than commercial development subsidies.

(Photo credit: City of Pensacola)

Environmental conservation, particularly along the Carpenter Creek watershed, remains a key issue for Myers. She raises concerns regarding the administration of the city's Tree Trust Fund, which receives developer mitigation payments when tree canopies are cleared for commercial construction.

Myers notes that significant commercial development along Airport Boulevard, Davis Highway, and the Carpenter Creek riparian zone has generated substantial revenue for the trust fund.

However, Myers argues these funds have frequently been used for beautification projects downtown or in other neighborhoods rather than replanting trees in the District 2 areas where the removal occurred.

If elected, she intends to enforce tree ordinance guidelines to ensure mitigation funds directly restore local canopy cover.

Drawing from her personal perspective as a low-income senior, Myers proposes an adaptive reuse strategy for affordable housing along commercial corridors. She advocates for partnering with non-profit housing developers to acquire underutilized commercial parking lots along Ninth Avenue to construct walkable senior housing near medical facilities, grocery stores, and transit lines.

As a regular attendee of Pensacola’s Parks and Recreation Board meetings, Myers actively tracks municipal recreation initiatives.

(Photo Credit: Sherri Myers Facebook

Inspired by an August presentation from Miracle Recreation and the Best Buddies program on inclusive play design, Myers aims to secure city funding to obtain a Best Buddies inclusion certification for Tippin Park, turning it into a fully accessible space tailored for children and adults with special needs.

Furthermore, Myers’ platform includes securing capital funding for accessible neighborhood facilities in Uptown Pensacola. A major priority for her campaign is securing the necessary funding to transform Tippin Park into a fully inclusive park, specifically designed to accommodate special needs children and adults, ensuring equitable recreation for all residents.

Voters in District 2 will have the opportunity to choose between Myers and incumbent Councilman Charles Bare in the upcoming election. The Pensacola City Council election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, with early voting running from October 19 through November 1, 2026.

Thumbnail photo credit: Sherri Myers Facebook